In pregnant, fraction of Capalbio In Tuscany, you can visit the Tarot gardena surreal and fairytale place, born from the imagination and talent of the great sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle and populated by huge unique sculptures of their kind. A colorful, multifaceted and esoteric path all inspired by the tarotthe cards whose reading traditionally allows you to know the future.
Niki de Saint Phalle-born Catherine Marie-Agnès Fal de Saint Phalle a Neuilly-sur-seine In 1930, naturalized American and died in French in California In 2002 – it was a fallen noble, a model and a very young mother when, in the 1950s, she discovered the fantastic works of Antoni Gaudíin Catalonia: These multifaceted sculptures made her a profound impression, leading her to imagine her version of the Parc Güell of Barcelona, its own garden of sculptures, an inspired place that could also soothe its mental health problems.
When in the 70s was hospitalized for a respiratory problem (given by the fact that she created her works mainly with polyester), the sculptor was forced to detach from work to rest. During the convalescence in St. Moritz Rivide Marella Caracciolo Agnelli, Great art collector and wife of the famous entrepreneur Gianni Agnelli, she had met in New York years earlier. It is with her that the artist confronts the project of a fabulous garden of sculptures: once he returned to Italy, Marella Agnelli decided (together with the brothers Carlo and Nicola Caracciolo) to make available to the artist a land of their property in Garvicchio, in Tuscany. This is where the Tarot garden.
Niki de Saint Phalle will completely dedicate herself to this place for the rest of life, creating with its collaborators a group of large and great glass sculptures, steel, ceramic that represent the 22 cards of the major arcanawhich in fortune telling constitute the most dense cards of esoteric meaning: among others, the alchemist, the Papessa, the lovers, the hermit, the moon, the sun, and the Sphinx are, among others. The sculpture that depicted the latter was so great that the artist came to live in it (there is even a bathtub).
But how these sculptures were made? The smallest were made in polyester in Paris and transported on site, while for the larger ones there was a complex procedure. In the center there is asteel armorthen a lattice in wire and one concrete layer: This was finally covered with mosaic cards from all over the world.
Other great artists, creative and intellectuals of the time contributed to the garden: the young Swiss artist strictly collaborated on the project Rico Weberwhile the second husband of Niki de Saint Phalle, the famous sculptor Jean Tinguely, He brought some of his metal machines to you. The entrance, a often very clear fence wall, is instead to be attributed to the architect Mario Blow.
The Tarot Garden is open to the public from 1 April to 15 October and the time for the visit is about an hour and a half.
