Among the great celebrations of 2026 are also the 30 years of activity of Italian artist Paolo Barbieri, an artist deeply connected to the history of the festival. His relationship with Lucca Comics & Games has grown over the years through projects that have become part of the event’s visual identity: from the universe of L’Orlando Curioso to the Lords for the Rings calendar, from contributions to the Area Performance to the official 2021 poster, one of the most recognizable of recent editions.
In his work, Barbieri has crossed myth, fantasy and epic imagination, also engaging with Dante and with the visionary power of the Comedy through his illustrated Dante's Inferno. On Saturday 31 October at 21:00 in the Auditorium del Suffragio, Concerto in Arte will take place. An evening produced by Lucca Crea in collaboration with the Luigi Boccherini Conservatory of Music, in which music and image will converse through the soundtracks that have nourished the artist’s imagination.
The selection, curated by Barbieri himself, will move through cinema, animation and great sagas: from Joe Hisaishi to John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Ennio Morricone, and on to themes from Star Blazers, Lupin III and The Lord of the Rings. An immersive event through sound and vision that pays homage to a career built within fantastic imagery and in constant dialogue with Lucca.
To crown the celebrations, Sergio Bonelli Editore will publish the anniversary volume Trent’anni di disegni sbagliati. The work retraces the key stages in the career of one of the most significant artists in Italian fantasy, highlighting his role as a precursor and innovator in the publishing landscape. The volume narrates how his creative path has intertwined, from the very beginning, with the history of Lucca Comics & Games itself, bearing witness to a profound and lasting bond.
