Silenzio

In 2018, I enrolled in an art history course in Florence, initially planning to conduct theoretical research on Niccolò Machiavelli. However, my artistic journey took an unexpected turn when I read Trinh T. Minh-ha’s “Elsewhere Within Here: Immigration, Refugeeism and Boundary.” The book's exploration of self-censorship and migration deeply resonated with me, especially as a migrant woman constantly reflecting on these issues. Inspired, I began envisioning how to visually represent the book's concepts, intertwining them with my personal migration experience.
During this period, I encountered Elizabeth Cerviño's powerful artwork series "Mallas," created using window screens. This encounter profoundly shifted my artistic trajectory, as the window screen became a symbol of separation and restraint for me—being present yet apart. Enthusiastic about this newfound symbolism, I purchased various metal screens from a local art shop and began prototyping.
In my experiments, I explored different ways of writing “silenzio” (silence), a key term from my theoretical research. I drew inspiration from diverse artworks and objects encountered during my trip to historical and contemporary sites. For example, an old script in the Piccolomini Library at Siena's Cathedral, with its exquisite use of negative space, inspired a technique to create negative space on the metal screen. By pushing the screen’s nets away to form the word “silenzio,” I developed a prototype that guided me in creating a unique artistic expression blending my theoretical interests with my personal journey.