2026| Ramificazione Dell'Assenza
Produced in the fall of 2026, this vignette-style short film was developed over the course of one month during the artist's stay at the NoceFresca Artist Residency in Sardinia, Italy.
Containing three parts, the artist explores themes of femininity, absence, language, and cultural symbolism through the landscape and customs of Sardinia, guided by cultural knowledge keepers, the staff at NoceFresca, and an intuitive approach to filmmaking.
The film opens with a monologue by Federico Scioni in a dialect of the endangered lìngua Sarda, followed by an improvised song recorded in 1991 by Federico's father, Alfonso Scioni. Part II features a short monologue from an anonymous monk who speaks of the importance of the Nuraghe, ancient ruins belonging to a mysterious culture with no written record. The Nuragic civilization is a Bronze Age civilization that created over 8,000 massive stone towers throughout the island and is a foundational part of Sardinian identity.
Part III finishes with a short monologue by Federica Tendas, emphasizing the history of Sardinian dance, the importance of community, and the rich symbolism of circular geometry within the context of the Nuraghe and modern Sardinian culture. The film concludes with a montage of different circular imagery recorded throughout the month, accompanied by music from Stefano Balia, who plays the Launeddas throughout the film, a regional and ancient reed instrument requiring circular breathing.
The film is entirely standard-definition digital video, converted to black and white in post-production.
Curatorial Notes by Livia Tarsia in Curia