LIGHT TOWER por Volker Schnüttgen

This artwork symbolises what is conceptually an obelisk, that is, a commemorative monument with origins in Ancient Egypt. Throughout History and urban history, the obelisk has proliferated, particularly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. This time, in the 21st century, in this place in the municipality of Valongo, we celebrate Art and the development of the territories that are increasingly becoming living spaces for a lifetime. This artwork also becomes a contemporary pattern that marks the place and reconfigures the urban fabric, visible from a distance and inviting to approach. The German artist, Volker Schnüttgen (DE, 1961), wants it to become a new meeting place, a new symbol of the community. The LIGHT TOWER configuration starts from an octagon that grows into metal rings with triangles that create a colourful weave. The composition suggests the dynamic form of a spiral, a symbol of eternal movement. It is an artwork for public space, not because it denies the sphere of intimacy, but because Art affirms the place of the individual as a symbol of a relationship, of a community, of the res publica (public thing). In Valongo, this kind of obelisk celebrates Art, innovation and local development.