Francesco Vezzoli's Nike Metafisica installed at Museo Santa Giulia's Viridarium

Francesco Vezzoli's sculpture "Nike Metafisica" has been permanently installed in the Viridarium – Parco delle sculture at Museo Santa Giulia in Brescia. The work, previously shown in the 2021 solo exhibition "Palcoscenici archeologici," was acquired by the museum as part of a cultural initiative following Brescia's role as Italian Capital of Culture alongside Bergamo in 2023. The Viridarium is a postmodern garden designed to blend ancient and contemporary art. Vezzoli's piece engages in a citational loop between classical and contemporary aesthetics, referencing Giorgio de Chirico's "Le muse inquietanti" and metaphysical cities, with a nod to the bicentennial of the discovery of the Vittoria Alata. The sculpture challenges traditional perceptions of classical statuary by juxtaposing idealized beauty with grotesque reinterpretation, inviting viewers to shed expectations. The museum aims to use this approach as a reading criterion for local cultural heritage.