U.S.B. Slide Story

U.S.B. Slide Story (2009) by Met Devoti is a monumental sculpture in ordinary white marble and steel that transforms one of the most recognizable icons of the digital age—a USB stick—into a symbolic and timeless object. Measuring nearly two meters in height, the work elevates a common technological tool into a contemporary totem, a bridge between the fleeting nature of digital memory and the permanence of stone.

The sculpture’s clean, geometric lines are enriched by the strength and purity of marble, while the steel inserts recall the technological precision of the object it represents. Installed in urban contexts, U.S.B. Slide Story becomes both a monument and a mirror of contemporary society, evoking the way digital storage has reshaped our relationship with memory, knowledge, and identity.

The title Slide Story alludes to the narrative dimension of memory: slides, images, and files stored in digital devices tell fragments of personal and collective histories. By monumentalizing the USB stick, Devoti reflects on the paradox of technology—an instrument destined for rapid obsolescence, here immortalized in marble as a relic of our time.

This work marks an early and powerful example of Met Devoti’s exploration of the dialogue between ancient materials and the digital universe, situating technology within the continuum of human history and artistic expression.