Majorca:
The Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation - the Megaliths and the Sculpture Park. At
the end of the Sculpture Park is the spectacular Megaliths, Estelas del Sol installation
by Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, 2007 which consists of twelve stone sculptures
placed in a circle, each weighing up to ten tons. They are inspired by ancient
megaliths or stone circles, dating back to 4.000 B.C., they are also known as
“cromlech” and the best known example is probably Stonehenge in England dating
back to 2.500 to 1.800 B.C. It is
also possible that the Megaliths were astronomic alignments, used to celebrate
rituals related to the cult of Mother Earth. This powerful presentation is intended by the artists to
convey to their public of adults and children alike an idea of the way man
lived 6.000 years ago in the most naturalistic fashion.
A close up of the Megaliths, Estelas del Sol installation
by Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, 2007.
The Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation: the Sculpture Park. In the gardens of The Yannick andBen Jakober Foundation is the zoo an outdoor Sculpture Park where children and
adults may get acquainted with art by way of monumental granite sculptures,
made by Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu, inspired by animals figuring in antiquity,
all in a bucolic setting. The
largest sculpture is The Dog who leads the way; it is based on a model of
Japanese Haniwa civilization of the large burial place (late period about IV-V
centuries A.D.), now in the Tokyo National Museum and made from G606 granite,
it stands 320cm high.
The Piggie Bench. Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu’s Piggie Bench, 2010. Historically, the domestic pig was seen
as a good omen in China. The pig
was the symbol for honesty and represented abundance and wealth. The pig is one of the twelve animals,
which appears in the zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.
The Rams. Made in 2007 The Rams are the interpretation of terracotta
“Rhyton”, made by the Persian culture of Amlach, dated X-VIII B.C.
The Pigeon. The artist
themselves, Yannick Vu and Ben Jakober and Snoopy, their Beagle, better known as
Bou Bou sit on The Pigeon sculpture in front of the entrance to the Museum Sa Bassa Blanca designed by Hassan Fathy which houses the Contemporary Art
collection. The Pigeon is the focal point for photographs when dignitaries and
VIPs visit.
The Cat and The Oracle. The Cat is inspired by the original Egyptian
bronze dated VII-VI B.C., conserved in the Musee du Louvre, Paris. Cats were considered divinities in
ancient Egypt and their cult was represented by Bastet, the Goddess with the
head of a cat. In ancient Greece people visited the Oracle and whispered their
questions through one of the holes.
The answer came out the other side. It is made in polyester and wood in 1994 by Ben Jakober and
Yannick Vu.
The Oracle.
The Enfocador. The
Enfocador, 1991 is a stone sculpture made by the artists, the giant focus of
the photo camera frames the landscape of Sa Bassa Blanca as an open window.
La Marsellaise. Made by Ben
Jakober in 1988 using black granite, it was designed for the celebration of the
French Revolution bicentenary; it adopts the shape of a sharp guillotine. On the flat surface, the score of the
French national anthem has been engraved, followed by a list of the victims of
the Years of Terror.
A detail of La Marsellaise, the score of the french national anthem.
A detail of La Marsellaise a list of the victims of
the Years of Terror.