‘A symbol of unity and harmony’

AMMAN — Staying its ground with steely determination, the stainless steel sculpture that recently came to grace an Abdali Boulevard alley could easily be the symbol of a nation’s steadfastness in the face of adversity.

It is all about gravity, says its author, Belgium-born artist Zivo. It is about “making a piece that will move with the wind and not actually fall down. This is what art is all about,” he says, stressing that “the story is the people. That’s the beauty of Jordan”.

Unveiled on Sunday and titled “Reflection”, the 3D-printed sculpture pays homage to family unity and is proof of the “finer things in life” that technology can give us if we put it to good use.

Swaying in the wind on an inverted hemisphere base, this gravity-defying sculpture represents “the turbulences and adversities in life, throughout which families remain strong, grounded and resolute”.

It stands at over five metres in height and is made of “very precise” pieces that are put together with the same 3D-printed material; to reach a perfect balance, much calculation was needed and in The Corner Gallery, by which the statue stands, there are several framed drawings of the different stages through which the creation process had to go.

Capturing and reflecting light — of the sky and clouds, of the golden sun, of neighbouring buildings — the sculpture is meant to “reflect the colours of Jordan”, the artist, who has visited the Kingdom “four or five times” and who feels “at home here”, told The Jordan Times.

Commissioned by Campbell Gray Living, Amman, the work “allows the light to dance and flicker, lifting the spirits, encouraging contemplation and evoking feelings of happiness and optimism”.

“I am very glad I am here. I am a part of it [Amman] now. This makes me feel at home [although] I felt home already thanks to the people.”

The elegant, almost abstract silhouettes of the mother, father and child make this original sculpture a sight to behold. It lends refinement to the elegant area the Boulevard in Abdali has become, enriches the cultural fabric of the city and is there for all to admire.