


Terry Cullen
May 9, 2023
Italy
Categories:
Whales, Art, Environment, Pollution, Oceans, Sustainability
Grande Anima - La balena di Fiumicino, Italian for Great Soul - The whale of Fiumicino is a lifesize gray whale skeleton installed in Rome, Italy's airport, Fiuminco Leonardo da Vinci terminal (boarding area, terminal 1). The skeleton is lit from within by many lights from around the world. Marcantonio Raimondo Malerba created this 12-meter (39-foot) contemporary art installation, and the intent is to raise environmental awareness on two of the most significant issues facing oceans, plastic pollution and water conservation. Visitors can see the whale through the end of August 2023.
Marcantonio wanted to make a bold impact with the skeleton. The lights within the skeleton represent the burning soul of the whale. Suspended from the terminal's ceiling, the whale gives the impression it is flying. The message to humans is simple. Earth is fragile, and we must do our part to change our behaviors to safeguard nature. Humans are bound to all other species on the planet. QR codes around the exhibit allow visitors to connect to the story of a rare gray whale that appeared off the coast of Italy in 2021.
One Ocean Foundation is a partner in the Grande Anima project. Ocean Foundation, an organization that actively works to safeguard the world's oceans, points out that whales are important carbon reservoirs. Because of their size, whales store a lot of carbon. When they die, their bodies sink to the deepest depths of the oceans, and their remains become part of the marine sediment.
How can this story inspire you and others to do something in your hometown? Consider an artistic competition to create and install a work that conveys an important environmental message. Seek help from local businesses and environmental causes to sponsor the competition. The theme may reflect your hometown's location, such as protecting a local habitat or species. Choose a prominent place to display the winning result. Invite renowned people in the artistic and environmental fields to be jurists in the competition. And then use your hometown's economic development and tourism agencies to promote awareness bringing in visitors from far afield to see the entries. Create a festival around it. Go for the triple bottom line win, where your community's environment, economy, and social well-being all benefit.
It may seem a large-scale project beyond the scope of many smaller towns, but it is easily scaled up or down to meet your needs. And if it is successful, you can scale it up in the following years.
Art is a powerful medium to educate people. Please take advantage of it and support a thriving arts culture in your community.
Photo by Mark Lissenden on Unsplash.
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Catalog #:
0523.100.02.050923