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The Sphere

Ayuntamiento de Istán
Ayuntamiento de Istán  • info@istan.es  • 952 869 603

Ayuntamiento de Istán

The Sphere

Fuente La EsferaLocated in Plaza El Calvario

  • Author:  Salvador Calvo Marín.  Local author living in the United States and named as favoured son of Istán.
  • Date of Inauguration:  October 2003
  • Description:  In the design and creation of the public sculpture project the author has combined modernity with certain traditional aspects with regard to its style and characteristics.  To do so he has taken into consideration a series of symbolic elements which encompass Andalucia, the town of Istán and the specific location of the piece.

The water

Universal symbol of great transcendence in all cultures, it is considered to be the maintainer of life, the beginning and end of all things in Hindu philosophy.  The Mesopotamians held it to be a symbol of wisdom and mystery.  In Istán, water has had a historical relevance due to its presence in its springs, fountains, irrigation ditches, etc.  It also manifests itself almost mythically in the collective memory of its peoples.

The green marble sphere

The sphere has been considered to symbolise totality.  For the pre-Socratic this was the equivalent to the infinite.  Symbolically the sphere is identified with the globe and is considered to be an allegory of the world.  The water jets at its base create a circular whirl which brings with it the illusion of permanent movement.  The green colour of the marble is associated, in this case, directly with Andalucia.

The rusty metals

They suggest the passage of time which is nothing more than the recovery of memory.  They evoke ancient images of farming tools, etc, vestiges of a yesterday not far away.  In the sculpture these metals have been soldered to the main structure with bars which create crosses, which is associated with the historical element of the location of the Calvary.  The sharp pointed ends of the steel give an ascendant visual strength with spiritual connotations.

The white lateral walls

They are identified with the traditional white of the Mediterranean villages thereby achieving urban fusion.  These two walls of modern and futurist shapes enclose the internal space and assume the character of protection, maternal and mystical symbol.

The pool or main tank

It evokes drinking troughs, irrigation ditches and above all, it reminds us of its vital existence in summer seasons.  The eroded stones, embroidering the bottom of the tank, are everyday witnesses to the passage of the centuries throughout the Río Verde.