Once upon a time there was a beautiful woman full of gifts and qualities named Niki de Saint Phalle: her harmonious figure was hairstyled by an open mind and a fervent creativity that led her to experience the art in its various forms. Restless and always on the move she visited the most disparate places and during her travels she was impressed by what she saw. In particular, the Park Guell in Barcelona and the Garden of the Monsters in Bomarzo inspired one of his most amazing works: the Tarot Garden.
As in a dream the events follow one after the other, so the project of the Tarot Garden was created thanks to a succession of lucky events that led to the complete realization of the work.
It all began thanks to the donation of a piece of land in Garavicchio, near Capalbio, by the Caracciolo family. The space available was divided to accommodate twenty-two statues representing the major arcana of the Tarot. The layout and layout of the statues is reminiscent of a small town: a dreamlike city where everything is magical and amazing.
Crossing the entrance arch designed by Mario Botta you are catapulted into a world outside the world: along the short uphill road you reach the main square where you are greeted by an imposing fountain formed by the Wheel of Fortune, the Papessa and the Wizard. Walking through the narrow streets you reach the dream house of Niki (the Empress-Sphinx), the church (Temperance) and the gardens where here and there appear suddenly unexpected figures built in steel and cement and covered with mirrors, majolica and colored ceramice. As in a real dream journey the visitor has the opportunity to get in touch with the sculptures in the way he prefers: he can decide whether to lose himself in the overall vision or enter into the detail of dreams, the hopes and fears of the artist facing each work in its singularity and expressive richness. The tarot statues, in fact, represent just the various aspects of Niki’s personality and appear suddenly enveloped by sunlight and bright colors that contrast with the surrounding environment, just like dream figures. Each statue is a surprise characterized by various levels of expression: in some cases the colorful and lively outer shell hides dark and disturbing interior scenarios; in other cases the sober exterior and content hides sparkling and colorful interiors. In the Tarot Garden each step is an extra step in the knowledge of the unconscious, each sculpture is a piece of the puzzle that leads to the knowledge of the artist, but that also accompanies every visitor in an unparalleled journey within himself.