Pinuccio Sciola

Pinuccio Sciola (San Sperate, March 15, 1942) was an Italian sculptor. An internationally renowned artist, he is known for his work in promoting murals in San Sperate and for his sculptures, especially his "sound stones." In 1959, as a self-taught artist, he participated in a competition for students of all ages and educational levels, winning a scholarship that allowed him to attend the Artistic High School in Cagliari. In 1967, he won a scholarship to study at the University of Moncloa in Madrid, where he studied the cave paintings of the Altamira Caves. In May 1968, he was in Paris. That same year, upon returning to his hometown, he decided to transform San Sperate into a "Museum-Village." He painted murals on the whitewashed walls of the houses in the village and placed sculptures in the squares. This initiative involved much of the population and attracted a large following, not only among his fellow villagers but also among many artists, such as Foiso Fois, Gaetano Brundu, Primo Pantoli, and Giorgio Princivalle. That same year, he was appointed to teach sculpture at the Artistic High School in Cagliari. The Museum-Village initiative in San Sperate caught the attention of UNESCO, which in 1973 invited Pinuccio Sciola to travel to Mexico. There, he met the muralist master David Alfaro Siqueiros, learning his techniques and collaborating on large murals in the populous Tepito neighborhood. In 1976, he participated in the Venice Biennale, causing quite a stir among critics with the exhibition of Le Canne and I Cadaveri in Piazza San Marco. In his hometown, he founded the International School of Sculpture in 1978. He exhibited his works at the Rome Quadriennale, in Barcelona, Paris, Vienna, and between 1986 and 1987 in various modern art museums across Germany. Near Stuttgart, in the historic center of Kirchheim Unter Teck, one of his sculptures was placed as the cornerstone of the European Parliament. His works, particularly sculptures, are part of both public and private collections and have been exhibited in various museums and placed in squares, parks, and other locations across Europe: in 1986 in the public gardens of Arnhem in the Netherlands; in 1994 in the Ooidonk Castle Park in Belgium; in 1996 at the Trianon Palace in Versailles; and in 1997 in the Park of the Kunst Project Center in Barndorf Bei Baden near Vienna.