"Even though it is the largest woodcut in the world, the real feat did not depend on its size, but rather in harmonizing the eight different stylistic figures of the artists involved . We succeeded and made them talk to each other. Each sign impressed on the matrix contains the feelings of all of us, unique and unrepeatable". These are the words of the woodcut artist from Porto Torres, Giovanni Dettori, who this morning, March 28, received from the hands of the mayor Massimo Mulas on behalf of the municipal administration, a plaque of thanks for the generous donation to the Municipality of the printing of the woodcut "OttoMani", a work of extraordinary value dedicated to the Martyrs of Turritani, a work exhibited in the entrance hall of the Palazzo del Marchese, the institutional headquarters of the institution in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.
"This work - said Mayor Massimo Mulas - represents an epochal moment for our community, it evokes its essence and embellishes the Palazzo del Marchese . After having given new life to the building, our goal is to open it more and more to the citizens as a cultural space, through exhibitions and artistic displays. Such beautiful and important creations deserve to be admired because they constitute a precious heritage for all the people of Turritani. For this reason, we express deep gratitude to Giovanni and his students who with passion and dedication have given life to a unique work. Your gesture is a precious gift to the community and will remain in the history of our community. True wealth of spirit lies in giving without expecting anything in return".
The engraver and designer from Sassari, whose talent is internationally recognized, created this extraordinary xylography - unique in the world for its genre and size (3.60 meters x 2.50) - together with some of his students from the engraving techniques course at the "Mario Sironi" Academy of Fine Arts in Sassari.
The Councilor for Culture, Maria Bastiana Cocco, retraced the birth of the project: «On the occasion of the 2023 edition of Monumenti Aperti, we proposed to Giovanni to create a woodcut that would tell the Passio dei Martiri Turritani, patrons of the city and the Diocese. He and his students accepted the challenge with enthusiasm, completing the work in a few months, just in time for the inauguration of the new printing house in his woodcut laboratory in via Petrarca, coinciding with the days dedicated to the commemoration of the dies natalis, the martyrdom of the saints that occurred between 25 and 27 October 303 AD. We thank Giovanni and his students, coming from all over Sardinia, for this passionate work, which testifies to the deep bond with the history and traditions of our city».
Meanwhile, Giovanni Dettori's laboratory continues to grow and has become a point of reference for exhibitions, meetings and enthusiasts of xylography.
Thanks to his commitment, this ancient artistic technique, which also had important interpreters in Sardinia in the 20th century, is experiencing a season of rebirth.
Dettori's work has crossed the borders of the island and the nation, thus contributing to making the name of Porto Torres known in the world panorama of engraving art.
"We hope that this is only the first of a long series of cultural events at the Palazzo del Marchese" concluded Mayor Mulas and Councilor Cocco.
The administration also thanked the craftsman Michele Mura for having created the frame of the work, which is also the result of a refined and complex work . The ceremony was also attended by the students who created "OttoMani": Alessandra Fiori, Alice Patteri, Angelo De Santis, Francesco Cherveddu, Luca Zedda, Pierluigi Mura and Federico Satta.