Italian sculptor fills Stockholm with giant animal sculptures

Stockholm is being transformed into a temporary wildlife sanctuary, not of living creatures, but of monumental bronze sculptures. Italian artist Davide Rivalta has brought his "animal army" to the Swedish capital, with 13 of his large-scale, naturalistic animal figures now gracing the city's public spaces for the next year.

The exhibition, titled "Blowing figures into space," features a diverse range of animals, from powerful buffaloes and wolves to rhinos and horses. Visitors can encounter these imposing figures in various historical and cultural settings around the city. Rivalta, who traveled from his home in Bologna to oversee the installation, explained his artistic focus to Dagens Nyheter (DN).

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The animals connect us with something within us.

"It is primarily the staging of the relationship between animals and humans that interests me," Rivalta stated. "Depicting animals becomes a way to depict humans from a different perspective. Through the sculptures, I explore their relationship with themselves, but also with each other and the surrounding space."

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It is primarily the staging of the relationship between animals and humans that interests me. Depicting animals becomes a way to depict humans from a different perspective. Through the sculptures, I explore their relationship with themselves, but also with each other and the surrounding space.

The placement of each sculpture is carefully considered. Rivalta noted that the selection of works and their specific locations often arise from how a particular animal might interact with its environment, considering the surrounding nature, architecture, and cultural context. For instance, a large bronze lion, installed earlier in the spring on Mynttorget, sits between the Parliament House and the Royal Palace.

Rivalta described the lion's placement as significant, noting it is a location of both power and large gatherings, where people express their voices. "The lion, which is often called the 'king of animals,' is in turn a symbol of authority and royalty. But here it is not placed in an elevated position of power, but on the same level as the people," he explained, highlighting his intention to create a dialogue between the artwork, its setting, and the public.

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The lion, which is often called the 'king of animals,' is in turn a symbol of authority and royalty. But here it is not placed in an elevated position of power, but on the same level as the people.