Daniele Puppi's Sound Installation Wraps Galleria Borghese for 20th Reopening Anniversary

The Galleria Borghese in Rome has inaugurated a site-specific sound installation by artist Daniele Puppi to mark the 20th anniversary of its reopening on June 28, 1997, after 16 years of closure. Puppi, born in Pordenone in 1970, graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma 20 years ago and has since built a career exploring body, architectural space, and fatigue through video. For this occasion, he chose not to adapt a video work but created an invisible audio intervention that fills the museum's first-floor rooms for 15 minutes every two hours, synchronized with the museum's timed entry system. The sound—a breathing, panting, anxious noise—is designed to blend with visitors' murmurs and is complemented by an external component: every 120 minutes, a startling scream emanates toward Villa Borghese park, disorienting passersby. The installation runs until September. Director Anna Coliva, known for blending classical and contemporary art, supported the project. The technical setup required 10 nights of work by qualified professionals, with no visible speakers or wires. Puppi's work aims to remind viewers that the iconic masterpieces in the gallery still 'breathe.' The reopening in 1997 was part of a broader cultural revival in Rome, spearheaded by then-Minister of Culture Walter Veltroni, who declared a 'new Renaissance' for the city's cultural heritage ahead of the 2000 Jubilee.