Cracking Art, a group of artists known around the world for over twenty years for their installations of giant animals in recyclable coloured plastic, has chosen the Niemeyer Building, the headquarters of the Mondadori Group, as the stage for a spectacular collective installation of their works.

The art proposed by Cracking Art is colourful, lively, original and interactive, and designed for real contact with the public. All of the creations are characterised by an innovative use of plastic materials: recycling plastics means avoiding toxic and environmentally devastating disposal and making works of art which is then placed in urban, monumental and historical contexts means communicating by means of an innovative aesthetic language, and expressing a special sensitivity towards nature, support for cultural organisations and the recovery of historical sites and monuments. Hence the slogan Art that regenerates art, which has been used for years to present the colourful invasion called Rigeneramento (Regeneration).

Cracking Art has already made 375 invasions of giant animals all over the world: from Bangkok to Moscow, New York and Brussels, as well as Milan, Rome, Florence and Trieste, before arriving today at the Niemeyer Building in Segrate, on the outskirts of Milan. Thanks to this initiative – promoted by Mondadori Portfolio, the Mondadori photo agency and a partner of Cracking Art – the Niemeyer Building will be embellished by more than 280 gigantic works of art depicting wolves, frogs, snails, meerkats and swallows.

The creations will be placed all around the headquarters of the Mondadori Group: the pillars and paving of the building designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and the waterfront and park by landscape architect Pietro Porcinai. The installations of giant animals will also be the focus of a series of activities involving the Mondadori brands, including an exclusive cocktail party La moda fa bene all’arte (Fashion is good for art) organised by Grazia International Network in collaboration with Cracking Art.

The message of the Cracking Art animals

The artists of Cracking Art artists decided to invade the headquarters of Mondadori with five types of animals, each with a colour and a specific meaning:

– The wolf communicates the idea of ​​the herd, of acting for the common good, but also solidity and individual strength;

– The meerkat is a social animal and transmits an idea of ​​endurance thanks to its capacity for cooperation;

– The frog symbolises a metamorphosis, the transformation and the connection between water and the earth. It is the most onomatopoeic of animals: from croak, croak – stagnation; to cracking, cracking – movement.

– The snail, a highly topical animal because its home is associated with communication, the symbol a e-mail, and recalls the organ we use to hear, and therefore the gift of hearing;

– Finally, the swallow suggests the idea of ​​travel but, at the same time, also of coexistence, because it nests in inhabited houses.

Cracking Art Group

Six international artists, who since the birth of the Cracking Art Movement in 1993 with the exhibition Epocale in Milan, curated by Tommaso Trini and Luca Beatrice, underline the Group’s intention to change the history of art through a marked social and environmental commitment combined with a revolutionary and innovative use of plastic materials that evoke the close relationship between the natural and the artificial.

Grazia Germany, launched in 2010 following the agreement between Mondadori and G+J/Klambt Style Verlag, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a cocktail party at Villa Necchi in Milan. The event, organised by the Mondadori Group’s International Network, will be an occasion to mark the anniversary and share the celebration with Italian clients.

The German edition of the Mondadori magazine quickly established it self in Germany as a multimedia fashion brand and has seen a continuous growth in readership, thanks to a formula that is able to combine the quality of a monthly with news and the dynamism of a weekly.

These characteristics have made the magazine, edited by Claudia ten Hoevel, one of Germany’s most fascinating fashion weeklies, able to offer its readers a mix of entertainment and information, as well as the best of fashion, beauty and the latest trends.

“We wanted to celebrate our 5th anniversary by supporting the achievements we’ve made with new and exciting projects. In fact, in 2015 we have planned six big issues,” announced Lars Rose and Frank Stahmer, chairmen of the board of G+J/Klambt Style Verlag. “By the end of the year the weekly will be redesigned in the layout and enriched with new fresh contents”, Stahmer and Rose concluded.

The celebrations of the German edition of Grazia will culminate in October, the month of the publication of the Big Birthday Issue, a special issue marking the fifth anniversary of the magazine, followed by an exclusive party in Germany, to be attended by celebrities and leading figures from the world of international fashion.

