heraldeixample posted a photo:
Sculpture, basalt stone, by Xavier Corberó (Barcelona, 1935-2017) in Beirut, Líbano. A tribute to Lebanon.
ENGLISH
La Vanguardia (2.5.2017) Text by Tomás Alcoverro:
Xavier Corberó, on the wide sidewalk of Bab Edris’s brand-new souks, installed fifteen stone characters, this sculptural set made from the material of ancient Egyptian works, although, as Robert Hughes has written, "basalt had never been considered as the primary material of the sculptor for being too hard and difficult to sculpt “ -these peripheral beings, primal, coarse, endearing, have set to live in the middle of the downtown streets of Beirut.
For an artist of stone, of this stone torn from its quarry Castellfollit de la Roca, in the Garrotxa (Catalonia), which had known as a child, it is to which a passenger compartment was built to feed his excitement at the prodigy and effort to extract the fragments, which sometimes weigh several tons, it was a joy to share their communion with the citizens of this Mediterranean capital of passionate, cosmopolitan, risky and uncertain life.
Corberó did not like that his creatures that could sometimes resemble statues of Easter Island, menhirs, or totems, drown in museums or enclosures, however elegant and prestigious they may be. As Daniel Giralt Miracle has written, our artist "has a decided vocation for public sculpture whether it is integrated into architecture or is part of urban landscapes. Hence, this sculptural object must change scale, must be able to dialogue with the dimensions of modern cities, with streets, squares, parks, gardens.
ESPAÑOL
La Vanguardia (2.5.2017) Texto de Tomás Alcoverro:
Xavier Corberó en la ancha acera de los flamantes zocos de Bab Edris, instaló quince personajes pétreos, este conjunto escultórico hecho del material de las antiguas obras egipcias, aunque como ha escrito Robert Hughes “no se había considerado nunca el basalto como la materia primaria del escultor por ser demasiado dura y difícil de esculpir”-estos seres periféricos, primigenios, toscos, entrañables, se han puesto a vivir en medio de las céntricas calles de Beirut.
Para un artista de la piedra, de esta piedra arrancada de su cantera de Castellfollit de la Roca, en la Garrotxa, que había conocido de niño, cabe a la que se construyó un habitáculo para alimentar su emoción ante el prodigio y esfuerzo de extraer los fragmentos, que a veces pesan varias toneladas, era un gozo compartir su comunión con los ciudadanos de esta capital mediterránea de vida apasionada, cosmopolita, arriesgada e incierta.
A Corberó no le gustaba que sus criaturas que a veces podían semejar estatuas de la Isla de Pascua, a menhires, o tótems, se ahogaran en museos o recintos cerrados por elegantes y prestigiosos que sean. Como ha escrito Daniel Giralt Miracle, nuestro artista “tiene una decidida vocación por la escultura pública ya esté integrada en la arquitectura o bien forme parte de los paisajes urbanos. De aquí que este objeto escultórico deba cambiar de escala, deba ser capaz de dialogar con las dimensiones de las urbes modernas, con calles, plazas, parques, jardines.
CATALÀ
La Vanguardia (2017.05.02) Text de Tomàs Alcoverro:
Xavier Corberó en l’ampla vorera dels flamants socs de Bab Edris, va instal·lar quinze personatges petris, aquest conjunt escultòric fet del material de les antigues obres egípcies, ra que com ha escrit Robert Hughes "no s’havia considerat mai el basalt com la matèria primària del escultor per ser massa dura i difícil d’esculpir “ -aquests éssers perifèrics, primigenis, toscs, entranyables, s’han posat a viure enmig dels cèntrics carrers de Beirut.
Per a un artista de la pedra, d’aquesta pedra arrencada de la seva pedrera de Castellfollit de la Roca, a la Garrotxa, que havia conegut de nen, que es va construir un habitacle per alimentar la seva emoció davant el prodigi i esforç d’extreure els fragments, que de vegades pesen diverses tones, era un goig compartir la seva comunió amb els ciutadans d’aquesta capital mediterrània de vida apassionada, cosmopolita, arriscada i incerta.
A Corberó no li agradava que les seves criatures que de vegades podien semblar estàtues de l’illa de Pasqua, a menhirs, o tòtems, s’ofeguessin en museus o recintes tancats per elegants i prestigiosos que siguin. Com ha escrit Daniel Giralt Miracle, el nostre artista "té una decidida vocació per l’escultura pública ja estigui integrada en l’arquitectura o bé formi part dels paisatges urbans. D’aquí que aquest objecte escultòric hagi de canviar d’escala, hagi de ser capaç de dialogar amb les dimensions de les urbs modernes, amb carrers, places, parcs, jardins.
ENGLISH
La Vanguardia (2.5.2017) Text by Tomás Alcoverro:
Xavier Corberó, on the wide sidewalk of Bab Edris’s brand-new souks, installed fifteen stone characters, this sculptural set made from the material of ancient Egyptian works, although, as Robert Hughes has written, "basalt had never been considered as the primary material of the sculptor for being too hard and difficult to sculpt “ -these peripheral beings, primal, coarse, endearing, have set to live in the middle of the downtown streets of Beirut.
For an artist of stone, of this stone torn from its quarry Castellfollit de la Roca, in the Garrotxa (Catalonia), which had known as a child, it is to which a passenger compartment was built to feed his excitement at the prodigy and effort to extract the fragments, which sometimes weigh several tons, it was a joy to share their communion with the citizens of this Mediterranean capital of passionate, cosmopolitan, risky and uncertain life.
Corberó did not like that his creatures that could sometimes resemble statues of Easter Island, menhirs, or totems, drown in museums or enclosures, however elegant and prestigious they may be. As Daniel Giralt Miracle has written, our artist "has a decided vocation for public sculpture whether it is integrated into architecture or is part of urban landscapes. Hence, this sculptural object must change scale, must be able to dialogue with the dimensions of modern cities, with streets, squares, parks, gardens.
