Articolo disponibile anche in: Italian
The iron “giant”, Barrow, has Chianti in his heart. He is welcoming visitors to “Vino al Vino” (Wine to Wine), 2016 in Piazza Bucciarelli of Panzano in Chianti until September 18.
The rigorously organic wineries of the Winemakers’ Union of Panzano are giving tastings of their excellent wine products. The statue’s name is Barrows. He is 4.55 meters tall and weighs almost 900 pounds.
He is the work of Matteo Camiciotti Farkas, 31 year old from Panzano, whose passion is to build, assemble and weld metal objects of every type; iron, brass, steel. Matteo began by looking for old utensils in old farms and agricultural buildings, as well as pieces of agricultural equipment, and with creativity and genius, brought them back to life.
“When I was little,” he tells us, “all I needed was a piece of wood and tacks. I built everything”.
Slowly, his art evolved, and he currently uses mostly iron, which he buys in sheets, girders, or rods, according to the project he has in mind. His work has also been exhibited abroad.
Take a look at his Facebook page, Mikumaz-Matteo Camiciotti Farkas, to get an idea. “The project I am working on and hope to complete sooner or later, is a grand work of art. I got the idea after viewing a documentary on gigantic works in the world a few years ago”.
“Bear in mind,” he tells us, “that you can see the Great Wall of China from space. I would like to create a large work of art that can be seen from all parts of a large city, for example”.
In Piazza Bucciarelli in Panzano, Matt has already created the statue of a fountain, also inaugurated in occasion of a recent edition of Vino al Vino, and this year when he asked to show his new work, Barrow, the Panzano winemakers accepted his request with enthusiasm.
Helped by his friends, he built a cement base which could hold the iimposing figure of Barrow. They placed him in the piazza with a crane.
“This work of art has a body without particular attributes, but is clearly masculine, very muscular, a buff “Bronzo di Riace”, with a hole in his stomach. I see that hole like a postcard. In the right location it could circumscribe a village, a garden, a panorama… a postcard from the world. It will be in the piazza for four days and is on sale”.
Who knows? Perhaps Barrow can find his home in the vineyards of a winery. Barrows will be greeting visitors in Panzano for Vino al Vino, 2016 until Sunday.
Daniela Doddoli