Grazia International Network, created by the Mondadori Group for the publication around the world of Grazia, is to add two new editions, taking to 24 the number of countries in which the brand is present.

2015 will start with the launch of Grazia Turkey, to be launched in February as a weekly by the Ommedya Group, one of the country’s most active publishing groups.

“This new partnership is an important breakthrough that will enable us to extend the presence of the Grazia International Network in the Mediterranean area, in an economy, like that of Turkey, that is performing brilliantly and becoming a privileged stage for new investments in the world of fashion,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, general manager of Mondadori International Business.

But Grazia Turkey is not the only news: from this month November the magazine is also available in Qatar, following a licensing agreement reached with ITP Consumer Publishing Ltd, that also publishes Grazia Middle East and will next year celebrates its tenth anniversary.

This new launch consolidates Grazia’s presence in one of the Emirates fastest growing countries, with the world highest per capita income and a high concentration of luxury brands.

Grazia Qatar, edited by Carrie Buckle, and Grazia Turchia, edited by Ayşe Ferhangil, are aimed at readers who love elegance presented in an unmistakable editorial mix and an upscale offer with a special interest in Made in Italy style.

The Grazia brand is at the centre of a global multichannel system that ranges from print to the web, social media and TV, and which has also opened up to the world of fashion and e-commerce. Through its publications and web sites, the Grazia International Network (www.graziainternational.com) reaches a total of 17 million readers and 16 million unique users each month, with a monthly circulation of 10 million copies; the Grazia Network is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with the account @grazianetwork.

Following the signing of a licensing agreement between Mondadori and China International Publishing Group (CIPG), from next February Interni will be available also in China.

The new edition takes to three the number of international editions of the title which is already published in Russia and Thailand.

“With this new launch, Interni enters one of the most important markets for the development and affirmation of goods carrying the Made in Italy label; a country full of opportunity for creativity and design,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, general manager of Mondadori International Business. “We are particularly proud that one of China’s leading publishers has recognised and appreciated the value of our magazine, which we are sure will become a point of reference for all the many enthusiasts of the sector in the country,” Pellizzari concluded.

This operation is a significant step forward in the promotion and spread of culture and design launched in China with a view to creating winning synergies with a range of markets. With Interni, edited in Italy by Gilda Bojardi, China International Publishing Group will enrich its portfolio with a magazine that for 60 years has appealed to enthusiasts of and professionals from the sector: an essential guide to new products and innovative trends in the culture of living, and a voice of Italian and international creativity and production.

It is a brand that is already accredited in China thanks to a number of successful initiatives; including: the exhibitions 50+2 years Italian Design, organised in 2006 at NAMOC (the National Art Museum of China) in Bejing; the 2011 show Creative Junctions, in collaboration with Tsinghua University – Academy of Art & Design on the occasion of the First Beijing International Design Triennial; in September 2012, the magazine was also the protagonist of the Beijng Design Week, one of China’s most important events dedicated to design and where two projects designed by Alessandro and Francesco Mendini and Zhang Ke-Standardarchitecture were presented.

China International Publishing Group (CIPG), with more than 20 branches and 12 foreign offices, including in the US, the UK, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Japan and Hong Kong, operates in the book market, publishing over 3,000 titles per year, and in magazines with a portfolio of some 30 titles in ten different languages and 30 web sites.

From this week INTERNI, the Mondadori interiors and contemporary design magazine will also be published in Thailand. The new edition of the title, the result of a licensing agreement with the publishing company Inspire Entertainment Co. Ltd., will be quarterly.

INTERNI Thailand will join the monthly edition launched by Mondadori in Russia.

Thanks to a successful formula that has enabled the title to become one of the most appreciated observatories of contemporary design at an international level – INTERNI will bring to Thailand the latest trends in the culture of living, and will become a point of reference able to anticipate and select the best of what’s new from the world of creativity and design.

