Projects arise that simply must be done.  They need no explanation.  Passi/Ancient Talking Heads is one of them.  The collection, curatorial direction and architectural spaces of the Museo Altemps are reason enough to create something ad hoc in this artistic jewel box.  My friendship and history of collaborations with Alfredo Pirri add even more reasons.
Pirri’s mirrored floors reflect anything that falls into their view… furthermore, they reflect the past, the present, and even the unseen future… His hyper-clear and massively distorted reflected images nourish themselves on invisible sounds, my sounds which like light, are emitted into the air and bounce off every wall, floor, balustrade, column, window…
Alfredo walks on glass, while I walk on air.  My introductory gesture is made with an ancient, archaic “Shofar” a primtive animal horn – here that of the african Kudu – which the Biblical and modern Jews have adopted to communicate with themselves and with higher powers.  A musical instrument as crude, simple and ancient as glass itself, whose sound pre-dates anything on our iPhones and contains only the reflected codes of all time… we then go away, and leave the twelve Ancient Talking Heads to speak for themselves, as they bicker, insult, invite and possibly even illuminate one’s passage between them… the mute Roman busts of people just like us – talking like the marble they are made from.

Palazzo Altemps, Rome September 2019 - January 2020, together with Alfredo Pirri's "Passi."

Special thanks to Luca Spagnoletti – installation sound-design
Lorenzo Lanzilotta – Latin translations  and recording of my texts

The phrases spoken in Latin, translated from Italian, by the 12 Roman statues:

-Ma Lei non sa chi sono io!
-Giordano Bruno? Mai sentito nominare, chi è…?
-Buona sera, volete il caldarium, il tepidarium, oppure il frigidarium?
-Guarda caso, Lo specchio di Pirri ora sta al tempio di Diana, a Nemi.
-Curran mi sa,  abitava in Via delle Terme di Caligola 2 - a Velletri.
conosceva bene la Diana…
-Sai che noi Romani sono tutti matti,... Guarda quello accanto a me.
-Non c'e dubbio, Noi eravamo a Colonia molto prima di Stockhausen…
-Aaooh!  a che guardi? Stronzo!
-Hai fatto caso?  quello, quel busto di fronte è una donna….giuro!
-Daje, 'Nammo a magna'!  Baffetto è ancora aperto.
-Hai capito? Ero io che scriveva la famosa guida:  "Rome by Night!"
-mi ricordo soltanto che sono uscito dalla Standa e poi mi sono trovato alla Domus Aurea a cenare con Nerone… 
-Scusate, ma prima di Gabriella Ferri, chi sapeva cantare la vera anima romana?
-Va'….una roma senza i giudei?.... impensabile!