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Russian satellite takes picture of Putin’s portrait on Italian field

Italian artist Dario Gambarin has transformed a field near the Italian city of Verona into a giant portrait of Vladimir Putin

© Dario Gambarin via AP

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. A Russian space vehicle has taken a picture of the portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin created by Italian artist Dario Gambarin on a field near the northern Italian city of Verona.

"We decided to check whether Putin can be seen from space. We are referring to the portrait created by the Italian artist and farmer," the Roscosmos Space Corporation said on Tweeter where the portrait’s photo was posted.

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A source in the corporation explained in an interview with TASS that the picture had been taken by a Russian Earth observation satellite.

Gambarin, a farmer’s son, uses his father’s plot for his land art installations. The artist, who describes his art style as "abstract expressionism," said he started creating his portraits some 10 years ago after seeing a photo in Germany. He is known for a series of similar works of global political leaders, including John Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Putin’s portrait is 135 meters wide and occupies a plot of land measuring 25,000 square meters. Due to its size, the artwork can only be properly viewed from above. Gambarin explained the choice for his new picture by the G20 summit in Hamburg that will address important global issues, such as economy, migration and the crises in Syria and Ukraine. Next to Putin’s image the artist "wrote" the Russian president’s surname.

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