Barbara Picutti Creative Contest 2025
The archives are a repository of stories:
The Barbara Picutti Creative Contest is just the right time to tell them!
This year’s theme is:
TOOL TALES
Plastic models and old working tools used by our professionals in the past have emerged from the ware-houses of MAIRE’s Milan headquarters. From here, together with colleague Barbara Picutti, "engineer and humanist," as she liked to define herself, who passed away prematurely in June 2023, the idea for this creative contest aimed at our colleagues was born: to write a story related to one of the old tools or project models, explaining its history, functionality, and evolution over time.
The result of the contest: 29 beautiful stories, true and fictional, that transported the jury, chaired by Fabrizio Di Amato, Chairman of MAIRE and the Fondazione MAIRE, from childhood memories to mature ones, from technical objects of the past to reflections on new technologies, from imaginary journeys to everyday life stories.
WINNER
ANTONIO DE SIMONE Tecnimont - COST CONTROL ENGINEER, Italy; Lotto 11; WINNER OF THE 1ST BARBARA PICUTTI CREATIVE CONTEST
The author has masterfully crafted a tale that unfolds seamlessly, drawing readers into a world of unexpected twists and turns that keep them captivated until the very end. Through a meticulous selection of words, the narrative strikes a balance between harsh reality and poetic beauty, creating a compelling story that skillfully intertwines the raw intensity of the African landscape, the dedication to one’s craft, the inherent risks of the profession, and the boundless love of a father for his daughter. The writing exhibits a cinematic quality, evoking imagery akin to a continuous shot that stretches time for the protagonist beneath the desert stars, all within the confines of a steel frame marked by the significance of the number 11 gauge.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
CARLO BONIARDI Tecnimont - SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER, Italy; Tre rose rosse; Special mention: PASSION
A tale of love and loss told with sensitivity and mastery, that reveals the special bond between the two protagonists as they share romantic moments in isolated locations on the construction site. The contrast between the harshness of the working environment and the delicacy of their feelings creates a captivating emotional tension that keeps the reader glued to the pages. Through flashbacks and present moments, the narrative takes us through the stages of their relationship, culminating in a poignant and revealing finale that leaves a lasting impression.
ALESSANDRO CALISSE Tecnimont - JUNIOR PROCESS ENGINEER, Italy; Fritz Haber: l’uomo e la storia; Special mention: HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE
The narrative takes inspiration from the true story of Fritz Haber, a renowned German chemist involved in scientific discoveries of great impact, such as the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, but immediately turns into an original tale: envisioning Fritz Haber in dialogue with himself, his thoughts and feelings become the true protagonists of the story, an intimate expression of the internal and intellectual tension between his scientific achievements and the human consequences of his inventions. It showcases great narrative mastery that deeply engages the reader.
VALTER CARROLO Tecnimont Planung Industrieanlagenbau (TPI) - MECHANICAL ENGINEER, Germany; The Quantum Pressure Paradox; Special mention: IMAGINATION
Pulsating pace and apocalyptic themes characterize this disaster story, where dystopian futures and mass extinctions serve as narrative expressions of the unease stemming from current international tensions. The style and tone of voice are perfectly aligned with this message to the “survivors.” Between history and fantasy, fiction and reality, science and science fiction, the narrative strikes the right balance to qualify as an excellent Hollywood screenplay. One certainty remains: we will never look at a pressure gauge in the same way again...
FABIO FERRARI NextChem - HEAD OF CARBON AND EMISSION REDUCTION, Italy; Calibrare in sintesi; Special mention: HISTORICAL ARCHIVE
This text celebrates the importance of the historical archive as a place of knowledge through a captivating dialogue among its archival tools, each endowed with its own personality and distinctive narrative, seamlessly transporting readers into the evocative realm of history. Crafted with flawless mastery of dialectics reminiscent of Cicero, the dialogue is lively and entertaining, enriched by learned quotations. This extraordinary tale skillfully combines the art of storytelling with profound messages, blending scientific and humanistic knowledge, simplicity and complexity, all fundamental elements of beauty.
MICHELE FORLANI Tecnimont - TCMQA-PROJECT DIRECTOR, Italy; Biciclette, plastica e altro; Special mention: SCIENCE FOR LIFE
The story offers a profound reflection on the crucial moments of life, alternating narration and introspection with an engaging and poetic style. The vivid description of childhood moments, relationships with friends, and family moments are portrayed with touches of nostalgia and intimacy, transporting the reader on an emotional journey through the author’s memories. The narrative style is captivating, alternating references to principles of physics and chemistry embedded in the characters’ experiences, which harmoniously blend with philosophical reflections on the meaning of life and death.
