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Art can help overcome moments of loss, keeping those who die symbolically alive.

—> through memory and storytelling
—> through a physical archive

Techniques:

-voice : interviews, personal anecdotes
-music
-photography
-video : cathartic experiences?

How can art help overcome moments of loss of the loved ones? How can we keep those who die symbolically alive?

EXPLORING GRIEF THROUGH ART: FIRST RESEARCH PHASE

"This artistic research is dedicated to those who read but above all to those who can no longer read it.
To all those who have lost someone, who are in mourning and are looking for the most diverse means to do so. To all those who are no longer among us, but who continue to live through our memories and their earthly archives, composed of letters, photographs, voice notes, messages, what remains of material to us, living, to remember who we have lost.
I want to dedicate it to my father, whom I recently lost and whom I want to remember forever. Facing the emptiness that this absence has left within me is the greatest challenge I have ever faced, a daily challenge, a moment that each of us must face in life, sooner or later.
To my father, who gave me love, affection, moments, from which I inherited not only evident physical characteristics but also, and much more important, passions, perseverance, humor, strength, generosity… The love for music, the great Italian songwriters, ever since he played "La Gatta" by Gino Paoli, outside the house where he lived when I was a child, touching the strings of the classical guitar overlooking the garden. That guitar that now belongs to me, with its neck broken by one of the various removals from one city to another, a curse of the decay of material goods and of my lack of caution. His goods were always in perfect condition, kept with meticulous care.
I would like, through this artistic research, to consolidate my memories, cling to them, relive it forever. Remembering his voice that that bastard disease had taken them away, that laugh that exploded in the room and involved everyone, that curiosity and the splendid enthusiasm he had towards others.
With this project of mine I want to address the theme of mourning and emptiness, but celebrating life and the fullness of memories. Experimenting and researching methods to artistically explore what I emotionally live, to give a physical form to what I remember."

"For in your tongue, I cannot fit" by Shilpa Gupta, 2017-2018
Re-enlivens the voices of 100 poets who have been jailed or executed for their writings or political alignments.

Installation of microphones turned into loud speaker.
Lasts over an hour an it's multilingual.

"The Death of Melanie Bonajo : How to unmodernize yourself and become an elf in twelve steps", Bonnefanten museum, 2018

About seeing death as the moment humans have to sacrifice something of themselves in order to get to a "new phase" of life. This can be a form of that, either pleasurable or painful, but to be embraced.

Rearranging structures of power.

"Imperial Courts" a web documentary by Dana Lixemberg and Eefje Blankevoort about Imperial Courts, with contributions by its residents.

http://www.imperialcourtsproject.com

"Tears in Heaven", Eric Clapton 1992;

Annie Liebovitz talking about Susan Sontag after her death, the guardian " My Time with Susan" Emma Brockes;

"My Father's Eyes" Eric Clapton 1998

Podcast "To Grieve" : https://invitingabundance.net/to-grieve-podcast

"Grief", Curator of European paintings Andrea Bayer traces her process of mourning after her parents' recent deaths, Met Museum

first draft September