Sculptural project Parque Norte
Arturo Berned has always understood the artworks in the city as an element of transition between the human scale of the pedestrian (of the Flâneur) and the urban scale of the buildings.
Obelisks, sculptures of divinities, emperors or rulers accompany us today through the most emblematic places of our cities, and remind us of our past, where and how we were.
Sculpture has been used since ancient times to qualify public spaces, being representations of each culture and era of history.
HEAD PARQUE NORTE and HETAIRAS have been installed with this intention in one of the most emblematic business parks in Madrid, property of the GMP group.
As part of their interest in offering the highest standards of quality and exclusivity in their buildings, and differentiating themselves from the rest of the tertiary offer, they have defined a policy of acquisition of sculptures, some of large format, whose objective is to qualify the common and exterior spaces of their buildings, providing them with an interest beyond the functional and speculative.
In 2021 Arturo Berned installed the first sculpture of this project, HEAD PARQUE NORTE, with the intention of contributing his particular vision of the contemporary art in public spaces, an approach of art to citizens.
Completing this installation, in 2022, the artworks HETAIRAS were added. Four white and stylized sculptures located in the garden as a tribute to these brave and determined women who, in addition to enjoying the fun Greek festivals, marked a milestone in the role of women, acquiring the privileges that, as citizens, they should have always had.
In contrast to most women in ancient Greece, the hetairas received education, possessed economic independence and could attain great social power. They were the only women who could participate in symposia, their opinions and beliefs being highly respected by men.
The role of women in society has been marked by the prominence of hetairas in classical Greece; history presents them beautiful as Phryne, intelligent as Aspasia, brave as Campaspe or clever as Thais, virtues that were not required to men to have and exercise their rights as citizens.
These are the first two artworks of a great sculptural project that is being carried out in several buildings of Madrid.