Pinuccio Sciola

Pinuccio Sciola (1942-) is a sculptor from San Sperate, Sardinia. He is known for his activity in promoting murales (decorative paintings on building façades) and made his town famous for this form of art.

Another field of activity which he is famous for consists on "sound stones": large menhir-like sculptures (mainly limestones or basalts) that resonates when rubbed by human hands or small rocks. The resonant properties of the sculptures is achieved by applying precise parallel incisions on the rock, with the use of water cutting machines.
These sculptures are capable of creating very structured soundscapes, with a natural reverb, with different qualities depending on the density of the stone and the deepness of the incision, reminding glass or metal, wooden breath or string instruments and even human voice.
Pinuccio Sciola has created a sort of mythology upon is works of art, he believes that not only his stones are a product of earth sedimentation, but that they could have been collected fragments of stars during their early formation. His role is, in a way, the act of bringing back to life the unique voice of outer space, trapped inside the stones for millions of years.