The iconic bronze statue of Rocky Balboa has been relocated from its outdoor spot at the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps into the museum building itself. This move is in preparation for a major new exhibition titled 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments,' which opens in late April.
The exhibition uses the statue's journey from popular film prop to contested public monument as a central case study. It places Rocky alongside 150 historical and contemporary works to critically examine the purpose, politics, and public reception of monuments across two millennia, sparking conversation about who and what societies choose to memorialize.