Goppion at the Colosseum with the “Infinite Library”

The Colosseum will host the exhibition “La Biblioteca Infinita. I luoghi del sapere nel mondo antico.” (The Infinite Library. Places of knowledge in the ancient world.) from March 14 to Oct. 15, organized as a collaboration between Italy’s Archeological Department and Capitoline Department.

This exhibition brings together finds from two recent archeological digs – Hadrian’s auditorium in Piazza Madonna di Loreto (discovered in 2008 during the work on the C line of the subway) and the Temple of Peace in Via dei Fori Imperiali. It documents the evolution of books and reading in the Greek-Roman world as well as public and private places destined for holding and exchanging knowledge.

The monumental ambulatories of the Colosseum are covered in armaria – ancient cupboards or shelves – and images of cultural spaces for a unique, spectacular installation that is carried out with statues, frescoes, reliefs, writing instruments and other tools.

For this exhibition, Goppion realized a display case meant to hold a book lent by the National Library of Naples. It is a special display case from Goppion’s brand new C class (active-climate display cases for exteriors), made up of a platform that holds a technical compartment and glass chamber. The very high level of airtightness guarantees that an ideal microclimate (18/20°; relative humidity 50/53%) can be maintained. An LCD screen in the technical compartment allows for the values to be monitored constantly. The design is elegant and understated. The contours and display area, which is pyramid-shaped, are in sandblasted INOX steel. The support for the book is in Plexiglas. Like all Goppion display cases, this case is certified to have made exclusive use of low-emission materials.