“We are very satisfied to be bringing INTERNI to one of the most dynamic and continuously expanding economies in the world,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, general manager of Mondadori International Business. “Thailand is one of the most prolific countries in Asia in the design sector and we are sure that with this new edition of our brand we will be able to reach a strategic pool of readers, companies and professionals,” Pellizzari concluded.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to introduce Thailand to a magazine brand that is recognised and established among designers, professional and design enthusiasts in general at an international level,” declared Samutcha Viraporn, editor of INTERNI Thailand.

The launch of INTERNI Thailand was celebrated during the “Thailand Architect Expo 2014”, the country’s leading trade fair for the interiors and architecture sector which was held in Bangkok from 29 April to 4 May 2014.

Inspire Entertainment Co. Ltd.

Inspire Entertainment Co. Ltd., is Thailand’s leading magazine publisher and one of the country’s biggest players in newspaper publishing, television programmes and digital content. The company publishes 14 international magazine titles, including Grazia.

From today Grazia will also be published in Mexico: the new international edition of the magazine, which will be published fortnightly, is the result of a licensing agreement signed between Mondadori and Editorial Televisa.

This launch further expands the Grazia International Network, which for the first time will have an edition on the Americas. In particular, thanks to this partnership, the Mexican magazine market will be enhanced by the inclusion of an upscale brand that is already an established international representative of elegance and style Made in Italy.

“The launch of the 23rd edition of Grazia finally sees our magazine present also in the Americas,” declared Zeno Pellizzari, head of Mondadori’s International Activities. “We are particularly pleased about this partnership with Gruppo Televisa, Latin America’s leading media group, and we are confident that Grazia Mexico will soon be followed by other editions in the main countries in the continent,” Pellizzari concluded.

Grazia Mexico, edited by Fernanda Lebrija Garfias, will introduce readers in the country to the unmistakable mix of celebrities, fashion and lifestyle that has always characterised Mondadori’s historic fashion magazine.

“We are extremely satisfied with this partnership that brings Grazia to Mexico, the first country in Latina America to have an edition of the magazine. We are convinced that the characteristics of Grazia will be appreciated by both readers and advertisers, thanks to content that is distinguished for its high quality and the attention it gives to women’s real interests,” declared Mar Abascal, publisher of the magazine in Mexico. “Editorial Televisa is the world’s biggest Spanish-language publisher. We can therefore claim to have a clear idea of what Mexican readers want and this is why we are convinced that Grazia will very soon become the favourite magazine of women in our country,” concluded Mar Abascal.

The magazine, that will have a circulation of 100,000 copies and be distributed in Mexico and Central America, will have a cover price of 36 pesos (€2.00), and will be launched with a special promotional price for the first issue of 25 pesos (€1.40).

The launch of Grazia Mexico will be supported by a media campaign on TV, print, radio and outdoor, focused on the concept of Made in Italy.

Editorial Televisa is Latin America’s leading media group. It is the biggest magazine publisher and among the leading players in the newspaper sector, in addition to printing and the distribution of magazines and digital content. Editorial Televisa publishes more than 186 magazines, distributed through more than 80,000 sales outlets in Mexico and Latin America.

From tomorrow Icon, the Panorama fashion and lifestyle magazine, will also be published in Spain as a supplement to the national daily El País.

Icon Spagna will be the first international edition of the Mondadori title which, with this launch, underlines the success of a formula that in Italy has made the title a point of reference for male style and culture among leading fashion and luxury brands.

“This launch will give an additional boost to the international development of our brands,” declared Ernesto Mauri, chief executive of the Mondadori Group. “We are sure that, having created a highly successful system that has led to the publication of Grazia in more than 20 countries around the world, Icon can become for the market the most qualified interpreter of Italian fashion and elegance for men,” Mauri concluded.

Also with this new edition, that will be edited by Lucas Arraut Barroeta, Icon is aimed at readers who are attentive to trends in fashion, art, design and lifestyle, as represented by contemporary icons. For the cover of the first issue of Icon’s Spanish edition, a leading player from the international film scene, James Franco.

“The certified international success of Icon is a further proof that also publishing is an aspect of the excellence of made in Italy. This achievement is the result of the intelligent, continuous and never-ending efforts to improve the title made by Emanuele Farneti and his team since 2011. Panorama is consequently proud to accompany Icon in its new path and to stand beside the title for its future success,” said Giorgio Mulè, editor of Panorama.

