262. Henry Moore,
Atom piece, bronze, 122 cm. 1964.

In 1963 Moore was approached by the University of Chicago with the request for a sculpture to commemorate their work in nuclear physics. First he hesitated, wondering how his kind of sculpture, almost always related to organic natural forms, could symbolise nuclear power. At that time Moore was working on a Helmet Head idea, starting from a bone. The comissioneers felt that this theme was suitable for nuclear physics simply because it looked like the swelling form of the mushroom clouds resulting from an atomic explosure. Moore then desided to change the original title 'Atom Piece' to 'Nuclear Energy' for the interesting reason that in Englich 'piece' and 'peace' sound the same. Moore would certainly not have wanted any sculpture of his to seem to associate with atomic bomb. The sculpture in Didrichen Art Museum is still labelled with the original name "Atom piece".

3022. Niki de Saint Phalle,
Serpent Goddess, 1987.

This work is related to Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot series. In the middle of Tuscany's hills the artists dream to build a waterpark with the theme Tarot and 22 symbols, has finally come true. Life is like a card game. When we are born we don't know the rules of the game yet. "Mother Earth" and "Adam and Eve in the garden of paradise" are different options of this Serpent Goddess. Niki de Saint Phalle became famous in scandinavia in 1966 with her colossal sculpture "Hon" (eng. She) in the Modern Museum in Stockholm. The entrance into the sculpture was betveen her legs. Inside it was a gallery, a bar and a movie. In her language of forms one will find the same kind of feminine creation power blooming that in the Indian cultures of South America.

Niki de Saint Phalle was born 1930 in Paris, and lived in New York during the years 1933-1951. When she returned to Paris she kept her first one man show in Switzerland in 1956. In the 1960 ies she took part in the exhibition: Dada, Surrealism and their Heritage. In 1960 she participated in Milan very actively in Nouveaux Réalistes festival.

253. Alberto Giacometti,
Femme bras tronqués, bronze, 56 cm. 1964.

"I make pictures and sculpture to attack reality, to defend myself against death and to be as free as possible." Alberto Giacometti, a Swiss sculpturer painter and drawer, developed in the 1940 ies a depicition where movement and vision meet. "Femme Bras Tronqués" is a very typical example of his later works. The long and strait forms make us think of Etruscan art. Giacometti was born 1901 in Borgonova in Switzerland and died 1966 in Chur. His father Giaovanni - a post-impressionist - was his first teacher. He studied 1919-20 in Geneve and in Paris he followed the teaching of Antoine Bourdelle. He became familiar with cubism and cykladic sculpture and took part in surrealism 1929-35. He was awarded the Carnegie International prize for sculpture 1961 in Pittsburgh and the next year the first prize of sculpture on the Venetzian biennale.

255. Eila Hiltunen,
A la Russe, steinless steel and coppar, 130x185 cm. 1966.

The cossack dansers in the sculpture "A la russe" are opposing the gravity pover. Already in the 50'ies Hiltunen's works were characterized for power and grace. Eila Hiltunen is one of Finlands most prominent contemporary artists. Out of many official works i.e. in Canada, France, Iran and Saudi-Arabia is the Sibelius-monument in Helsinki (1960-67) the most famous. Hiltunen is well known for her skills in welding that she developed from the year 1957. Shortly after that she went on from abstract art to Informalism. "A la Russe" is still depictive but thestructure of the surface, the strength and movement are very simillar to those in "Crescendo" a sculpture with growing energy in the height. When Gunnar Didrichsen purchased this sculpture it was to commemoriate his descended wife. It was her wish to purchase "Cresdendo" and place it outside.