Ranch & Coast Magazine

walk in scenic places, visit gardens, and explore the natural environment, and her sculptures in parks, gardens, and other outdoor settings feel like natural add-ons. My appreciation for her talent and personal story took another giant step forward when I spent an afternoon at Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. e exhibit, which closes on July 17, includes several Nanas, her popular sculptures of oversized, well-endowed, liberated women that can be seen around the world joyfully dancing, riding dolphins, and generally enjoying life. mcasd.org/exhibitions/niki-de-saint- phalle-1960s Following Niki's Path Hanover, Germany also loved Saint Phalle and she loved them back, gifting their Sprengel Museum about 400 pieces of her work. I'm looking forward to experiencing Hanover's flea market along the Leine River where colorful Hannover Nanas (Sophie, Charlotte, and Caroline) watch over the proceedings. Also, in Germany, more Nanas hold forth in Hamburg and several other cities. ELIZABETH HANSEN Detour destinations In addition to numerous open-air settings, Niki de Saint Phalle's work is included in more than 20 museums around the world. The Niki Charitable Art Foundation is the best resource for confirming current exhibitions, public works, and museum holdings. The interactive map on the foundation's site is updated to reflect work that has been removed for restoration or loaned to another location. nikidesaintphalle.org The 14-acre Tarot Garden in Tuscany is considered Saint Phalle's life work. Inspired by Antoni Gaudi's Guell Park in Barcelona, she began this project in 1978 and it opened in 1998. The sculpture park is home to 22 monumental figures that are all over 40 feet high. I want to see it, but I confess that I think it might be a bit spooky. Unlike the Tarot Garden, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in England has only one piece of Saint Phalle's work — a beautiful seated Buddha covered in mirror, glass, and stone mosaic. It's located in a rural setting with other sculptures and gorgeous views over lush green countryside. In Switzerland, I'm looking forward to seeing the Nana angel in the bright swimsuit that has hovered over passengers in the Zurich Train Station for 25 years. She was made in La Jolla and was too big for a cargo plane, so she traveled to her new home by ship and train. Also in Switzerland, Saint Phalle's sculpted athletes work out in front of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. More bucket list destinations: The Three Graces in South Korea (the jolliest of dancing Nanas), The Hakone Open Air Museum in Japan (Miss Black Power in a colorful, patterned dress), The Moderna Museet in Stockholm (playful sculptures on an island within the city). I'm looking forward to these trips because Saint Phalle's art is joyful and liberating. Barbara Beltaire says that her friend loved life, and I can feel that passion in her work. My journey with Niki started with the Sun God and has now become an adventure of boundless possibilities. << The colorful guardian angel at Zurich Main Station was "born" in La Jolla. Photo © Zürich Tourism; photo by Andreas Omvik Three joyful Nanas greet visitors along Germany's Hanover's Red Thread. Photo © Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH / Lars Gerhardts @ranchandcoast ranchandcoast.com 88 JULY 2022 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE A Global Artist A Global Artist

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