Polish presidential couple tours Pompeii
President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda visited an exhibition of sculptures by Igor Mitoraj in Pompeii on Saturday during their three-day visit to Italy and the Vatican that started on Friday evening.
The presidential couple toured an exhibition of 30 sculptures by the late Polish artist Igor Mitoraj. His works are on display at the archaeological site of Pompeii.
The exhibition was opened in mid-May by Italian President Sergio Mattarella who described Igor Mitoraj "as an extraordinary artist of our times" and said that the exhibition "was a unique combination of antiquity and modern day".
The Italian president stressed that the archaeological site was "an absolutely natural location" for Mitoraj's sculptures.
Igor Mitoraj (1944-2014) is perhaps best known for his monumental sculptures, often displayed in prominent locations, including the foreground of London's British Museum, Canary Wharf, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, as well as the world famous ruins of Agrigento, Sicily. In addition to his public sculptures, Mitoraj's works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries in Europe, North America and around the world.
Mitoraj was granted many distinctions, including the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture in 2005 and the Commander's Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order in 2012.
Mitoraj lived in Tuscany, Italy for many years. (PAP)
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