In the heart of the Dolomites a new story is being written that intertwines the strength of nature and human ingenuity. TO Stremboa small tourist town in the Val Rendenathe inauguration on Saturday morning at 10 of a work of art destined to become iconic, a symbol of rebirth and resilience engraved in the memory of two thousand roots that compose it: larches uprooted by storm Vaia.
The works of Martalar
The impressive open-air work of art is “The Haflinger of Strembo” and the Venetian artist Marco Martello, now famous as Martalar, created the sculpture, 7 meters high and 5 meters long, in the Giorgio Ducoli park. His is the wooden horse that stands proud, rearing up on its hind legs, ready to convey the gritty soul of the mountain community. The nose facing north-east, overlooking the Rendena valley, the Doss del Sabion and the Brenta Dolomites, this yet another wonder pushed the artist from Mezzaselva di Roana to collect and assemble with 1,800 vines over two thousand larch roots felled by the fury of the storm which, at the end of October 2018, hit the Triveneto with hurricane-level gusts of wind, destroying, in its passage, tens of thousands of hectares of alpine forests. Spokesman of a deep bond with nature and its extraordinary ability to regenerate, Martalar has created numerous works in recent years at the foot of the Dolomites recovering that wood; today you can admire many installations of him: the wolf of Lagorai, the eagle of Marcesina, the rooster of Gallio, the griffin of Celado and the deer of Millegrobbe, on Alpe Cimbra. The dragon that stood out in Lavarone was instead the subject of a wicked act of vandalism, an arson attack that destroyed it in August 2023 and on whose ashes an egg was born.
The Haflinger
Now, it is added to the “Cammino di Vaia” ring the Haflinger completed in November which already boasts a record: it is the largest wooden horse in Europe. “Was a real challenge to keep the horse suspended on two legsespecially given that I had to work on it”, reveals the artist who has become famous worldwide, with his viral images, as an emblem of “regenerative art” capable of interacting naturally with the surrounding environment, and then degrading and finally disappear over the years.
The public ceremony of inauguration it will be a time of celebration and reflection. The local authorities, in front of the community gathered for the festive occasion, will cut the symbolic ribbon officially handing over the horse to population of Strembo: a sculpture that is a sign of hope and a symbol of resilience. The program of the day includes the meeting at 10 in the square in front of the town hall and, at 10.30, the parade with the folk group, the horses, the carriage and the municipal musical band of Caderzone, which will head towards the opera welcoming Giorgio in the park Ducoli the arrival of the artist from Vicenza and the authorities to greet the new icon of the country. A sculpture strongly desired by the «Strembo Cavalli» association and created to cultivate the sense of belonging and attachment to local traditions. At 12 the collective aperitif prepared by the students of the high professional training of the Enaip of Tione with the chef Cristian Castorani
