Costante uomo 

Here we see "Costante uomo", a sculpture by Fausto Melotti. The neutral palette and roughly textured surface of the plaster evoke a sense of ancient, weathered monumentality. But the clean, elongated form is distinctly modern. Melotti merges classical sculpture with avant-garde abstraction. Note how the figure, while streamlined, retains a subtle, almost classical contrapposto stance. The incised hand on the figure's chest is a sign, an index pointing to ideas about touch, creativity, and perhaps vulnerability. The hand, a symbol often associated with skill and creation, is here literally embedded within the figure, suggesting an intrinsic connection between being and making. The sculpture invites us to consider the semiotics of form and material. It challenges the established meaning through a new lens, which may lead to new insight into the enduring human condition.