Davide Rivalta's Sculpture Park Opens in Dublin

On May 31, 2023, the exhibition 'Grazing in Lucan' opens at Lucan House, the Italian Ambassador's residence in Dublin, featuring monumental animal sculptures by Italian artist Davide Rivalta (born 1974 in Bologna). The project is promoted by the Italian Embassy in Dublin and the Italian Cultural Institute, in collaboration with the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome and the Office of Public Works of Dublin Castle. The opening coincides with early celebrations for the Italian Republic Day, emphasizing cultural diplomacy as a tool of foreign policy. Irish Minister for Culture Catherine Martin and Italian Undersecretary for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi will attend. Rivalta's works include bronze, aluminum, and fiberglass animals: buffaloes grazing in the park, a white fiberglass horse at the villa entrance honoring Irish culture, and a bronze lioness installed at Dublin Castle's main square, described by Ambassador Ruggiero Corrias as 'like our Piazza Duomo in Milan.' Corrias, who previously brought La Scala Philharmonic to Sarajevo in 2015, sees the exhibition as a key cultural event. The exhibition follows a non-competitive Giro d'Italia stage on May 14 that ended at Lucan House. Rivalta notes the buffalo, an Asian species that became indigenous to Italy, symbolizes Italian culinary culture. The bronze casting was done by Fonderia de Carli. The exhibition runs until April 2024.