Pavarotti Land Art in Wales for Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod
We made a trip to a hillside in Llangollen, Wales. Dave, Jonathan, Peter and Dan travelled across to create the Pavarotti land art in Wales. Made using biodegradable paint, the image measured 30 x 45 metres in height. The artwork was visible from the Eisteddfod Pavilion below and from Castell Dinas Brân above – a ruined medieval castle built by the Welsh Princes. It’s hosted by Wern Isaf campsite on Donkey Hill overlooking the Eisteddfod grounds.
The land art in Wales took 1 day to create, starting very early in the morning to beat the hottest part of the day.
The artwork was create to celebrate Pavarotti’s first appearance 70 years ago at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Denbighshire. To mark the anniversary, his widow Nicoletta Mantovani was a guest of honour at this year’s festival.
Nicoletta attended the mural’s unveiling alongside members of the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir – the choir that first hosted Luciano and his father Fernando in 1955. She arrived in the town on board a vintage steam train from Corwen where the choir serenaded her with a Welsh song special to her late husband. Nicoletta said she shed a tear when she heard the world-famous choir perform.
David Hennigan, Eisteddfod board director, said the mural has become an instant tourism attraction in the town. “The reaction from eisteddfod concertgoers has been overwhelming,” he said. “People have been standing in the car park to view the sculture and the comments have been amazing.
“We thought it would be well received but the response has been even better than we expected. It’s been a very worthwhile project.”
Pavarotti was just 19 and a trainee teacher when he came to the Llangollen in 1955 with his father, Fernando, as part of Chorus Rossini from their home city of Modena. He returned as a global star in 1995 to perform a sell-out concert. This year would have been his 90th birthday.
We have created many grass paintings over the last few years and really enjoy them, as the creative options are endless. From single colour images to multi level realism, to huge paintings, we love to push the boundaries of what can be done.
