The stairway of Santa Lucia in Arzachena pays homage to the figure of women and peace
The work of the artist Giorgio Casu
“Sharing” is the name of the new installation by the artist Giorgio Casu which, after L'Albero della Vita, brings the historic center of Arzachena back into the spotlight. And it does so with an explosion of colours, but above all with themes that are unlikely to leave the people who stop to look at it on Corso Garibaldi indifferent.
The artist from San Gavino Monreale, who has exhibited his works all over the world, wanted to celebrate peace and the figure of women, at a time when countries such as Iran, to name one, trample rights and dignity every day, also denying access to education. But among the steps leading to the church of Santa Lucia, one also comes across the current situation of the war, where the autumn leaves and the butterfly represent the memory of the fallen in the Ukrainian conflict.
«I wanted to address the issue of female integration - says Giorgio Casu - taking a cue from the turmoil in the Middle East which reminds us that in some places in the world women must cover their faces, they cannot vote or drive. I therefore decided to represent a woman reading a book, an action which, paradoxically, today becomes revolutionary».
The barbed wire that surrounds the woman is rich in meaning, but the book is even more so, a symbol of awareness and a reference to Elsa Morante's novel "La Storia", which tells the theme of war, but also that of women. A few more steps up and here is a jewel represented in the female figure, accentuated make-up and flowers that bring a note of hope and freedom. «The eye-catching make-up, the flowers on the head and the jewel - continues Casu - represent the right to be able to express oneself, even to be showy».
The cultural delegate Valentina Geromino was satisfied who sees the work as a great cultural attraction for the Historic Center: «This urban art intervention dedicated to peace is designed to be shared, it is a message of peace that wants to be a tribute to hope as an engine revolutionary. We have decided to dedicate the work to all women, especially Iranian women who are struggling every day to see their rights recognised".
