
Italian 'sphere within sphere' sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro dies at 98
Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro has died at his home in Milan on the eve of his 99th birthday, his foundation and the Italian Culture Ministry reported on Monday.
Pomodoro was known for his abstract "sphere within sphere" sculptures, which can be seen at UN headquarters in New York and the Vatican Museums, among other prominent locations.
While many are to be found in the United States and Italy, Dublin, Rotterdam, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Jeddah, Tehran, and various Japanese cities, including Hiroshima, also host the sculptures.
Pomodoro first came to international attention with a 3.5-metre work for the Montreal Expo in 1967.
"His open and wounded 'spheres' still tell us today of the fragility and complexity of humanity and the world," the Italian Culture Ministry said.
Pomodoro was born in Morciano di Romagna in 1926, a small town in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. He started out aiming to become an architect or set builder — interests revealed in his later work.
He combined technical precision with geometric form, frequently using gold and bronze as his materials.
Following studies in art, Pomodoro and his brother Giò moved to Milan, where he gained international renown.—dpa
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Italian 'sphere within sphere' sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro dies at 98
Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro has died at his home in Milan on the eve of his 99th birthday, his foundation and the Italian Culture Ministry reported on Monday. Pomodoro was known for his abstract "sphere within sphere" sculptures, which can be seen at UN headquarters in New York and the Vatican Museums, among other prominent locations. While many are to be found in the United States and Italy, Dublin, Rotterdam, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, Jeddah, Tehran, and various Japanese cities, including Hiroshima, also host the sculptures. Pomodoro first came to international attention with a 3.5-metre work for the Montreal Expo in 1967. "His open and wounded 'spheres' still tell us today of the fragility and complexity of humanity and the world," the Italian Culture Ministry said. Pomodoro was born in Morciano di Romagna in 1926, a small town in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. He started out aiming to become an architect or set builder — interests revealed in his later work. He combined technical precision with geometric form, frequently using gold and bronze as his materials. Following studies in art, Pomodoro and his brother Giò moved to Milan, where he gained international renown.—dpa


Observer
21-06-2025
- Observer
Japan, US, Philippines stage unified maritime training exercise
ON BOARD THE ASANAGI, Japan: Helicopters buzzed in the shadow of a smouldering volcano and boats rescued dummies from the sea this week in a show of maritime unity by Japan, the United States and the Philippines. The joint coast guard exercises held off Japan's southwest shore follow a warning from the three countries about Chinese activity in disputed regional waters. Tensions between China and other claimants to parts of the East and South China Seas have pushed Japan to deepen ties with the Philippines and the United States. This week marked the second time the countries' coast guards have held training drills together, and the first in Japan. They took place over five days off the coast of Kagoshima, where Sakurajima volcano dominates the skyline, quietly puffing out smoke and ash. Dozens of personnel took part, with Friday's final exercises featuring one vessel from each of the three countries' coast guards. They included the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which was provided to the Philippines by Japan through a loan agreement. The 2,265-ton vessel, named after a schoolteacher and revolutionary, usually monitors Chinese boats in the South China Sea. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the contested waters, which Beijing claims almost entirely, despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis. Chinese and Japanese patrol vessels in the East China Sea also routinely face off around disputed islands. On Friday, Manila accused China of using a water cannon on two of its fisheries department boats as they attempted to resupply Philippine fishermen near the disputed Scarborough Shoal. The US Coast Guard was represented in the exercises by the cutter Stratton, which can carry up to 170 personnel, and Japan by the 6,000-ton Asanagi. Friday's drills began with a simulation of a person falling overboard. Once the dummy, wearing a bright red lifejacket, was in the water, a US drone was launched from the Stratton, circling high above as it scanned the area. A small Philippine rescue boat then emerged from the Teresa Magbanua, zipping across the water before coast guard personnel fished the dummy out of the water. Other rescue scenarios enacted included a Japanese helicopter racing from shore to pull a human subject from the sea. — AFP


Times of Oman
17-06-2025
- Times of Oman
FAO: Over 46 million hectares of agricultural land degraded in Arab region
Geneva: More than 46 million hectares of agricultural land, particularly in the Arab region, are at risk due to excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, soil salinisation from irrigation practices, increasing sand and dust storms, rising temperatures, and water scarcity linked to climate change, according to a study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The organization noted that with less than 4% of land in the Arab region allocated for restoration, the area is falling short of global targets. It added that restoring 26 million hectares of degraded agricultural land could reduce the yield gap by up to 50% for oil crops and enable cereals, roots, and tubers to achieve optimal productivity. FAO emphasised the urgent need for a specialized regional initiative—one that facilitates cross-country cooperation—tailored to local contexts and focused on rehabilitating agricultural land to enhance food security, reduce poverty, and build sustainable, resilient agrifood systems. Globally, the organisation estimates that up to 1.66 billion hectares have been degraded by human activity, with over 60% of this area comprising agricultural land, including pastures. Given that 95% of global food production depends on land, this widespread degradation poses significant challenges to agrifood systems, prompting calls for integrated solutions to prevent, reduce, and reverse land degradation.