A melancholy of the flesh

Demonstrating great ability in reshaping the identity of such a “diffcult” language as sculpture, Luca Monterastelli transforms the architectural archetype of the column into a sculptural element, and creates a dialogue between this form and the walls that enclose the space, on which dense layers of colour are applied. The torsion, the sensuality of matter and the dynamism recall Medardo Rosso’s shocking experiments with formless matter. The references to Baroque statuary art are evident, as suggested by the Archive of Memory, where we also find the reproduction of Estasi di Santa Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.