A.S. Velasca: Milan's artist-founded football club unveils new ZEVS kit

A.S. Velasca, an interdisciplinary football club founded in 2015 by a group of artists, directors, photographers, and designers, is preparing for its second season in Milan's CSI OpenB league, the lowest division. The club, named after one of Milan's first skyscrapers, treats everything from its locker room to its website as art. For the 2016/17 season, French street artist ZEVS designed the kit, presented at Milanese nonprofit O', alongside accessories by Stephen Dean, Patrizia Novello, Nada Pivetta, Eric Pougeau, Patricia Waller, and Thomas Wattebled. Despite its artistic nature, A.S. Velasca fields real players who train at Triestina 1946's pitch on Via Fleming and compete in actual matches, finishing second-to-last last season. President Wolfgang Natlacen, an Italian-French artist, told La Gazzetta dello Sport the goal is not to fight millionaire football but to offer an alternative. The club aims to attract genuine football fans and potentially convert AC Milan or Inter supporters. Previous art-football crossovers include Luca Beatrice's exhibitions at Juventus Stadium, Maurizio Cattelan's works at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Danilo Correale's invented match with Cristian Chironi, and Andrea Mastrovito's performance during Atalanta-Chievo in 2013.