Bras du vent

Gonzalo Torres (Córdoba, Spain, 1945)
Collection : Fonds d'art contemporain de la Ville de Genève (FMAC)

Bras du vent came into being during the redevelopment of Quai du Seujet. Following a public competition organized by the City of Geneva, two monumental sculptures emerged at the ends of the quay, including Gonzalo Torres’ work. The artist, a Córdoba native, first studied fine arts in Madrid before moving to Geneva in 1970 to pursue his career. Torres mainly gets inspiration from observing nature and the living organisms that constitute it. Bras du vent, an abstract scupture consisting of a thick metal tracery, concentrates the metaphorical idea of a transforming nature swept up by a whirlwind. The dynamism of the forms and the tension of the volumes floating in the air embody the vital energy of a gust of wind frozen in mid-movement. The choice of stainless steel enables the sculpture to reveal itself in accordance with the play of lights bursting from its surface. The massive, radiant presence of this work standing nearly six meters high and weighing over five tons punctuates the roadway and walkway that is Quai de Seujet.
Article commissioned by P3Art
Notice: Séverine Fromaigeat, translation: Matthew Cunningham