The stone figure is the most archetypal representation of the human form; an elemental symbol of the human spirit, connected to the earth yet mythic in the imagination. The stone figure for Malta, titled the radiant, shows the human figure in the most elemental and archaic form, using the most ancient material, stone. The bluestone is rough-cut into blocks and stacked one over another to form the human figure. The methods by which the stone has been worked are apparent to the viewer and not obscured by subsequent handling. Drill-holes and split structures are visible traces of the work in the quarry where the blocks were taken from the ground. The work allows the stones to be what they are: heavy, coarse, and marked by wind and weather.
“I dedicate the radiant to the children of Malta – the future belongs to them.”Ugo Rondinone
Ugo Rondinone’s the radiant is installed in the Sa Maison Gardens, Floriana, as part of the MICAS concept launch and is currently open for public viewing.
Situated at MICAS, Floriana.
Featured image: Ugo Rondinone, the radiant, 2018. Courtesy of Studio Rondinone.
