It’s a magical place, hidden away from the distractions of a hectic world, a place where nature and calmness reign. A place to relish the natural world and art:
Joyful, fanciful, captivating sculptures
Some are huge. Some are small. But all ooze a vibrant, happy spirit.
“Tra i Mondi” (between the worlds) is a secluded sculpture park tucked away amidst olive trees, wild herbs, flowers and forests high above the Mediterranean in northern Italy.
This is artist Carin Grudda’s world. Grudda is a master of sculpture, painting, graphic art, collage and more. Her works have been exhibited throughout the world. She was represented at the Venice Biennale in 2011.
My small group visit began with “Here Somewhere Else,” a bronze zebra which Carin calls her symbol. She had a commission to do a huge painting on Namibia. Never having been to the African nation, she launched into research and came across a photo of a tiny drawing on rocks featuring a zebra in a precarious place.
In addition to art and art history, Carin studied philosophy which, as with the zebra, plays a role in her creations. She summed up the thoughts, feelings and spirit guiding her works, borrowing a phrase from Nietzsche, “to light a star once a day.”
We follow her from sculpture to sculpture. Joshy, a big rambunctious canine, is the tour mascot. The 14-month-old Waeller, a new breed developed in Germany, fits right in. His antics bring smiles, as do many of the sculptures.
“Grande Donna” (above) is how small children see their mothers, she explains. “Isabella Koffer Schuh,” (Isabella Suitcase Shoe), another large, bronze female but with a suitcase for a foot, was created during the pandemic. We are all weighted down with baggage, the burdens of daily life, Carin says. “We are hindered from running away, but we must escape.”
Noisy, happy frogs in nearby ponds serenade us as we follow Carin up and down the three levels of the park. The views along the way are as inspiring as the sculptures — and Carin. She is exuberant, passionate, warm and delightful. No wonder these sculptures are so enchanting.
Some works are inspired by mythology, such as two representations of Phoenix, symbolizing birth and renewal. Bronze pigs, chickens, cats and sheep also reside in the park. The surfaces of many are imbedded with symbols. Everything has a meaning.
Each of her creations begins small, a miniature. After a year if she is still in love with it, it can grow into an immense sculpture in bronze, some weighing up to a thousand kilos.
Bronze casting is a monumental feat. The laborious process is explained on her web site. After making a prototype model, “a casting mold is made of sand mixed with resin, a container for the negative form of the model looking like a box you can open up. The model is taken out of this casting mold, leaving a cavity which the model – or rather its shape – has impressed into it.
“The casting mold is then closed up with a hole on top connected to the cavity. The liquid bronze is poured through this hole, filling out the cavity left by model.
“The casting of bronze is an exhausting occupation. This is why the next step after casting the liquid bronze is opening a bottle of beer. The time it takes to drink a beer is usually enough to cool down the bronze inside the casting mold.”
Carin works with foundries in Turin, Milan and Rome where her creations come to life in bronze. They may find their home in the park, but they will be on the move to exhibitions near and far.
Carin was born in Gudensberg, Germany, in 1953. With her husband, Gunter, she has made her home in the Italian hills above the Ligurian coast since 2,000. “I had to have this park. At a certain point I didn’t know where to put all this stuff. I chose this place because it’s untouched nature.”
She’s happy she decided on Italy. “I have borrowed Italian identity. I feel so good here. It’s a chance to fly. It changed my life. ”
“Tra i Mondi” between the worlds, the park name, can refer to the different worlds of expats, in her case, Germany and Italy. But it can be much more, she says, an overall feeling that you don’t belong.
Our visit ended with lunch al fresco in the park, beginning with a selection of cheeses produced by neighboring farmers and a fabulous dark nut bread made by Carin. She gave me the recipe which I will attempt. She also made two delicious cakes for our dessert.
Cooking and baking, she says, “are the same for me as art, creative.”
The sculptures, surroundings, scenery and sounds make for an unforgettable and joyous afternoon. I hated to leave this happy place, which my friend Gerlinde called a “little paradise in the wilderness.”
Visits to the park can be arranged by appointment.
More information: park@carin-grudda.de and www.carin-grudda.de Mobil: +39 347 2288 928
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TODAY’s TASTE. I was hoping to post Carin’s yummy bread recipe, but I want to try it first. Meanwhile, try this, LECSO (Hungarian Ratatouille), a tribute to Hungary and its new pro-European prime minister, Peter Magyar. Yeah Hungary!
And, for more tasty recipes click here.
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