Those who in recent weeks have been lucky enough to walk past Piazza Garibaldi in Parma could not have failed to pause for at least one minute to admire the sculpture by Giuliano Vangi on display under the Portici del Grano.

Amongst the works on display in the Piazza (the main part of the exhibition in the nearby Galleria San Ludovico), “Il Nodo” is without doubt the sculpture which attracts the most admiring attention from passers-by. It is a stainless steel and gold sculpture depicting two young people, one male, one female, who are running, together towards the future. And it is the use of gold that, in my opinion, is the most interesting aspect of the sculpture with respect to this blog.

Whereas the steel moulds the sculpture in its shapes and forms, making it very recognisable thanks to its highly shiny and reflective surface, the gold can only be seen upon examining the sculpture up close, as it has been used in very small quantities to emphasise and give greater value to the details on the faces and of the veil the female figure is holding in her hand. A very refined use of gold therefore, almost “spiritual”; as in the words of art critic Luciano Caramel, a “rarefaction of everyday life”, a long way from the visual noise and the idea of flamboyance which often distinguish the golden objects around us.

It is very difficult to show a photo of “Il Nodo”, as its colours and forms change when viewed from different angles. But, perhaps because of this, it is easy to feel moved and not realise how time is flying by when one is viewing the sculpture. There is still time until June 10 to view the work yourself, in Parma.

Pubblicato il 7 June 2007 da Alberto in Gold | |