SGF SCULTURA

SGF is the story of a dream that started at school and then came true. Three young stonecutters, Silvio Santini, Paolo Grassi and Mario Fruendi, who with all their rare knowledge and knowhow, passionately keep alive the art of sculpture.
Can you tell us about your roots, your story, your wings and your future projects?

SGF, also called the “Scuola di Torano”, was set up in 1971. What we do is create works for sculptors from all over the world, that are destined for exhibitions or museums or public installations.
The biggest we have produced so far is to be found in Frankfurt. This was a piece by Max Bill, made from a huge single block of granite weighing 320 tons and entitled “Kontinuität II”, commissioned to this artist by the Deutsche Bank and declared, following installation, the biggest sculpture in the world ever made in one place and then transported to its final display location. It was delivered in 1986. During the same period, we produced a sculpture in “Travertino Romano” for Richard Erdman, again very large, a single block weighing 220 tons, which is currently in New York, in the gardens of the Pepsico headquarters. It is confirmed as the largest sculpture to ever arrive in the USA.

Another important piece is the 5-metre tall statue we created in Bianco Carrara marble for the sculptor Paolo Cavallo, transported to the Vatican in Rome and depicting the Saint Giovanni Leonardi.
We continue to collaborate with a great many famous international artists, including Richard Erdman, for example on a work measuring 3 metres that next year will be sent to Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
An enormous sculpture made of 5 blocks of granite will also be delivered to Virginia for Larry Kirkland, for whom we have completed two projects: a monument dedicated to Martin Luther King in black granite, delivered to Atlantic City and another for the American Red Cross in Bianco Carrara marble and red granite, installed in Washington.

Unfortunately in 2012 we lost an important mainstay: Paolo Grassi. Despite missing him, we continue to complete pieces for external sculptors and Silvio Santini and Mario Fruendi also continue to work on their own pieces, taking part in international exhibitions.