Fabrizio Cotognini, Four beasts in one, photo Giorgio Benni

The work is a reflection on time, on vanished wonders, on all the imaginary that surrounds us but to which we give no importance, we no longer know how to interpret their meanings. Beauty, strength, power but also monstrosity behind these figures that Pliny the Elder calls Grilli, an object of analysis and re-proposal by the Lithuanian anthropologist Jurgis Baltrusaitis who also reveals its strong political component. The installation aims to question the concept of contemporaneity of the work and consequently its meaning and readability The alchemist Fulcanelli tells us that the contemporary is nothing but a fleeting moment that turns into history. The Grillomostro, ie the anthropomorphic swan, intends to fully integrate into the archaeological site of the imperial forums, questioning the man and his condition in the contemporary world. The mythological swan, at the moment of death, just like the swan of the Parsifal Wagnerian, confronts us with the difficult and complex current situation. The assembled animal becomes an icon of a precise historical moment, which will soon also become history.