Cracking Nature is the open-air exhibition that fills the Sigurtà Garden Park, at Valeggio sul Mincio, with 162 colourful animals from 17 June to 17 September 2026. It is the work of Cracking Art, an Italian collective that has shaped regenerated plastic into bold pop sculptures since 1993. The park sits a few kilometres south of Lake Garda, close to Peschiera, and its sixty hectares of lawns and hedges give the animals room to breathe. This is not the collective’s first visit: four years ago it premiered its Goose here, and it has now returned with one of its largest shows.
What you will find
The animals gather in the flat area near the entrance, where box hedges and open grass make space for figures standing between one and three metres tall. Among the hornbeams and maples you will spot a dolphin, a wolf, a snail, a frog, a wild goose, a penguin, a marmot, a tortoise, a rabbit, a crocodile, a swallow and an elephant. Their reds, yellows and blues are made from regenerated, recyclable plastic, and they read sharply against the green. The colours shift with the light, so the same wolf looks different at nine in the morning and at five in the afternoon.
“Which animal are you?”
At the entrance you are given a printed map, and it does more than show you the way. For each species it lists qualities, quirks and small flaws in a light, playful tone. The idea is to walk the garden and decide, animal by animal, which one you most resemble. Children treat it as a game and run from one sculpture to the next; adults tend to end up arguing over their own totem in front of a penguin or a crocodile. Beneath the fun sits a clear message about the relationship between people and nature, carried by the recycled material itself rather than by any lecture.
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When to go
The park is open every day from 9am to 7pm, with last entry at 6pm. For a show built on colour, early morning and late afternoon are the kindest hours, when the light is soft and the paths are quieter. In high summer the open area near the entrance gets hot, so a hat and a water bottle are worth packing. The exhibition stays up until 17 September, which gives you the whole summer to find your moment.
Tickets and getting there
Cracking Nature is included in the garden’s entrance ticket, so there is no extra charge for the exhibition. Standard admission is 18 euros, reduced admission for children up to 14 is 10 euros, over-65s pay 14 euros, and children under four go free. You can buy online at ticket.sigurta.it or at the park’s own ticket office; buying ahead saves you queuing at the gate. The garden is at Valeggio sul Mincio, in the province of Verona, a short drive from Peschiera del Garda, where the nearest railway station connects to the park by local bus.
Questions and answers
When can you see Cracking Nature at Parco Sigurtà? From 17 June to 17 September 2026, daily 9am to 7pm, with last entry at 6pm.
How much does it cost? It is included in the garden ticket, from 18 euros, with no separate charge.
How many animals are there? 162 installations, from a dolphin to an elephant, in regenerated plastic.
Is it good for children? Yes. The map of each animal’s virtues and flaws turns the visit into a guessing game.
Where are the sculptures? In the flat area near the entrance, among lawns and hedges.
If you are spending a few days on the southern shore of Lake Garda, Sigurtà makes an easy half-day. Arrive early, walk the lawns with the map in hand, and you can be back by the water at Peschiera for lunch. Bring water, aim for the good light, and let one of the sculptures decide which animal you are.
