Il Segreto

Emanuele De Reggi

Il Segreto
Emanuele De Reggi
Bronze, 8’ tall. Cast in Italy. Installed 2004.
Site: Walt Whitman Avenue at Mark Twain Square, Port Warwick  

"Il segreto" means the truth, and the truth is what the fish stands for. The figure holds it behind his back because, De Reggi, explains, the truth is so powerful that it has to be safeguarded. Some people cannot face the truth, and some cannot be trusted with it.

Fish appear frequently in De Reggi’s work: in the outstretched hand of a figure in a boat, offered up in thanks for the grace of bountiful fishing; tucked under the arm of a woman in a tophat; giving a ride to a tiny human figure; “swimming” through the pedestal of a bust. The sculptor explains why fish are such a powerful visual metaphor: They are always in motion, even when they are sleeping. In that, they remind him of the human mind.

 Audio Tour: Hear De Reggi tell you about Il Segreto.

Click here to learn more about Emanuele De Reggi.