This spring, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites the bronze boxer inside to center an exhibition on why we make monuments and what they mean. As the original “Rocky” movie marks its 50th anniversary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is staging “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments.”
As Mekado Murphy writes for the New York Times: “It’s the ultimate in movie montages. Rocky Balboa, the lead character of the 1976 film “Rocky,” is finally hitting his stride.”
“We have seen Rocky in an earlier training sequence, out of practice and wheezing his way through the streets of Philadelphia. But now, as the horns of the theme come in, he runs with purpose in the morning sun. He jogs right through South Philly’s Italian Market, punches slabs of meat with gusto, breezes his way through one-arm push-ups and then, finally, as the theme hits its climax, nearly floats his way up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to strike his two-fist victory pose at the top.”
“Those steps have now become known as the Rocky steps, and a visit to them, along with the signature bronze Rocky statue outside the museum, are as essential to Philadelphia tourism as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.”
“The sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg created the statue as a prop for the 1982 film “Rocky III.” Over time, it has become cherished and embedded in Philadelphia culture — and a physical symbol of the film’s lasting cultural impact.”
“This year, as the original “Rocky” marks its 50th anniversary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is staging “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,” the first exhibition devoted to the legacy of the statue. It opens April 25 and runs through Aug. 2.”
For the full article, you can read it on the NYT Website