the 11th Jesolo International
Sand Sculpture Festival
Summer 2008
China & the Olympics
DESIGNS & TEXT
A sand sculpture show of fifteen
hundred tons. Produced by the City of Jesolo, Italy. Designed
and directed by Varano Sand Sculpture Co. LLC aka the Sultans Of Sand Worldwide
The
Sultans Of Sand Worldwide is a consortium of award winning master sand sculptors
from all around the world, working in cooperation with the American director,
and owner of the company, Rich Varano. All team members (over three dozen
artists from five continents) are accomplished artists in their own right,
representing the very best of the best in the world of modern commercial
(professional) sand sculpting. Each person also possesses other varied and
sundry talents ranging from teaching, to painting, music and other arts and
skills.
The seventeen selected feature artists for this years edition
of the Jesolo Sand Sculpture Festival represent nine different countries
and over six dozen international titles and awards.
The artists are assisted by eleven young people. These are students
of art from the Academy in Venice volunteering as laboring assistants to
the masters in exchange for learning rudimentary knowledge of the craft and
school credit. Together the entire group will create seventeen individual
sculptures of up to four meters tall and nine meters in length, each.
The work site and the pre compacted carving blocks known as "pound-ups"
were prepared over a two week period prior to the arrival of the
sculpting team, by local contractors from Rodighero & Company
of Jesolo, under the direction of three field superintendents from the Sultans
of Sand Worldwide organization, and the indispensable local Italian "Cappo
di Sabbia" Gianni Button, (Grazie raggazi tutti!)
From that point, and after the carving crew has flown in form points
near and far (some of whom are fresh off of other sand sculpting gigs) all
the sculptures are carved to completion in only ten days. From June 08,
through June 20. After which time, some of the artists will remain in Jesolo
to enjoy a couple of days of complimentary down time for some "R & R"
but most of the artists disperse to the four cardinal points of the compass
around the world to work on yet other sand sculpture projects.
Some of the team will reunite here in Italy again in November for
the seventh edition of the Jesolo Christmas sand show, "The Nativity"
The completed summer exhibition here, is on public display at
the Jesolo lido from June 20 through July 20.
We wish to express thanks to the city of Jesolo et al, the sponsors,
producers and coordinators, as well as the extended family at the hotel
Corallo, -our "home away from home" here in the wonderful Adriatic coastal
community of Jesolo, for all their respective generosity, kindness and considerations
that contribute to making this wonderful event possible.
The Featured Artists and their Works
Half the show features work of the general theme "China" and half
is "the Olympics"
On the diagram of the floorplan, they
are listed numerically clockwise from the top left.
#1 The Legend of Houyi by Alexey Dyakov, Russia
A Chinese legend: A long time ago, there were 10 suns in the sky. They
shined together and burned trees, flowers, and even people dead. Houyi -or
sometimes simply called Yi, a hero skilled in archery, shot 9 suns down
with his arrows...
(Longer version) In Chinese mythology, the sun's true forms are the Sun-birds.
It is believed that there were ten of them, all of whom are the offspring
of Dijun, God of the Eastern Heaven. Each morning, one of these Sun-birds
was to rise and give the world light. One day, the Sun-birds grew tired of
the routine and decided that all of them were to rise at once. The heat on
earth became intense. At a result, crops shriveled in the fields. Lakes and
ponds dried up; humans and animals cowered in shelters or collapsed from
exhaustion. Time passed and the suffering continued. Yao, the Emperor of
China, decided to plead for divine intervention and ask Dijun for aid.
Dijun was well aware of his sons' misdeeds, and sent for Houyi, the God of
Archery, to teach his sons a lesson. Dijun wanted Houyi to simply frighten
them so that they would not dare to cause mischief again. Houyi, too, wanted
to settle this crisis peacefully, but a single glance at the scorched land
was enough to convince him that desperate measures were needed. Angered by
the suffering of the people caused by the Sun-birds' misconduct, Houyi lifted
up his bow and shot them down one by one. Upon killing the ninth, Emperor
Yao hurried to halt him as killing the last one would leave the world in
total darkness. Houyi agreed and was hailed as a hero for mankind. Yet, later,
Houyi's actions caused him to make enemies in Heaven and as a result he was
punished with divine wrath.
Lots of information about this popular Chinese myth can be found
here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houyi
#2 Foot Races by Raymond Wirick, England
Foot Races: Since the days of the Greeks, races on foot have been one of
the most basic competitions between peaceful persons, and in the early days,
foot races were the most respected competitions of all. Wars were suspended
so that participants in the games could travel safely to join in the competitions.
Look online for more information about the history of the olympics
here: http://library.thinkquest.org/19317/htm/first.htm
#3 The Abbagnale Brothers by John Gowdy, Italy
The famous Italian brothers, Carmine and Giuseppe as well as the
younger Agostino, are universally known for their skill and ability in Rowing.
Agostino won his first gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
He stroked the Italian Quadruple scull (4x). Agostino returned
to the Olympic stage at the 1996 Summer Olympics teaming with Davide Tizzano
to win the Gold in the Double Scull. (After the medal ceremony, Abbagnale,
who is a poor swimmer, jumped into the rowing lake and landed on one of his
partner Davide Tizzano, knocking the gold medal out of his hand. It took scuba
divers two days to recover the missing medal.)
At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he repeated his gold medal performance winning
the Quadruple Scull.
Carmine and Giuseppe Abbagnale, received a gold medal in
coxed pairs, at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and again at the
1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The team received silver medals at the the
1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Learn about their accomplishments at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agostino_Abbagnale
#4 The Great Wall of China by Damon Farmer, USA
Begun in the 5th century BC and stretching more than 6,400 kilometers,
it is one of the marvels of the physical achievements of humanity, this
structure is unique not only for it's ambitious and colossal undertaking,
but that it has lasted for so long.
