Steel in art: The Spear of Light by Arnaldo Pomodoro

Steel plays an important role in several fields, anddecided to charge the great artist with the
the progresses of metallurgy have extended therealisation of the work. Impressed in turn by the
scopes of this alloy, making steel increasingly usedvisit to the steel mills, Pomodoro projected an
in oil and petrochemical, energy, mining, nuclearimposing obelisk with a triangular base which was
and food industries. However, steel is fit also tomeant to glorify both the steel mills and the
other, completely different types of processing,human mind, and which was a celebration and, at
as evidenced by some famous works of art,the same time, a warning against technological
most notably “The Arrow of Light” bybreakthroughs. To realise the work Pomodoro
Arnaldo Pomodoro, which stands in Corso delwas helped by Mario Finocchio, director of the
Popolo in Terni.foundry, which suggested using stainless steel.
It is no coincidence that such an imposing steelStainless steel processing is indeed the buttonhole
work rises in the Umbrian town: Terni has indeedof Terni’s steel mills.
a long tradition in steel processing, and the workThe realisation of the work turned out to be
was commissioned from the great artist in 1984,more problematic than one might have imagined,
the year marking the hundredth anniversary ofbecause of the monumentality and the complexity
the foundation of the steel mills of the city. Theof the sculpture (about 30 metres high, four
foundation of the steel mills dates back to 1884,sections, each one different from the other,
but the first factories settled between thehundreds of parts joined together), but from the
eighteenth and the nineteenth century, thanks toproject to the stainless steel finishing the ability
the strategic location of the city and to anand efforts made by the technicians brought to a
abundant water supply. During World War I thevery good result. In particular, they decided to
steel mills worked above all for the war industry,divide the sculpture, realising its parts singularly,
and the bombardments of World war II did notand to put them together in a second time: 27
succeed in tearing down the steel mills of the city,cast parts, in addition to over 400 smaller pieces
which kept working and, in recent times,were joined through electric steel welding and
succeeded in innovating and facing new challenges.plasma cutting, and the result is now plain for all:
It was President Sandro Pertini, after a visit toan obelisk that overlooks the surrounding space
the steel mills in 1984, that suggested theand that tells the story of the bond between the
realisation of a work to highlight the importance ofcity and steel mills. The first section, made of
this industry and the ability of the people whocor-ten steel, gives the idea of rusty iron, and
worked hard in it, and in the same year thesymbolises the past, while the second and third
managers of the steel mills and some politicians ofparts, in stainless steel, symbolise the present, and
the city, after being quite impressed by athe fourth one, geometrical and plain, made of
Pomodoro exhibition which was held in Florence,shining brass, stands for the hope for the future.