On the side facade of the Museo del Novecento in Milan has been placed Vedere le cose (for A.S.), the new site-specific installation created in 2025 by Joseph Kosuth. The work, a long neon light inscription that stretches about 28 meters on the side of Via Marconi, was acquired by the City of Milan and has become part of the museum’s permanent collection. It will be officially unveiled on July 1 at 7 p.m. in the presence of the artist and Culture Councilor Tommaso Sacchi.
For the work, Kosuth chose a quote from Alberto Savinio’s Scritti dispersersi (1943-1952): “The present, which is in time what the facade is in space, prevents one from seeing things in depth.” Transposed in neon on the facade of the Museo del Novecento, the phrase is meant to relate Savinio’s metaphysical thought to Kosuth’s conceptual artistic research, inviting the audience to look beyond the immediacy of the present to grasp deeper meanings and new possibilities for meaning.
The installation is part of a significant phase for the Museo del Novecento, which is engaged in the expansion project that will affect the second tower of the Arengario. In this context, the work also takes on a symbolic value, accompanying the institution’s path of growth toward new spaces dedicated to contemporary art. As stressed by Councilor Tommaso Sacchi, “Kosuth’s work ideally builds a bridge to the second Arengario, destined to become an extension of the Museum, accompanying it to the threshold of the contemporary.”
The installation was created as part of Metaphysics/Metaphysics, the major diffuse exhibition project curated by Vincenzo Trione and promoted by Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento, Grande Brera-Palazzo Citterio and Gallerie d’Italia with Electa. The exhibition, which will end on June 21, explores the legacy and relevance of the metaphysical vision from the early 20th century to contemporary times. While linked to this exhibition project, Kosuth’s work is intended to extend its contents over time, transferring the reflection from the museum context to urban space.
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| Joseph Kosuth illuminates the Museum of the Twentieth Century with a long neon light sign |
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