Sabina Ciuffini Nuda

Francigena

The Roman Triumph

It followed every major military victory in ancient Rome: the successful general drove through the streets to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill; behind him streamed his raucous soldiers; in front were his most glamorous prisoners, as well as the booty he’d captured, from enemy ships and precious statues to plants and animals from the conquered territory. Occasionally there was so much on display that the show lasted two or three days. A radical reexamination of this most extraordinary of ancient ceremonies, this book explores the magnificence of the Roman triumph, but also its darker side. What did it mean when the axle broke under Julius Caesar’s chariot? Or when Pompey’s elephants got stuck trying to squeeze through an arch? Or when exotic or pathetic prisoners stole the general’s show? And what are the implications of the Roman triumph, as a celebration of imperialism and military might, for questions about military power and “victory” in our own day? The triumph, Mary Beard contends, prompted the Romans to question as well as celebrate military glory. Her richly illustrated work is a testament to the profound importance of the triumph in Roman culture—and for monarchs, dynasts and generals ever since. But how can we re-create the ceremony as it was celebrated in Rome? How can we piece together its elusive traces in art and literature? Beard addresses these questions, opening a window on the intriguing process of sifting through and making sense of what constitutes “history.”

Deaddies

"Deaddies": a sarcastic-sounding neologism that can be found in no dictionary, but is by now well established in American slang. Its lexicographic roots stem from both the father and death, thereby providing a convenient shorthand for the Oedipal complex, while at the same time sounding cute when spoken out loud. Tobias Rehberger took this word as the name for his exhibition in Turin, and he takes it again as the title of this book. From his earliest works thorugh his most recent, the span of which is represented in this publication, Rehberger has perplexed viewers by confronting them with his constant production of new and unusual methods of art making. Uncategorizable in their ever varying style and medium, Rehberger's works share an existence as open communication systems, in both their production and their reception. Often reflecting the artist's preoccupation with his personal environment--his friends, other artists, gallery owners, and art collectors--Rehberger's installations create public spaces for unexpected but familiar interractions, questioning context, society, and environmental issues.