Marco Bagnoli, Colonna a Delfi, 2012–2013

Colonna a Delphi (Column at Delphi) is the title of the artwork by Marco Bagnoli commissioned by Nancy Olnick and Giorgio Spanu for the 2013 Olnick Spanu Art Program. The piece consists of a column stretching over thirteen feet into the air, painted Mannerist red, and flanked by a large stone near a pond animated by Koi fish. Atop the column sits a vase from the artist’s Sonovasoro series made of fiberglass and painted to produce a mother-of-pearl effect. This vessel, embellished with a sequence of spiraling marks that make it appear to rotate, works in tandem with a second vase of identical size and shape, set on a subtly-shaped boulder on the ground. The stone resembles the palm of a cupped hand, ready to offer or accept something precious or extremely fragile. The second Sonovasoro is made of white marble, and holds a reflective copper parabola-shaped dish.

Colonna a Delphi creates a setting that inspires thought and contemplation. The column is planted deep in the ground, expressing a link to the center of the planet. The intense, gold-tinged red stands out against the green landscape, rises towards the sky, contrasts with the white snow in winter, and lights up amid bare late-autumn branches. The spiritual nature of this work is prompted by both its physical presence and the perfectly balanced sounds that flow from it. The vases collect rain, snow, falling leaves and drifting pollen. Insects and butterflies alight in them. A golden sound bounces from one container to the other like notes dripping from a fountain, from the realm of spirits to the earth and back.

Medium and dimensions

Marble, alabaster, fiberglass and sound system

Column
157.5 in. (400 cm)

Vases
35.5 x 14.15 in. (90 x 36 cm)

 

For information on the artist and the artwork please contact Galleria Christian Stein, Milan, info@galleriachristianstein.com.