The “secret” David in the heart of the Apuan Alps: an explosion of colors in the quarries of Carrara

On inToscana – The official portal of Tuscany

Interview with world-renowned Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra who created the mammoth mural in the Gualtero Corsi quarry in Carrara, Tuscany, in 2017.( by Costanza Baldini )

[…] The David of Michelangelo is back ‘at home’, it is the protagonist of a mural ten meters high and twelve meters long that stands out not on the wall of a metropolis but in the middle of the sparkling white of a quarry of precious marble. The author is the Brazilian street artist of international fame Eduardo Kobra who for years has been traveling around the world filling the walls of cities with his colorful characters so that they can be of inspiration for those who watch them.

In June 2017, the artist arrived in Italy and put himself to the test by creating an extraordinary work with a very deep symbolic meaning. He painted the famous David of Michelangelo Buonarroti reinterpreting it with his harlequin colors on one of the highest walls of the Gualtiero Corsi quarry, in the beautiful setting of the Apuan Alps, between Massa and Carrara. A tiring work, under the sun, that the artist has done all by himself climbing every day on the white wall.

The mural was made in collaboration with the Municipality of Massa, as part of the TV series “Muro”, curated by David Diavù Vecchiato and produced by Level 33 exclusively for Sky Arte HD.

The place where the David is located can be reached on foot in about fifty minutes along the paths that start from the municipalities of Bedizzano or Colonnata.[…]

[…] How long did it take to make the mural?

The story is interesting because before I went to Carrara, I was in Africa, working on a project, in Malawi. I got very sick, I had a serious respiratory problem. I was sick for days and days, I had to take medication. As soon as I finished my work there, I went straight to Italy. I arrived that I was still very weak, and worried about having to make the mural in those conditions. But my will was so strong that I overcame this health problem.

I braced myself and woke up early every day. The trip from the hotel to the top of the mountain, the site of the work, took about an hour. It’s a bit of a tricky ride, I’d almost say dangerous, and it was very sunny at the top of the mountain. There was nothing there, so we had to bring our own food and everything we needed, and I would end up leaving there when it was night. So, I have to admit that it was a very complicated job, especially because it was done in particular health conditions, and also because of the logistics, the difficulties in reaching the place. In all, it took me about ten days to realize the work, but another twenty to plan and conceive, to draw. I made more than twenty different drafts to arrive at the final result.[…]

Photos: Eduardo Kobra – © Nelson Antoine

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