Artwork by Franco Summa, the Enchanted Garden, located at the foot of Mario Botta’s OperA residential complex.
Franco Summa’s Enchanted Garden was officially inaugurated in Pescara on July 24, 2018. Commissioned by the Caldora company, this urban art installation is located on Via Antonio Lo Feudo, at the foot of the OperA residential complex.
Architect Mario Botta designed the building, which houses both residential and office spaces. Its shape is inspired by a flower. Within this setting, Franco Summa conceived an artistic intervention that enriches the space with colours and forms inspired by nature.
Franco Summa’s Enchanted Garden: Colours and Geometries
The Enchanted Garden consists of a series of abstract, sculptural trees. Their structures burst into the vibrant colours of the rainbow. Furthermore, the elements follow a precise arrangement: they form symmetrical rows which, when viewed from above, create a square.
The work goes beyond the concept of monumental sculpture. Indeed, Franco Summa conceived a project that engages directly with the surrounding architecture. Its geometries interact with the curved forms of Mario Botta’s building. In this way, art and architecture create a harmonious relationship with the urban space.
Franco Summa and Art as a Vision for the City
For Franco Summa, urban art plays a fundamental role in shaping the city. It does not simply decorate public spaces. On the contrary, it helps make them more beautiful and welcoming. At the same time, it creates new opportunities for interaction between people and their surroundings.
The Master expressed this vision in words that capture the deeper meaning of his artistic research:
«Urban art is a way of making art that aims to contribute to defining and realising an idea of the city, understood as a philosophy of life, as the projection into the world of an idea of beauty, and as an expression of one’s ability to engage consciously and creatively with the environmental, architectural and natural features of a given context».
The Enchanted Garden: A New Space of Beauty for Pescara
Giovanni Di Iacovo, Pescara’s Councillor for Culture, also highlighted the importance of the project. On the occasion of the inauguration, he commented:
«A project that makes Pescara a welcoming, liveable and beautiful city».
With Franco Summa’s Enchanted Garden, Pescara welcomes a new space devoted to art and beauty. The work brings colour into everyday life and invites residents and visitors to experience the urban environment in a different way.
In this way, Franco Summa reaffirms his vision of public art: not merely as a decorative element, but as a presence capable of transforming the city and enriching the experience of those who inhabit it.