PERTH – Arck Storm was driven by an overwhelming impulse and the need to fulfil a sudden desire. Inspired by his love for Italian art and architecture, the founder and director of an airline company - who’s also involved in the oil and gas sector - boldly set out to achieve something unique.
In 2016, Storm launched the grand project, Neptune Majestic, a monolithic statue and a replica of the extraordinary Neptune found in Bologna’s Fountain, designed by architect Tommaso Laureti in 1563 at the commission of Pope Pius IV.
The bronze statue of the sea god, known to Bolognese locals as Il Gigante, was sculpted by Giambologna. Today, it stands in all its grandeur in Piazza del Nettuno, adjacent to Piazza Maggiore in the heart of Bologna’s city centre.
“My intention is to encourage my children and all vulnerable children in the world to never lose their passion, to build with courage and determination, and to fearlessly pursue their dreams,” he shared.
Storm arrived in Australia from Poland in 1980. As a child, he dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot, and his unwavering determination led him to enrol in Poland’s Air Force Academy at the age of fifteen.
However, after arriving in Perth in his early twenties, he realised that his previous experience wouldn’t translate into a solid future, so he decided to dedicate himself to aviation by creating his own airline.
After marrying an Italian woman he met in Australia, he gradually embraced a deep appreciation for Italian culture and developed a passion for its artistic history.
Arck Storm with the original statue in Bologna
“My phone was filled to the brim with Italian songs,” he recalled nostalgically. “I completely immersed myself in the wonders of Italy.
“I consider myself an ‘aesthetic’ person, someone who loves art and history. The idea behind Neptune Majestic wasn’t driven by financial motives but rather by the genuine need to create a stunning masterpiece to leave for my children.”
The project was monumental - just like the colossal original itself, which stands at 3.4 metres tall and weighs 2.3 tonnes.
It took two years to craft the perfect replica of Neptune. But first, it was crucial to find an artist capable of replicating Giambologna’s feat.
“I saw a five-metre-tall statue in a Polish newspaper, sculpted by a local artist,” Storm explained, “I contacted the newspaper, got his number and reached out to him. He lived just 25 kilometres from my hometown. I took it as a sign of destiny.”
“When I proposed the project to him, Tadeusz Biniewicz responded, ‘My Neptune will be better than the original.’
“I thought it was a bold statement, but I trusted him.”
It turned out to be the perfect choice and, after two years of relentless work - six days a week, with only a few trips to Bologna for a fresh perspective on the original statue - the artist finally brought Neptune Majestic to life on December 15, 2018.
Polish artist Tadeusz Biniewicz in the process of making Neptune Majestic
Carved from a single 34-tonne block of Blanco Salinas granite, quarried in Portugal, the statue stands on a pedestal and towers at a total height of 5.5 metres. “We didn’t use bronze, yet the replica weighs exactly the same as the original,” Storm pointed out.
The unveiling ceremony of the monolithic statue took place in May 2020 in Hel, Poland, in the presence of the Italian ambassador to Poland, the mayor of Bologna, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Poland and the local Italian community.
This past January, Neptune Majestic finally arrived in Western Australia, temporarily placed in Storm’s own garden while awaiting its future role as a symbolic centrepiece in upcoming projects.
The philanthropist and magnate envisions the statue, standing proudly on its granite pedestal, becoming the emblem of a yet-to-be luxury hotel chain along the Australian coastline “exuding an atmosphere of timeless refinement and elegance”.
He also plans to present it to the local public in an official ceremony attended by both Italian and Australian dignitaries.
“This could mark the beginning of a meaningful collaboration between the two cities - Perth and Bologna - through a twinning arrangement that could strengthen cultural and historical ties,” he said.
“It could serve as a symbol for all Italian migrants and admirers of the era of great masters such as Lorenzo Bernini, Antonio Canova, Michelangelo and, of course, Giambologna.”
