Chaco's David: Copy of Michelangelo's famous sculpture arrives in Resistencia

A true masterpiece of universal art, the extraordinary David sculpture created by Michelangelo Buonarroti was made in the early 16th century. Some 500 years later, it has a "twin in Chaco."

It might sound like a joke, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Plenty of people worked on this unique and strange initiative, but all of them were following the dream of local sculptor Fabriciano Gómez, who died in 2021 and is responsible for hundreds of works of art being spread around the northern province. Gómez considered Chaco to be something of an “outdoor museum.”

And so, citizens in Chaco and tourists alike will no longer have to go to Florence to see Michelangelo's great creation – all they have to do is visit the traditional Parque 2 de Febrero, David's new home and the site chosen for the sculpture, which recently arrived from Buenos Aires and is sure to be featured in tens of thousands of selfies over the coming years.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) not only left David as his legacy. He left Moses in Rome, or the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, wonders that have fascinated humanity for centuries. But this new, imposing 'David of Resistencia' was not sculpted, it was copied with a 3D printing process from a plaster copy at the Museo de la Cárcova, Buenos Aires, within the help of the Universidad Nacional de las Artes, which collaborated with the initiative. They can also formally certify that the Chaco work is a “true copy”...  at least of the one in stored in the capital.

José Eidman, president of the Fundación Urunday, praised the artwork and the logistics needed to realise Fabriciano Gómez's dream. After all, moving the statue nearly 1,000 kilometres from Buenos Aires to Resistencia was not an easy task.

Gisela Kraisman was the artist who headed the team performing the 3D printing. Her  tracing reproduction techniques used a combination of new technologies and traditional sculpting techniques. Sustainable materials were also used, with little waste, resulting in a robust work that should last for many years.

“Our goal was always to deliver to Chaco province an excellent sculpture, because we know that’s what they expected. And the truth is the ‘David’ was our most challenging work” yet, said Denise Di Federico, another major player in the project.

Sculptor Mimo Eidman, in turn, remembered Gómez: “We’re here before his dream, today a reality and nurturing the cultural identity of our people."

“This experience will leave us the technology, training and support of specialists so that, from no won we can conserve and potentially restore our sculptural heritage, using this technological platform to generate digital twins, which is the same as a stem cell bank of our sculptures,” she added. 

The opening of the colossal work has no official date yet, but it will surely be on display to the public when the Bienal del Chaco 2024, otherwise known as the Bienal Internacional de Escultura, gets underway. Its location will be the old Aguas Danzantes fountain, and access will be free of charge and it will be lit at night – perfect for those nighttime snaps.

– TIMES