It was inaugurated on Wednesday 6 December, at the NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, the Exhibition titled “Guarding Peace” (Protecting peace) to highlight the Contribution of the Italian Air Force to NATO operations from the 1990s onwards.
The exhibition, curated by Arch. Luca Milan and co-organised by the Permanent Representation of Italy to the Atlantic Council and the Air Force Staff – 5th Department, was inaugurated in the presence of Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Dan Geoană.
The’ Ambassador Marco Peronaci, Permanent Representative of Italy to the North Atlantic Council He opened the inaugural ceremony by greeting the large presence of diplomats and military personnel, including, in addition to the Deputy Secretary General Mircea Dan Geoană – the political component – the presence of Director of Defence Policy and Capability Division of the International Military Staff (IMS), Major General François-Marie Gougeon, representing the Director of the International Military Staff – Military Component.
After Ambassador Peronaci's speech, the floor was taken by the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Dan Geoană which highlighted our country's appreciable contribution to the Atlantic Alliance. The series of speeches was concluded by Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Air Marshal, Aurelio Colagrande, who recalled how “For over seventy years, the Italian Air Force, as part of joint and multinational coalitions such as NATO, has been engaged in operations, many of which under the UN aegis, to project its capabilities worldwide and in complex scenarios. Some of these missions have been marked by extreme sacrifices; however, despite the painful loss of young airmen, “out-of-area” operations have enabled thousands of other lives to be saved. In these contexts, Italian military personnel have always distinguished themselves, not only through their sense of duty and professional rigour, but above all for their profound humanity and closeness to populations affected by conflicts.”.
“”Through the exhibition path that the Committee for AM Centenary has developed on the contribution that the Armed Force has provided to the Atlantic Alliance so far" – General Colagrande continued – The missions and activities carried out over the past 30 years by the men and women of the Air Force at every latitude are represented, highlighting little-known and partly surprising aspects of an organisation that is – and always has been – committed to peace rather than war, in order to contribute to increasing public awareness of current global threats and the important role NATO plays in countering them, preserving peace and security worldwide.
The General's address finally concluded by reminding that “On 28 March 2023, the Italian Air Force celebrated its 100th anniversary, honouring a rewarding history filled with challenges and notable achievements that have made us (the Italian Air Force) an effective and reliable force in the service of Peace and Security worldwide. Today we are here to reaffirm our commitment to these principles and to express our gratitude to NATO and all contributing countries. We have proudly played a part in maintaining world peace alongside many brave aviators from international partners for decades, and we are certain that we will continue to do so, for eternity.”.
Following the speeches of the Authorities present, a Metal stele three metres high that brings On one side the NATO logo and on the other the Centenary logo of the organisation of the Italian Air Force.
The two logos are deconstructed and reconstructed through a play of volume subtraction on a system of thin, vertically spaced metal blades, shaped on both sides.
The effect obtained is that of a fading of the two symbols based on the observer's position in space. They are perfectly visible only when observed from a side glance, while their visibility is lost when observed from a central perspective.
This effect, desired and sought-after, allows for the representation within an artistic artefact of some of the characteristics that strongly define NATO:
The sculpture is made of aluminium – a 100% material that is 100 per cent recyclable – which, thanks to its lightness, has also traditionally been used in the aerospace industry.
The commemorative stele designed by Architect Luca Milan of the NEXT Urban Solutions studio was entirely handmade by “master sculptor” Roberto Mega (a lieutenant serving with the 6th Wing – Ghedi).
The exhibition hosted at NATO Headquarters in Brussels will remain on display until December 19th, giving visitors the opportunity to revisit, through 12 exhibition panels, the missions conducted by NATO in the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, up to the recent Air Policing missions in the Baltic states and Iceland. These missions see the Italian Air Force engaged in the surveillance of Euro-Atlantic airspace.
