The Henraux Foundation in collaboration with Toscana Aeroporti SpA, has invited Helidon Xhixha to be the protagonist of their fourth biennial edition VolareArte(2017 – 2019).
A selection of monumental sculptures by Helidon Xhixha will be on display within the main entrance and some interior spaces of the international airport of Florence, “Amerigo Vespucci”, the international airport of Pisa, “Galileo Galilei”, and the central train station of Pisa.
VOLAREARTE , Pisa and Florence, Italy |
June 2017 – 2019
The Henraux Foundation, in collaboration with Aeroporti Toscana SpA, invites every two years a prominent artist to create large scale marble artworks with the mission of enhancing and developing the long tradition of art and sculpture of the Apuan-Versilia marble.
"Having the chance to showcase my monumental sculptures within Florence and Pisa international airports and the central train station of Pisa, gives me the chance to connect with millions of passengers that everyday populate these iconic places." - Helidon Xhixha
Airports, by nature, are a confusing maze, chaotic space, with planes racing for runway space as passengers run, seemingly endlessly, through corridors, terminals and long queues. In a world of perpetual motion, it's easy to move with greater focus on the destination than the airport itself, but as more and more airports integrate art into their terminals, it's increasingly possible to stop and enjoy the airport itself before jumping on a plane. Art can make a space feel more human; it can evoke emotions and provide something that is often overlooked in large spaces such as airports.
For airports, creating an art program should be as important to their customer service as any other amenity and I am happy to say that the Henraux Foundation and Toscana Aeroporti SpA have well understood this necessity. This amazing art program “VolareArte” does help to provide meaningful things for passengers to do when they have layovers and when they get to the airport early. It is an opportunity for everyone, not only to enjoy something beautiful, but also to educate oneself on what the contemporary art scene has to offer. But art programs also give airline travellers, who might just be passing through on a quick layover, a chance to explore a city while remaining inside the airport's terminals. Art helps to tell the story of who we are. “VolareArte” is also a chance to tell the story of the history of the marble quarries in Tuscany from where artists of the calibre of Michelangelo have sourced the marble for their masterpieces. Most of the sculptures showcased by Xhixha for “Volarearte” are purely made using the local marble and for that I have to thank the support of the Henraux foundation that made this possible.