U.S.B. Present Perfect

U.S.B. Present Perfect (2014) by Met Devoti is a sculpture that brings the digital universe into the most ancient and noble of materials—marble. Standing over a meter tall, the work reproduces on a large scale a USB stick, symbol of the era of portable memory and instant sharing, here transfigured into a totemic object. The purity of ordinary white marble is paired with luminous inserts that enhance its lines and surfaces, turning a simple technological tool into a contemporary icon.

The title, Present Perfect, recalls a verb tense that encompasses both past and present, evoking the role of digital memory in our daily lives: to archive, preserve, and make fragments of existence accessible. The work reflects on the paradox between the ephemeral and the enduring: what is destined to be quickly surpassed by innovation becomes eternal in marble, a material that for centuries has safeguarded human history. In this encounter, technology becomes sculpture, and sculpture becomes a metaphor of our time.