A concrete lectern (77 x 80 x 150 cm) along the Gulden Kruispad. The title also refers to Michelangelo’s alleged exclamation on finishing his sculpture Mozes.
Speaking is something that a stone sculpture certainly can’t do, even though Michelangelo wanted his Moses to do just that after he had completed the statue and was apparently very pleased with the result. ‘Now, speak!’ Michelangelo is alleged to have exclamed. People can speak, but whether their voice is heard is another question. A question that Amalia Pica almost literally asks with this sculpture. She invites people to take part in the public debate, to get on to the platform and let their voices be heard. Lecterns, reading pulpits, and podiums such as these are usually the domain of politicians and power-brokers. This pulpit is here for everyone, easily accessible, unguarded. Anyone can get up and speak but no one’s voice is amplified by the concrete microphone. Populist crowd manipulation will not be easy from here. In order to encourage its use, Pica proposes that informal meetings, playful workshops on absurd subjects, readings and performances be held here. While the most logical location for a ‘speaker’s corner’ or soapbox such as this would be a busy square, Pica chose to locate this pulpit in a quieter spot. With this she refers to the isolation of the individual voice. At the same time, she thinks that people will feel less embarrassed to speak out at least once.
Amalia Pica
1978, Neuquen, AR. Lives and works in London, GB
Amalia Pica stages actions, performances and interventions in the public space. With each event she reacts to a place that evokes specific connotations: she emphasises a particular aspect of the place, such as its atmosphere or the feeling associated with it. Pica’s work often exposes cultural clichés such as customs, rituals and myths. The result is a series reflecting an outsider’s mildly ironic observations. As an artist, she shapes her view of the world and questions the reality of the things around us. And as a cultural outsider she fixes her gaze on different cultures. Can a cactus also be a Christmas tree?
