Arnaldo Pomodoro’s most significant “sign” is personal but recognizable, though many people—including perhaps the artist himself when he began his exploration more than 50 years ago—are unable to explain its meaning. The image of the labyrinth surfaces in Pomodoro’s earliest works, including Moon, Sun, Tower (1955), Sun Nutriment (1955), Horizon (1956), and Mark (1957). These works have a strong affinity, which Pomodoro was not aware of at the time, with the prehistoric petroglyphs from Val Camonica, a site in the Italian Alps. Many of these rock carvings, made over a period of 8,000 years, feature the labyrinth. To introduce his monumental Ingresso nel Labirinto (Entering the Labyrinth), Pomodoro offers the following background: “I have always been fascinated by archaic signs. The writings of ancient civilizations have a strong attraction for me. That is why I have dedicated Ingresso nel Labirinto to Gilgamesh, the first epic poem (about 2000 BCE) dealing with human feelings and life experience… see the entire article in the print version of April’s Sculpture magazine.
