Oliviero Rainaldi's ‘Neptune in the Wind' Sculpture to Star at Art Dubai

Artwork commissioned to celebrate Maserati’s centenary to be displayed at region’s premier art event

Dubai, UAE, March 14, 2016:   Maserati, the iconic Italian luxury car manufacturer, is showcasing a contemporary sculpture at Art Dubai, the leading inter¬national art fair in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

The ‘Neptune in the Wind’ sculpture, which was commissioned to mark Maserati’s centenary, is a tribute to the Trident shaped logo of the iconic Italian auto manufacturer. It will displayed for the first time in the region at the event, which will be held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from March 16 – 19.

Maserati was founded in 1914 in Bologna, Italy and its official logo, the Trident, was created by the artist of the family - Mario Maserati. It is inspired by the famous statue of Neptune in the centre of Bologna. After more than 100 years, Maserati’s history is still continuing and evolving, constantly expressing the artistic mix at the core of its vision.

Oliviero Rainaldi, an Italian artist and sculptor of international renown, concentrates on a sculpture’s shape and material to produce works in a simple style, with flowing lines, classical beauty, refined composition and a condensed yet dynamic form. He was assigned on behalf of Maserati to create a sculpture in honour of its tradition. As a result, the “Neptune in the Wind” sculpture was born. 

This fine work is in bas-relief on a slab of crystal white marble. Measuring 260 cm high by 190 cm wide and weighing 600 kg, in stone specially sourced from Vietnam due to its non-standard measurements, the sculpture is a marvellous sight. The type of marble used has the distinctive characteristic of being perfectly white both on the surface and in transparency, a feature exploited to the full in this particular work, completed by LED backlighting for an even more stunning effect.

The entire work is framed by a 5 mm steel band, shaped on the back and supported by a special, slightly inclined easel-shaped structure. The use of this technique is innovative, both because this frame has functions beyond its traditional decorative purpose and due to the work’s considerable size. The final result allows the sculpture to be viewed in two ways, with natural lighting as well as with the integrated lighting system, generating an additional and completely different effect.

What’s more, the sculpture sets outs to express some of the specific connotations of the Maserati brand: power, dynamism, speed and elegance, symbolised by the mythical figure of Neptune with his Trident. The artist has also created 20 numbered exquisite tiles (1-20) in backlit white marble, measuring 25x30 cm and reproducing the full-size sculpture, again in backlit white marble.