UMBERTO FRANZI Retired, Italy; La Centrale di Al Nasserieh e la banconota siriana da 200 Pound; Special mention: COMPANY HISTORY
When a business story makes History. The design of the Al Nasserieh gas turbine power plant in Syria becomes the protagonist of an extraordinary story, which seems to have come out of the writer’s imagination but is instead a faithful account of the reality experienced by our colleague. Named after the young son of the President of Syria, Bassel Al Assad, who passed away prematurely, the power plant was also reproduced on the Syrian 200-pound banknote for the enormous importance it represented for the country’s industrial development. The images depicted on the banknote are a tangible tribute to the transformative power of electricity for the country’s economic and social development.
PARTICIPANTS
ALBERTO CAVALLO Tecnimont - HEAD OF ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION, Italy; MARCO CAMELETTI Tecnimont - TELECOM AND F&G SYSTEMS SENIOR SPECIALIST, Italy Lo stabilimento FIAT di Melfi e il sistema PRODAS
ANDREA CAPPONI Tecnimont - LAYOUT & PIPING MATERIALS & WORK QUANTITIES ESTIMATING &MANAGEMENT GROUP LEADER, Italy Il manometro starato
PINO COLOMBI Retired, Italy Il Manometro
MASSIMO DAPOTO Maire Tecnimont - GROUP COMMUNICATION MANAGER, Italy La Danza del Deserto
MARCO D’ARCANGELIS KT- Kinetics Technology - CIVIL PROJECT LEADER, Italy Ricordi sottosopra (per colpa del cannocchiale astronomico)
GIUSEPPE DERRICO Tecnimont - PRODUCT CONFORMITY COORDINATOR Italy Ricordi d’infanzia ed evoluzione tecnologica
EDOARDO DISARÒ NextChem - TECHNOLOGY PROCESS JUNIOR ENGINEER, Italy 2168
LEO GENTILINI Retired, Italy L’ultima misura
STEFAN ARIO GIUFFRÈ KT- Kinetics Technology - CONSTRUCTION JUNIOR ENGINEER, Italy Gli Orizzonti del Mare: La Storia dell’Anemometro di Famiglia
ANILKUMAR JHA Tecnimont Private Limited - RISK ENGINEER, India Analog Pressure Gauge
MADHURA JOSHI Tecnimont Private Limited - CIVIL STRUCTURAL DESIGN ENGINEER, India Glass-Traced Theodolite
NILESH PRABHAKAR JOSHI Tecnimont Private Limited - COST CONTROL ENGINEER, India From Dusk to Dawn
FRANCESCA LUBELLI Tecnimont - PRODUCT CONFORMITY COORDINATOR; GIUSEPPE UNGARO Tecnimont - PROJECT QUALITY MANAGER, Italy L’anemometro polemico
STEFANO MANDAS KT- Kinetics Technology - KTFRA-CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ENGINEER Italy A true story from Stefano Mandas related to the “Architectural Model: Fiat manufacturing Plant - Melfi (PZ)”
SHAHNAWAZ MAPARI Tecnimont Private Limited - PRESSURE VESSELS & HEAT EXCHANGERS ENGINEER, India Theodolite
CARLO MASETTI Advisor Italy Regolo circolare per calcoli di cemento
ALESSANDRO MISTARINI Tecnimont, Italy - INSTRUMENTATION MATERIALS & WORK QUANTITIES ESTIMATING & MANAGEMENT GROUP LEADER Italy Plastico di impianto – Precursore del modello 3D
GABRIELE PASINI Tecnimont - PROJECT PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR, Italy Storia di un Manometro
ANITHA PREMAN Tecnimont Abu Dhabi BO - EXPEDITING & INSPECTION PLANNER, UAE Theodolite – A Romantic Tale
MAURIZIO RIGOLIO Tecnimont - ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Italy L’analogico che ti salva il test
FABIO SESSI Tecnimont - MATERIAL SUPPLY COST ENGINEER, Italy La calibrazione del tempo
ELIO STREPPAROLA Tecnimont, Italy - TECHNOLOGY CHEMICAL & PETROCHEMICAL MANAGER Italy Umidità, benessere e cultura
Our historical equipment
The old work tools of architects and engineers tell a piece of our country's industrial history.