Giant Neptune and Venus figures to become new ambassadors of Malaga port

Visitors to the port of Malaga will soon be greeted at Plaza de la Marina by two giant sculptures of Neptune and Venus, donated by artist Ginés Serrán. The Port Authority has launched the installation process by putting out to tender the construction of the bases that will support the pieces, as well as their transfer and installation. Accompanying the two heavy sculptures of the mythological deities, there will be two smaller lion statues. The final work will be called Las Columnas del Mar (The Columns of the Sea).

Venus and Neptune are embodied by two large and heavy statues, which is why they require a well-designed and formidable foundation to ensure their structural stability against natural phenomena, such as winds and earthquakes.

The lions will be transferred from the Malaga Port Authority's storage facilities and installed at the roundabout. The final step in the installation of this art piece will be "the application of a waterproof and permanent anti-graffiti protection layer". The project has a budget of 57,687.15 euros and a completion period of two months.

Serrán has been working on these sculptures for years. Neptune, for example, is eight metres high and weighs two tonnes. The god of the sea carries a fishing net on his right arm, cast in bronze and 24 carats of gold. "It is the first time in the history of art that a bronze sculpture has been made with a net because of the complexity it represents," said the artist's spokespersons.

Born in Ceuta, Ginés Serrán-Pagán has roots in Malaga - his dad is from the Costa del Sol capital. The artist has lived most of his life in the US, where he graduated from the NYU. He has participated in more than 250 art exhibitions (solo and group) around the world throughout his artistic career. He has crafted some 3,800 paintings, sculptures and ceramics, around 2,600 of which are in private collections, institutions and museums.