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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
The World Cup Trophy Tour is underway. The most famous trophy on the planet is being transported to 86 countries during a 225-day journey ahead of the World Cup. FIFA.com spoke to Silvio Gazzaniga, the artist who designed and created trophy after its predecessor, the Jules Rimet Cup, was won outright by Brazil in 1970...  Your creations are inextricably linked with the world of sport. Have you always worked in this arena? Yes, although not exclusively. I've also created religious objects. My long-term involvement in sport is due to an enduring collaboration with the Bertoni company, or GDE as they're now called. I've been their artistic director for forty-five years now. Is it true that you were holed up in your study almost an entire week working on it? Yes, more or less. As for the moulding, I didn't want to add too many details, as it would've cheapened the sculpture and lessened its impact. So I did the sculpture all at once, although there were things to refine later. In fact, at a later stage when FIFA asked to see the actual model, I had to perfect some of the details of geographical regions on the globe, something they considered very important. That was painstaking and slow, but on the whole it was a quick process. You said once that you wanted to bring together the athlete and the world in your trophy. Yes, that's right. As this is the World Cup, it's only logical that the world should form part of the Trophy. Of course the world is spherical and, as such, very similar to a ball. The human figures that emerge from the base material extend upwards and support the world, which I also imagined as a ball. You also said you wanted the Trophy to symbolise effort, harmony and peace. Can you tell us what you meant by that? And dynamism too. The idea was to create something symbolising exertion, dynamism and the jubilation of an athlete in the moment of victory, with all the joy that contains. The seemingly irregular volumes are what give it its sense of dynamism, but in reality it has a harmonious energy of its own. The figures that emerge from the rough base material evoke a sense of jubilation in victory. The Trophy was first unveiled to the public when it was presented to Germany as winners the 1974 FIFA World Cup™. Franz Beckenbauer was the first player ever to lift the Cup. Can you remember where you were and what you felt at that moment? I can't recall where I was on that occasion, but I clearly remember the day Italy won it (in 1982). I was at home at the time, and there were countless people rejoicing in the streets. It looked like they'd gone mad. I remember it so well as it was Italy's triumph. What do you think of the assertion that Italy has given the world two wonderful works of art: the Mona Lisa painting and your Trophy? Come on now! There's no sense in a comparison like that. The Mona Lisa is of a different quality and is in a whole different category. I appreciate the compliment, but that's an exaggeration. Modesty aside, you have to accept that every time the Trophy is exhibited, the queues that form would not look out of place at the Louvre. That is true, but that's because, on some level, they understand this Trophy better than they understand the Gioconda. You need some training or knowledge of art to understand all of Da Vinci's subtleties. The trophy can be understood by anyone, perhaps not completely, but it's still a great popular symbol and touches people. more interviews...
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