Sculpture parks: unity of idea, place and form

Abstract

The article presents the Vige-land Park in Oslo and the Tarot Garden of Niki de Saint Phalle (in Capalbio, Italy). The first one has been created for almost fifty years (1900-_1947) from the initial sketches to the final result, which contains 192 sculptures with more than 600 figures, all modeled in full size by Gustav Vigeland. In 1924, the City of Oslo decided that the sculptures should be placed on the Frogner Park hill slope, where the artist added the architectural setting. The main axis of composition links up: the main entrance with wrought iron gates, the renovated and adapted bridge with 58 bronze sculptures on the parapets, the fountain with six giants holding the vessel of falling water, the Monolith plateau and ,,Wheel of Life", composed of human figures swirling in a circle. The Monolith, 14.12 meters high - carved out of a single block of stone is situated in the central point of the park. 36 groups of granite statues which are surrounding the column portray people in situations depicting the cycle of life. The Tarot Garden explores the human condition in quite different way. The monumental sculptures combined with fancy forms of buildings, all covered by brightly colored mosaic, reflect the metaphysical aspects represented by 22 tarot cards. Niki de Saint Phalle began her work on the garden in 1979 (with her husband Jean Tinguely and the team of friends) and officially opened it to the public in May 1998. The smaller figures are hidden in the wood, while the Main Arcanas (The High Priestress, The Magician, The Empress, The Sun and The Tower) surround the artificial lake in the middle of composition. Although the presented sculpture parks have been created in different periods and styles, they both illustrate the role of material in landscape architecture