What to expect at Formula 1 photographic exhibition ‘Twelve Years of Lights and Racing in the Lion City’

With excitement mounting towards the long-awaited comeback of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, fans of the motorsport event can take a trip down memory lane at the photographic exhibition Twelve Years of Lights and Racing in the Lion City.

Held at The Arts House from Sep 28 to Oct 3, the exhibition centers around the evolution of the first-ever night race on the F1 calendar – the Singapore Grand Prix. Since its first edition in 2008, the highly-anticipated race has become synonymous with the country’s culture and lifestyle.

Twelve Years of Lights and Racing in the Lion City is curated by Nadia Stefanei from the Dino Zoli Foundation in partnership with DZ Engineering SRL, who has presented various shows related to the motorsport industry since 2017.

The exhibition features a series of 160 photos carefully selected from the archive of acclaimed Italian photographer and reporter Flavio Mazzi. He has over four decades of experience under his belt, which saw him cover over 450 Formula 1 Grand Prix events.

Visitors to the exhibit will be greeted by a series of 30 panels, with two or three panels representing each year’s edition of the race.

Flavio’s photographs portray some of the most dramatic and intimate moments that have gripped the night race over the years.

They were hand-picked to paint vivid imageries of not just the thrills and spills of the race, but also what goes on behind the scenes – the tireless work put in by the various photographers, marshals and workers.

One of the most powerful series of images falls under 2010, where Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus was captured bursting into flames and smoke after suffering from a cracked fuel valve, following contact with a fellow driver.

There are also photos that detail the first-lap chaos that occurred during the 2017 edition of the race which saw a huge collision at the front of the pack involving Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, as well as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

The series of photos that line the continuous flow of panels helps to immerse the viewer in the various races itself, with some even printed on fine arts paper. 

Twelve Years of Lights and Racing in the Lion City is supported and promoted by the Italian Embassy in Singapore, EuroCham, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and Italy-ASEAN Association.

It also has been selected by Visit Singapore for the official programme of the F1 Grand Prix. Admission to the exhibition is free of charge.