Dubai: The famed ‘Charging Bull', a New York icon on Wall Street, will have a UAE version later this year, Gulf News has learnt.
On the sidelines of Art Dubai, Italian-American sculptor Arturo Di Modica told Gulf News: "Work has started on the sculpture. We haven't finalised the final location in the UAE as yet."
Modica, who created the 3.5 tonne, 4.8-metre-long and 3.3-metre-high bronze sculpture in 1989 and the Shanghai Bull of the same size in 2010, is in Dubai as a guest of the art fair.
"Unlike the reddish tone of the bull in Shanghai, the one for Dubai will be sand coloured," he said.
Two of his life-size works, the bull and the horse in stainless steel are in the UAE as private collections. His interest though is in public sculptures, he said.
"Dubai definitely needs more sculptures. I have been here thrice so far and have witnessed the development. The tall structures need sculptures around to create a dynamic environment. There are too few sculptures and not as large. We need sizes at least three metres up," he said.
When asked how sculptures interact with a society's consciousness, he said it differs from region to region.
"New York has a different dynamism as does Shanghai. The cities itself needs to be educated to commission such large sculptures so people are forced to stop, look and study the piece. Maybe even touch them.
"The point is to slow people down to admire something that may not be in their line of work."
Of the places in the UAE, Modica said business districts and busy meeting points are good.
His representative, Dyanna Sidiropulo, said his work is believed to influence positivity, especially in tough economic times.
"That is why he is not in museums. He wants to have his work interact with the public and in a large space."
