The surface bears traces of car racing and the rim is designed like the rosette of a cathedral
A wheel of 3 m diameter and 6 t weight would be useless even for monster trucks. But now there is such an object, made of white Carrara marble, placed in front of a luxury car dealership in Coral Gables near Miami. It is true that one could probably use it for a vehicle because the wheel is so precisely round that it would start rolling with a slight bump. But it is an art object.
Italian sculptor Fabio Viale spent two years working on the piece in the workshops of the renowned Margraf marble company in northern Italy.
The artist is known for sculptures that are purposefully contradictory: one work, for example, was a small boat made of white marble, which he actually used to sail across the canals in Milan; another shows wall plugs made of the precious stone, a paper airplane, or a piece like Styrofoam.
He also likes to decorate the stone with tattoos.
Viale is a deceiver, we had written in a portrait, and indeed the viewer needs a while until he recognizes the play with the material and can enjoy the artist’s idea.
The client this time was the Italian-born real estate tycoon Ugo Colombo.
The marble tire was installed in the spring of 2023 in front of the new car dealership that Colombo bought in 1994. Cars of 7 well-known brands are offered for sale there, namely Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Audi, and McLaren.
“Rotas“ is the name of the artwork, the Latin word for wagon wheels or discs.
But Viale would not be Viale if he had merely given the wheel its extraordinary size.
Thus, the surface of marble is extremely meticulously worked, so that there you can find traces typical of the tires of racing cars.
And the rim he has designed in the manner of window roses in cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Great is the execution by the artist and the employees of the Margraf company.
High-flying interpretations can be found around the work: “The symbolic design depicts how the art of racing is centered around the spirituality of man and the ongoing pursuit of moving forward“, says a press release. Or in a report: “Rotas celebrates the beauty of Italy through a delicate juxtaposition between art and functionality.“
We’ll take it easier and say: Viale has added to the curious history of the location.
Because in the 1920s, George Edgar Merrick planned and built the city not far from Miami and with Spanish-style buildings in the center.
See also:
(25.09.2023, USA: 09.25.2023)
