G E I S T
ARTURO DI MODICA
CHARGING BULL ANNIVERSARY
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WALL STREET CHARGING BULL T H E 2 5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y C AT A L O G U E
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ARTURO DI MODICA CHARGING BULL 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Geist is delighted to announce the 25th Anniversary of the highly acclaimed Charging Bull installation, by the sculptor Arturo Di Modica. Installed on Wall Street in the dead of night on 15 December 1989, the 3.5 ton bronze sculpture was a tribute to the strength and determination of the American people in the wake of the 1987 Black Monday financial crash. Despite being removed by city authorities within hours of its installation, the bull was later returned due to popular demand and has gone on to become one of the most famous public sculptures in the world. Now in its 25th year at a new location in Bowling Green, Charging Bull continues to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and has become a defining icon of the New York Financial District.
ARTURO DI MODICA BIOGRAPHY - THE ARTIST & HIS WORK Arturo di Modica has firmly established himself as a sculptor renowned for his mastery in metals and marble, best known for his monumental Charging Bull (1987-89). Born in Vittoria, Sicily on 26 January 1941, Di Modica moved to Florence at the age of 19 when he was enrolled in the world famous Accademia Del Nudo Libero. As a struggling young artist, Di Modica constructed his own foundry to experiment in bronze, earning himself wide acclaim. During this period he also worked extensively with Carrara marble, displaying some of his finest early work at the renowned Studio Nicoli. Having established himself as an artist of repute, Di Modica moved to New York in 1973, opening his Crosby Street studio in 1978 where the majority of his present-day collection was created. The energy and determination of the American people had a profound effect on his work, inspiring many of his best pieces as well as the guerrilla style of installation for which he has become famous. These include several abstract marble sculptures placed in front of the Rockefeller Center in 1977 and a giant bronze horse at the Lincoln Center in February 1986, the latter being a Valentine’s Day gift to the people of New York. This was followed in 1989 by Di Modica’s most famous piece, Charging Bull. In recognition of his contribution to the arts, Di Modica was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1999. Now living between Sicily and New York, Di Modica has emerged as a central figure in the world of sculpture. As ever, his work presents ideals of perseverance, diligence and strength, while displaying great skill and appreciation of detail. In May 2010, the city of Shanghai commissioned a new bull, as a symbol of the city’s energy and dynamism. The “Bund Bull”, as it is known, appears younger and stronger than his American counterpart, with reddish features, reflecting China’s emergent superpower status. Di Modica has recently embarked on his most ambitious project to date, the School of the New Renaissance, due to open in 2015. Situated within 25 acres of stunning parkland near Di Modica’s beloved Vittoria, the School includes an open-air theatre and an extensive sculpture park that will ensure Di Modica’s talent inspires generations of students for years to come.
ART U RO D I M O DI CA Villa Medici Exhibition Florence, Italy (1968)
ART U RO D I M O DI CA Wall Street Charging Bull Bronze Sculpture, 1987 - 89 NYC, Private Collection
ART U RO D I M O DI CA 4ft Wall Street Charging Bull Stainless Steel Sculpture Edition of 10 (2000)
ART U RO D I M O DI CA 4ft Wall Street Charging Bull Copper Sculpture, 2013 London, Private Collection
ART U RO D I M O DI CA The Shanghai Bund Bull Bronze Sculpture, 2009 - 10 City of Shanghai Collection
ART U RO D I M O DI CA 4ft Copper Growling Bear Copper Sculpture, 2013 - 14 London, Private Collection
G E I S T
ARTURO DI MODICA C H A RG I N G B U L L A N N I V E R S A RY
T: +44 (0)20 3565 6289 E: info@geistgalleries.com