The Philadelphia Museum of Art has opened a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," centered on the iconic bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa that sits at the bottom of the museum's steps. Guest-curated by Paul Farber, the show explores the statue's transformation from a movie prop into a real-world symbol of perseverance and public devotion, tracing over 2,000 years of boxing imagery through works by artists such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. The museum, which once fought to have the statue removed, now embraces it as part of Philadelphia's identity.
This exhibition matters because it marks a significant cultural shift for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which for decades maintained an uncomfortable distance from the Rocky statue despite its global popularity. By formally incorporating the statue into its curatorial narrative, the museum acknowledges the power of popular culture and public monuments in shaping art history and civic identity. The show also highlights the tension between high art and mass appeal, and underscores how a fictional character can become a genuine pilgrimage site, drawing millions of visitors annually to the museum's steps.