INAF – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica – Osservatorio astronomico di Roma

Roma, Lazio, Italy

Small size Sculptures, in Italy, bronze no plating, Rollers, seals and wheels

year 1978, Casting

This 1971 marker commemorating the city of Rome bears the latitude and longitude of the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma. JVH’s intention was to present a marker to some of his closest friends, each inscribed with the latitude and longitude of their respective residences. To the best of our knowledge, four or five of these markers were cast, and the coordinates were engraved on the bronze plaques. Notably, one of these plaques was donated by JVH to the Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma.

John has consistently incorporated location coordinates, compass direction, verticality of the plumb line, height above sea level, and other geographical tools into his sculptures. While this approach may appear obsessive at times, these references hold significant value in the present context compared to their significance 50 years ago. The fundamental concept behind this practice is that even a sculpture can serve as a means of comprehending one’s geographical location. Although the phrase “all roads lead to Rome” holds true, and the city’s layout is structured according to the Consular roads, aqueducts, obelisks and more, the symbolic plaque representing the city, situated on an irregular octagonal basis, functions as a contemporary bronze sculptural map of the city at the time of its casting. .

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