Last year I had the opportunity to participate in an artist residency at Palazzo Rinaldi located in Southern Italy on the hilltop village or Noepoli. (www.palazzorinaldi.com - see previous posts). For several years I have explored the notion of acclimation and space relationships within nature and but always reflected the path my family took from Italy 60 years ago. As they settled in the suburbs of Toronto and raised my siblings and I, it was clear that new and old roles influenced our daily lives and upbringing often being a rich experience but peculiar all at the same time.
For years, I have felt a cultural limbo between the life my family established for me in Canada and the life they brought with them from Italy, which influenced us in many ways. As a result I have always felt a longing to belong.
Recently, I decided that it was time to go back to Italy for a family visit. But this was not going to be our regular vacation for my husband and I with the family. Rather, this trip was going to be a research excursion documenting the village and the homes my parents grew up in, as well as my extended family and the community at large. My intention was to travel from Central Italy primarily from the region of Lazio, the area where my family and ancesters reside to the Basilicata region in Southern Italy; my last stop Palazzo Rinaldi.
During my travels I accumulated hours of video footage, a large collection of photographs, interviews and stories. When I arrived at Palazzo Rinaldi, I spent a large chunk of time on drawing studies and the organization of video and film footage.
No comments:
Post a Comment