Pedro de Mena

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Bust of Pedro de Mena by Virgilio Galán Sánchez, 2010
Calle Afligidos
Málaga, March 2024

“Pedro de Mena y Medrano (August 1628 - 13 October 1688) was a Spanish sculptor. Pedro de Mena was born in Granada, Andalusia. He was a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena as well as of Alonzo Cano. His first success was achieved in work for the convent of St. Anthony Granada, including figures of St Joseph, St Anthony of Padua, St Diego, St Pedro Mentara, St Francis, and St Clare. In 1658 he signed a contract for sculptural work on the choir stalls of the cathedral of Málaga, this work extending over four years. Other works include statues of the Madonna and child and of St Joseph in Madrid, the polychromatic figures in the church of St Isodoro, the Magdalena and the Gertrudlis in the church of St Martin (Madrid), the crucifixion in the Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Madrid), the statuette of St Francis of Assisi in Toledo, and of St Joseph in the St Nicholas church in Murcia. Mena traveled to Madrid in 1662. Between 1673 and 1679 Mena worked at Córdoba. About 1680 he was in Granada, where he executed a half-length Madonna and child (seated) for the church of St. Dominic. Mena died in Málaga, city where he spent most of his life, and where he had a sculpture studio for thirty years until his death in 1688.” (Pedro de Mena, Wikipedia)

Moonraker Point

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Unite Students - Moonraker Point by DMWR Architects
Pocock Street, Southwark
London, May 2023

Daniele Manin

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Daniele Manin by Urbano Nono, 1890
Piazzale Galileo
Florence, January 2024

“In 1862 the Venetians, who after the reconquer of Venice by the Austrians (1859), were exiles in Florence, decided to build a monument to their compatriot Daniele Manin (1804-1857), as a tangible sign of gratitude to the city that had hosted them and a due tribute to the patriot, a prominent figure of the Italian Risorgimento. With the liberation of Venice in 1866, the project was suspended but not forgotten, and it was resumed twenty years later, thanks to a new committee of Venetians living in Florence. Having completed quickly the competition to award the work (1888), the statue was commissioned to the Venetian sculptor Urbano Nono, who built it in 1889, the year in which it was cast in Micheli plant in Venice. Sent to Florence at the beginning of the following year, after careful testing done by the sculptor Soranzo and the director of the Regia Accademia delle Belle Arti (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in Venice, Luigi Ferrari, the statue was provided with a suitable base and inaugurated during a solemn ceremony on 9th February 1890, placed at the centre of piazza Ognissanti, which since 1860, was entitled to Daniele Manin. In 1931 the monument was then moved, at request of architect Alfredo Lenzi of the Ufficio di Belle Arti of the Municipality of Florence, to one side of piazzale Galileo, because it limited the enjoyment of the ancient architectures.” (Monumento a Daniele Manin, Florence I Care)

Monument to the Peseta

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Monument to the Peseta by José Gómez Guerreo, 2007
Paseo Maritimo Rey de España
Los Boliches
Fuengirola, March 2024

“Our ‘Monument to the Peseta’ was the first one in Spain dedicated to our former currency, though nowadays there are others in some Andalusian towns like Estepona (Málaga) or Roquetas de Mar (Almería). It has been 10 years since we said bye-bye to our pesetas and we welcomed the euro, but there are still some nostalgics who miss them as it was the currency of Spain for over a hundred years.” (Monument to the Peseta, Hotel Yaramar)

Full of scorpions

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“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife.” by Layla Andrews
Nolia's Gallery wall
Great Suffolk Street, Southwark
London, May 2023

“In act 3, scene 2 of Macbeth, Macbeth says, “O full of scorpions is my mind… thou knowst that Banquo and his Fleance lives.” The scorpions represent both Macbeth’s uneasiness and his dark desire to murder Fleance and Banquo. The knowledge that Fleance and Banquo are still alive fills Macbeth with anxiety and dread. By saying his mind is full of scorpions, Macbeth means that he cannot rest easy while they are alive. His restlessness comes from the witches’ prophecy that Banquo will have kings in his family line, which is a threat to Macbeth’s throne. Layla Andrews is a Brixton-based artist known mainly for her large scale, figurative and abstract portraits. Whilst people may form the basis of much of her art, family stories, the natural world, and her lifelong love of second hand treasure all inspire and influence her collections.” (O full of scorpions is my mind, Better Bankside)

Giardino Pubblico di Tivoli

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Giardino Pubblico di Tivoli (Tivoli Public Garden)
Viale Machiavelli
Florence, January 2024

El Cenachero

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El Cenachero by Jaime Fernández Pimentel, 1968
Plaza de la Marina
Málaga, March 2024

“This bronze sculpture created by Málaga artist Jaime Fernández Pimentel in 1968 represents a typical and traditional figure of Málaga, the ‘Cenachero’ or Fish Vendor. El Cenachero sold fish on the streets of the city while maintaining the balance of the two esparto baskets he carried. These basket are called ‘cenachos’ in Spanish, hence his name. The cenachos were handmade of esparto and filled at the beaches where the central fishing net was landed. Generally, Cenacheros sold anchovies, but also traded in mackerel, sardines or whitebait. The sculpture shows how a traditional cenachero dressed: with a sash, the hanging cenachos and a hat to protect him from the heat. In honour of the twinning of the cities of Málaga and Mobile, Alabama, Málaga City Council donated a replica of this sculpture to Mobile, which has been erected in a square of this American city.” (El Cenachero, Ayuntamiento de Málaga)