Gezicht op het Piazza del Popolo en Rome vanaf de heuvel Pincio, Italië 1864 - 1881

Giacomo Brogi captured this photograph of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy in the mid-19th century. At its center, an ancient Egyptian obelisk stands tall, a potent symbol of power and continuity. Originally erected in Heliopolis, it was brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus, a testament to the victor carrying away the spoils. Like the Egyptian pharaohs, Roman emperors used obelisks to embody and project their own authority. The obelisk is not merely a stone monument; it’s an idea, a transfer of power across millennia. Consider the obelisk's journey, and how, through its various relocations, the symbol has been adopted into different cultures, carrying its message into new epochs. What collective desires for permanence and power does it fulfill? The obelisk has undergone a complex journey, adapting and assuming new meanings as it resurfaces in different contexts.