The sculpted story - wood that comes to life

The exhibition was born from the desire of the Municipality of Saint-Oyen to enhance and pay tribute to a great local artist. The wooden statues on display tell the story of Aosyta Valley and local traditions, linked to ancient trades, livestock farming, and carnival: they are an authentic expression of local culture and, at the same time, bear witness to the mastery of one of the region’s most renowned artists.

For the inhabitants of Saint-Oyen, passing by Siro Viérin’s house is always a surprise: one tries to guess what shape the creatures placed in his courtyard will take, perceives a new expression in one of his new works, or is amazed by a human or animal figure that seems to gaze at the passerby.

Siro Viérin lives and works in Saint-Oyen, in the Great Saint Bernard valley. In recent years, he has devoted part of his energy to building the Mont Fallère refuge, a true “work of art.” Along the path from Vetan to the refuge, an open-air museum has come to life, which today counts about 400 sculptures of various sizes (Portfolio: https://www.rifugiomontfallere.it/museo-a-cielo-aperto/).

Recently, Siro has experimented with a new material, concrete, creating unique pieces designed to be placed outdoors. In Saint-Oyen, two of these new works can be admired: the Pilgrim, located in the church square, and the little pig, placed at the exit of the village towards Switzerland, created in collaboration with Enrico Massetto and dedicated to the local specialty: Saint-Oyen’s grilled ham.

The exhibition, with free admission, is open in December on weekends and every day from 26 December to 6 January.