“Just two years since the launch, Icon has become an international format and we are delighted with this development and proud to be able to work with a partner of such outstanding journalistic quality as El País. Together we will work to make Icon a point of reference for male style,” declared Emanuele Farneti, editor of Icon in Italy.

“We are enthusiastic to be the first international edition of Icon. The Spanish version is the best in terms of journalistic quality and photographic excellence, which are part of the nature of both Panorama and El País, and to which will be added the typical aspects of Spanish lifestyle which, in our view, will contribute to strengthening the brand,” underlined Lucas Arraut Barroeta, editor of Icon in Spain.

The magazine will be distributed to the readers of El País, a leading Spanish-language newspaper, on the first Thursday of each month, with a print run of 300,000 copies for ten months of the year.

Icon Spagna will also make its debut online at icon.elpais.com: a channel wholly dedicated to male lifestyle and an ideal point of encounter for readers of the print edition, with enhanced editorial content including interviews and multimedia content such as photo-galleries, backstage video clips and fashion shoots.

The launch of the new magazine will be celebrated with a party at the Salón de Baile del Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and will be supported by a national communication campaign on TV, print, radio, internet and outdoor.

Icon, the men’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, is exporting its successful formula to Spain where it will be launched in the autumn, the first international edition of the title, as a supplement of the newspaper El País.

Icon Spain is the result of a licensing agreement between Mondadori International Business and Promotora de Revistas General and Ediciones El País, which plans to publish 10 issues a year of the magazine. With a daily average of 1,929,000 readers and an average daily circulation of 324,814 copies in 2012, El País is the leading Spanish-speaking national newspaper and also has a strong online presence, with 15.6 million unique users in April 2013.

In its Spanish version, Icon will confirm the formula that has brought its success in Italy: a strong focus on the contemporary man and the icons that represent him, through the eyes of leading photographers and the most prestigious international style journalism.

First launched in Italy in April 2011 and edited by Emanuele Farneti, Icon is the men’s magazine linked to Panorama and gives an account of the icons of pop culture and celebrates trends and tendencies in fashion, art, design, architecture and lifestyle.

A formula that is appreciated both by the public and the advertising market, and which has enables Icon to quickly position itself at the forefront of the men’s fashion segment in terms of the number of advertising pages in the months of publication. A contribution to the excellent performance in Italy has also been made by a web channel with a rich range of photo galleries, videos and blogs, the launch of “deluxe” versions of the magazine intended for a circuit of selected newsstands and bookstores, and a special issue dedicated to sport, in addition to the organisation of events in collaboration with the most prestigious fashion and luxury brands.

From tomorrow, 20 February, Grazia will also be published in Korea, as a result of a licensing agreement with Seoul Cultural Publishers. The magazine, which will the only fortnightly in the Korean market, will be edited by Seong-hyeon Ahn.

This new launch further reinforces the presence of the “Grazia International Network” in Asia where Grazia has established itself with unprecedented success, beginning in China, before continuing in Thailand, Indonesia and India.

“Korea is a country in which fashion, beauty and celebrities are subjects of great interest. And, in a moment of world economic downturn, ours is one of the few markets that is growing,” declared the editor Seong-hyeon Ahn. “Grazia Korea will be a big success exactly like the other editions of the magazine around the world. I am sure that the characteristics of this historic title will perfectly match the needs of today’s women,” the editor concluded.

The new edition of Grazia, which is an interpreter around the world of Italian style and elegance in fashion and lifestyle, is aimed at a female readership interested in fashion and style, and featuring an innovative formula and upscale offer.

Established in 2005, the “Grazia International Network”, one of the most dynamic in the world, is characterised by the speed of development in the most significant publishing markets: from France to the UK, and from Germany to China and India, with overall monthly sales of over 7 million copies.

The launch of Grazia Korea will be accompanies by a communication plan on the web and social media, as well as TV, print, radio, B2B, PoS and outdoor media.