Pompeii, Italy – JULY 2026 – Philip Colbert, famed for his unique pop-art approach to art history through his artistic persona, The Lobster, today announces a major collaboration with the historic city of Pompeii. The upcoming exhibition Philip Colbert in Pompeii: Pop Mythology is the first sculpture exhibition in the ancient site in 30 years and the first time an artist has every exhibited in the houses of Pompeii. The installation is set to be the artist’s biggest ever takeover of a global city, with over 30 of the artist’s lobster sculptures in dialogue with one of the world’s most revered archaeological landscapes. Alessandro Giuli, the Italian Minister of Culture, will inaugurate the exhibition.Pop Mythology is Colbert’s next major public art undertaking and marks a new chapter in his exploration of mythology, history and contemporary culture. Fast becoming one of the leading artists for large-scale site takeovers, Colbert has delivered major installations across Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Macau, London, Venice, Naples, Sicily and Rome, building a distinctive global practice. His work positions him at the intersection of art, entertainment and mass culture, creating accessible, high-impact experiences for audiences around the world.
Philip Colbert says: “Pompeii is, for me, the ultimate city of antiquity - a place that exists beyond time. I can’t think of a more powerful setting in which to create a sculptural dialogue about time, identity and the ways art can transcend its limitations. The ruins of Pompeii embody both tragedy and beauty, and the city itself feels suspended between past and present.”Inspired by Pompeii’s own ancient art, particularly the celebrated lobster mosaic in the House of the Faun, the exhibition, which includes 12 never-before-seen sculptures, responds to the site’s history with the symbolic journey of Colbert’s lobster motif echoing Pompeii’s own history of destruction, preservation and collective memory. As visitors move through the site, the sculptures will emerge unexpectedly across the park, with colourful stainless steel lobster sculptures and bronze patina works appearing amongst columns, arches and ancient ruins. Alongside them, a new trilogy of monumental black steel “future mythological relic” sculptures, including robotic lobster warriors, will appear as speculative ruins from an imagined future. Beyond the main archaeological site, works will also be presented across satellite locations including the Villa of Poppaea, Boscoreale, Villa San Marco and Villa Arianna, extending the exhibition across Pompeii’s wider cultural landscape.Blending classical mythology with futuristic imagery, Pop Mythology positions Pompeii not only as a historic archaeological landmark, but as a living cultural site in conversation with contemporary art and modern visual culture. Reflecting on themes of mortality, civilisation and humanity’s relationship with technology, the exhibition creates a dialogue between ancient ruins and imagined futures, inviting new audiences to encounter Pompeii through a contemporary lens and creating a playful and immersive experience of discovery.
