From a historical perspective, starting from when the Nike of Delos appeared in the 6th century BC—the first known iteration of a winged female figure—until the creation of one of the most celebrated sculptures of all time, the Winged Victory of Samothrace (2nd century BC), lived some of the most influential thinkers in Western culture. Announced by Nike, the Greek goddess of strength, speed, and victory, who, flying around battlefields, rewarded the victors with glory and fame, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle constituted an almost unbroken chain that lasted less than 300 years.

It is befitting, therefore, that the Winged Victory of Samothrace is presented here once again as the herald of the impending transformations of our species. As pointed out by the art historian H. W. Janson, Nike creates a deliberate relationship to the imaginary space around the goddess—all the more so because, much like Rodin’s iconic Homme qui marche, she is headless—allowing the viewer to complete the picture through the power of imagination.

Taking measure of the gravitas of the present moment, Akim Monet, in collaboration with the Ateliers d’art de la Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais (formerly Les Ateliers de Moulage du Louvre), here presents the Louvre Nike in the form of a stone-based composite casting, using slate—the finest-grained foliated metamorphic rock—as the main component. As the name of this type of material implies, it appears through a transformative process. Deep beneath the Earth’s surface, subjected to high temperatures and the great pressure of the rock layers above, it can form from tectonic processes such as continental collisions, which cause horizontal pressure, friction, and distortion. It is also formed when rock is heated up by the intrusion of hot molten rock (magma) from the Earth’s interior.

Metaphorically, therefore, in addition to the notion of transformation, slate conjures the idea of “coming from within,” the entrails of Mother Earth; it is a product of the original matrix. In regard to its color, black is the darkest color, resulting from the absence or complete absorption of light. In this way, it is evocative of black holes, which may have been the birthplace of the universe. So although ominous at times, the color black also represents strength, seriousness, power, and authority. Black is a formal, elegant, and prestigious color. The color black can evoke strong emotions, and it can also be overwhelming—a bit like the feeling one can derive when contemplating the extraordinary period in our evolution that we are just entering.