Fish Out of Water

Pesce fuor d'acqua

A few steps from Porta Santa Croce, along Viale Isonzo, stands the monumental sculpture Fish Out of Water by Giovanni Menada.
Standing 4.8 meters tall and made of over 1,500 kilograms of steel, the work combines strength and lightness, irony and technical skill, transforming into a true urban landmark of the city.

The installation depicts a fish emerging from a bucket, evoking the energy and dynamism of urban life.
The bucket, made of galvanized sheet iron, measures 2 meters at the base and 3 meters at the rim, while the ends of the fish protrude outward, creating a striking and almost surreal effect.
Over time, the metal will develop a warmer tone, enhancing the contrast with the steel of the fish and highlighting every detail of the sculpture.

The choice of the bucket is not accidental: the site was once crossed by a canal that supplied the silk mills of Santa Croce, a symbol of the city’s manufacturing tradition.
Menada thus brings together local history and a reflection on humanity in a work that blends craftsmanship and contemporary creativity.
As Sebastiano Simonini writes: the hardness of iron coexists with the lightness of irony, creating an original and immediately recognizable artistic statement.

The artist

Born in Reggio Emilia in 1954, Giovanni Menada studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome under Pericle Fazzini.
With experience in Paris, New York, and the Far East, his work ranges across painting, sculpture, design, and set design.
Among his most recent works, in addition to Fish Out of Water, are evocative installations connected to nature and music, reflecting his ongoing experimentation.