Covo Island, better known as theIsland of Sculptures orIlla das Esculturas in Galician, is a park and island located near the mouth of theLérez River, inPontevedra, Spain. It has an area of 70,000 m2 (750,000 sq ft)[1] where twelve granite sculptures by international artists are displayed. It is the largest and most important open-air permanent exhibition inGalicia,[2] and one of the most important in Spain.[3]
In the island are displayed, among other, a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high labyrinth byRobert Morris,[4] a 5 m (16 ft) high pink granite menhir byUlrich Rückriem, and a floating house on the river by Francisco Leiro.[5] The island is connected to both banks of the river by footbridges and pedestrian bridges, and its aquatic fauna includes ducks and carps.
The island was formed in the river from the sediments transported by theLérez River deposited there because the river is already very close to sea level and loses its strength to carry these sediments away. At first, an intertidal plain was formed, but the Lérez found this obstacle on its way to the ria and sought another alternative route, thus opening a channel on the right side.[6]
The island remained in the wilderness until 1997, when it was transformed into a park.[7] Later, a project for the development of this space was carried out, with the creation of contemporary artworks by twelve internationally renowned artists,[8][9] which took as their central theme thegranite of Galicia and the relationship of man with his environment. This is the most important example ofland art, a trend in contemporary art, inGalicia. The project was officially inaugurated on 29 July 1999.[10]
The island, which has been declared a protected natural area,[11] is almost a kilometre long[12] and has an elongated shape. It has an area of rushes, meadows, a main path and secondary paths. Three wooden bridges cross the inner canal[13] and a cable-stayed footbridge over the Lérez River connects it to thePaseo del Lérez. On the island there are twelve granite sculptures by international artists.
On the island come the tides and it is used by many birds as a breeding ground. It is a protected area declared LIC (place of community interest).[14] Located near thePontevedra Campus, the island is also used by many people as a place for walking or sports training.
The international authors and their sculptural works present on the island are:[15][16][17]
ItalianGiovanni Anselmo withCielo acortado. It is a black granite column fromCampo Lameiro of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) that represents the space between heaven and earth.
GermanUlrich Rückriem with a pink graniteColumn recalling Galician traditions. It's a 5 m (16 ft) highstele at a crossroads.
AmericanRobert Morris created theLabyrinth of Pontevedra. He recreates with it the oldestpetroglyph in Europe: the labyrinth of Mogor located inMarín. It is circular, two metres high and topped by a blackslate roof.
Portuguese José Pedro Croft with aHouse built in grey granite fromMondariz. It is a 3.2 m (10 ft) construction without doors or windows, which blends in with the surrounding nature. A tree is embedded in its walls as a symbol of nature in motion. The house reflects the small world that man builds for himself within the house that is nature[18] and evokes rural houses absorbed by nature.
AmericanJenny Holzer, who installedEight grey stone benches on the island's central promenade, with twelve phrases oraphorisms of reflective intent inscribed on each one. The eight benches give art an everyday utility.[19]
EnglishRichard Long withPontevedra Line, a small wall 37 m (121 ft) long, made of pieces of white granite, which evokes the idea of the walk as action and thought.
ScottishIan Hamilton Finlay withThree green slate medallions hanging fromeucalyptus trees, made of green granite, with the inscriptionPetrarch and Roman numerals corresponding to sonnets. It is a set of three green slate medallions engraved with the name of the Italian poet and the Roman number of a sonnet on each piece: Petrarch XXXV, Petrarch CXXXII and Petrarch CCCX. Finlay invites the spectator to search and discover what is hidden in this numerical key. These are verses of love and solitude with which the viewer enters into communication. The medallions are located on three eucalyptus trees five metres high, each facing a different cardinal point to play with the sun at different times of the day.[20]
FrenchAnne and Patrick Poirier withFolie, a 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) garden, outside the island to be viewed from it. The work is made of stainless steel, grey granite, plants, and trees.[21]
AmericanDan Graham withPyramid. The pink granite pyramid is 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) high, doubles in the waters of the river and contains three carved inverted pyramids. The work seeks the effect of light refraction and the granite is polished to achieve this effect. The pyramid is placed near the water of the river to obtain the reflection of the water as if it were a double pyramid.[22]
Fernando Casás representsThe 36 righteous who sustain the world of theHebrew tradition by means of thirty-six blocks of black granite, like trunks of a felled and devastated forest, distributed throughout the island's own forest.
Francisco Leiro withSaavedra installed a living room on a raft anchored in the Lérez river at the end of the island. This work is popularly known asLa Batea.[24]Saavedra turns a familiar space into an unreachable and uncomfortable one.[25]
Enrique Velasco, with a doubleCamino de Juncos (Reed Path) on the river bank showing the ductility and flexibility of the granite.
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