Note that on the "outerside" of the wall, there were fortified battlements
along the top edge of the wall. While on the "inside" edge, these fortifications
were not needed, as that side was not the side that would be subjected to
attack from enemies.
Much of the initial structure of the Great wall was done
using a process that is very similar to how the sculptures in sand you see
here were prepared. By compacting earthen material into forms, and progressing
from the ground level, upwards. More about the great wall, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China
#5 A Chinese Montage by Kevin Crawford, Australia
This sculpture contains many icon images from the Chinese culture.
See the majestic geography of mountains and water falls, with traditional
architecture built into the landscapes. Shaped trees, and the popular stork
image a symbol of vigilance and fertility, as well as the carved head from
the Chinese Museum. The Foo Dog is a chinese symbol of majesty dating from
the Han Dynasty 206 BC- 220 AD.
Learn much about this great country online: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
#6 The Chinese Dragon by Mark Anderson, United Kingdom
The Chinese dragon is visualized as a long, scaled, snake-like creature
with five claws. In contrast to the European dragon which stands on four
legs and which is usually portrayed as evil, the Chinese dragon has long
been a potent symbol of auspicious power in Chinese folklore and art. The
Chinese dragon is traditionally also the embodiment of the concept of yang
(male) and associated with the weather as the bringer of rain and water in
an agriculturally water-driven nation. Its female counterpart is the Fenghuang.
The Chinese dragon is the derivation of other Oriental dragons.
Here the woman with the flute is an obscure reference to the sea maiden.
Similar to the creature in other cultures and legends which is known
here in Italy as "la Serina." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon
#7 The Road of Olympic Torch by Vladimir Kuraev, Russia
In many cultures worldwide from Greece to China, the symbolism of
fish is not only one of health and well-being, but also, as in China, it
is a symbol of inner strength, and overcoming obstacles and difficulties.
Here, the young man on the lead fish with the Olympic fire has traveled the
long and difficult road accross the globe, and at last comes to China.
The girl in the Chinese chariot with a palm branch personifies victory.
#8 General Guan by Katsuhiku Chaen, Japan
This is the legendary warrior of the Han Dynasty, still being worshiped
by Chinese people today, especially in Hong Kong. He is commonly seen as
the epitome of loyalty and righteousness. More at this web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guan_Yu
#9 The Chinese Opera by Helena Bangert, Holland
The Chinese opera is still a popular form of drama and musical
theater in China. There are numerous regional branches of opera with its original
root starting in the dynastic periods, especially from the period of the
Three Kingdoms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_opera
#10 An Olympic Montage by Lars Borst, Holland
This sculpture contains nine sports included in the summer
games. Cycleing, running, hurdles, long jump, weightlifting,
wrestleing, discus, show (horse) jumping, and sailing. See a list of all
the summer games here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Olympic_Games
#11 Rhythmic Gymnastics by Marjon Katerberg, Holland
A sport in which artistic interpretation and often teamwork too, plays
an integral role. Much as in the world of international sand sculpting competitions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythmic_gymnastics
# 12 Show Jumping by Ilya Shannin, Russia
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping" or "jumpers," is a member
of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage,
eventing, hunters and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse
shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_jumping
#13 Music of the Great Tang Dynasty by JOOHeng Tan, Singapore
The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with
documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well developed musical culture
as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC). Today, the music continues
a rich traditional heritage in one aspect, while emerging into a more contemporary
form at the same time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_China
#14 Chinese Panda Bears by Brad Goll, USA
While the dragon has historically served as China's national emblem, in
recent decades the Giant Panda has also served as an emblem for the country.
Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver,
gold, and platinum coins. The species is a favorite of the public, at least
in part because many people find that it has a baby like cuteness. Also, it
is usually depicted reclining peacefully eating bamboo, as opposed to hunting,
which adds to its image of innocence. Though giant pandas are often assumed
docile, they have been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation
rather than predatory behavior. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda
#15 TaeKwonDo by Karen Fralich, Canada
An official Olympic sport, Taekwondo is also the national sport of
South Korea. It is also regarded as the world's most popular martial art
in terms of number of practitioners. In Korean, tae means "to trample with
the foot"; kwon means "fist"; and do means "way"; so taekwondo is loosely
translated as "the way of the foot and fist". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo
#16 Aquatics by Suzanne Ruseler, Holland
Aquatics is a collective term for four Olympic water events: Swimming,
Water Polo, Diving, and Synchronized Swimming. Swimming is one of the oldest
events of the modern Olympics. It has been part of the modern Olympics since
the very first modern Olympic events in 1896. Water Polo was added in 1900
during the Olympics in Paris, and Olympic diving began in 1904. It wasn't
until 1984 that Synchronized Swimming was added to the official Olympics
program. Synchronized Diving and women's Water Polo are the most recent additions,
with competitions first appearing during the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronized_swimming
#17 High Jump by Baldrick Buckle, Holland
High jump is an athletics (track and field) event in which competitors
must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid
of any devices. It has been contested since the Olympic Games of ancient
Greece. Over the centuries since, competitors have introduced increasingly
more effective techniques to arrive at the current form. Javier Sotomayor
(Cuba) is both the indoor and outdoor world record holder in this event
with jumps of 2.43 m (8 feet) and 2.45 m (8 feet ½ inch), respectively.
Sotomayor's record, set in 1993, is the longest standing in the history
of the men's high jump. Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria) has held the women's
world record since 1987, the longest standing record in the sport. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_jump
