(T) Essere is an exhibition project made by Lisa Martignoni, in collaboration with Dimensione Mosaico and curated by Viviana Piraneo, for the Mosaic Residencies section of GAeM International Award – Young Artists and Mosaic 2025 as part of the IX Biennial of Contemporary Mosaic.
It is conceived as a participatory art experience, and this title is a direct reference to a both metaphorical and real warp. It stems from a reflection on the importance of the artistic gesture, understood as a creative act, and on the role that mosaics and textiles play in contemporary society, characterised by a growing fluidity of identity and a greater awareness of the need for sharing and interconnection between practices, forms and languages. On this basis, a work has been conceived that is founded on the idea of overcoming binary oppositions and hierarchies both in art (major arts/minor arts) and in society (men/women) through the fusion of techniques and materials, symbols of different identities and genres.
The visual narrative is thus entrusted to two seemingly dichotomous languages whose origins are complementary, capable of building a bridge between the ancient and the contemporary and combining tradition and experimentation.
With (T)Essere, Martignoni creates a dialogue between the heaviness and hardness of mosaic, often associated with the masculine sphere, and the lightness and malleability of fabric, a reference to the feminine sphere. She explores and innovates these artistic practices, thanks in part to her collaboration with Dimensione Mosaico, giving life to her own unique language.
A fluid, genderless creature comes into the world, a hermaphroditic work that defies predefined categorisations, capable of producing unity and cohesion.