The award ceremony for the 44th Masi Prize took place on Friday, October 24, at Monteleone21, following the traditional signing of the Amarone barrel by the winners in the historic cellars at the heart of Valpolicella. The five 2025 awardees—Alberto Bombassei, entrepreneur from Vicenza; Fabrizio Plessi, international artist; and Federica Manzon, writer from Trieste for the Masi Civiltà Veneta Prize; José Vouillamoz, Swiss ampelographer and geneticist for the Masi International Civiltà del Vino Prize; and Gilles Kepel, French political scientist for the Grosso D’Oro Veneziano—were the protagonists of a talk moderated by journalist Alessandro Milan.
Sandro Boscaini, Vice President of the Foundation and President of Masi, opened the ceremony from the Monumental Fruttaio of Masi’s new wine tourism and experiential hub:
“Monteleone21 is the new home of Amarone, but also a space where wine engages in dialogue with the arts and culture. Today we celebrate not only the excellence of the territory but also Veneto’s ability to interpret the challenges of the contemporary world.”
Milan, inviting the awardees to the stage of the Agorà, immediately introduced the central theme of this edition: “Progress and Conflicts: Paradoxes of the Present.”
The theme, explored during the roundtable, delved into one of the great contradictions of our time: while wars and conflicts arise from the need to assert identity, rapid social, economic, cultural, climatic, and technological changes force humanity to confront the fear of losing it—or, conversely, to build a new one.
In this scenario, technology emerges as a force that must be consciously governed, so it does not escape human control but remains a tool for progress. Likewise, geographic borders—now more fluid—become spaces of fracture but also of redefinition, requiring deliberate choices to transform conflicts into opportunities for growth, adaptation, and innovation.
“Progress and Conflicts: Paradoxes of the Present” — The Dialogue Among the 2025 Masi Prize Winners
Gilles Kepel, a profound expert on international dynamics, highlighted the fragilities of the Middle East as a mirror of global tensions, offering a timely reflection on the geopolitical landscape and stressing the urgency of knowledge capable of guiding technological progress toward understanding among peoples rather than new imbalances.
Federica Manzon reflected on the value of borders—now both meeting points and fault lines—and on the relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence as a new arena of confrontation between freedom and limitation, emphasizing how humanity must grapple with the construction or risk of losing identity.
Fabrizio Plessi focused on the role of art as a universal language capable of bridging differences, interpreting technology not as a threat but as a tool to restore emotion and humanity to the contemporary world.
José Vouillamoz turned attention to the world of wine, where the challenges of climate change and global trade tensions demand a balance between scientific innovation and biodiversity protection, in a constant interplay of progress and tradition.
In a video message, Alberto Bombassei recalled his Venetian roots and the value of innovation as a bridge between past and future, capable of guiding humanity through global and local transformations.
After the talk show, the Giorgio Boscaini Plaque was awarded to Sergio Valente, Masi’s importer in Taiwan—a recognition that for over forty years has honored friendship, collaboration, and contributions to the brand’s success and the promotion of Venetian values.
To conclude the event, the Civiltà Veneta and Civiltà del Vino awardees received precious bottles of Amarone Costasera, crafted by Venetian master glassmakers and decorated with gold serigraphy, while Gilles Kepel was presented with the Grosso Veneziano, a gold creation by master goldsmith Alberto Zucchetta.
