A Matter of Ego
Performance and video
2018-2019
A Matter of Ego evolved into a performance piece first presented in Bolzano in the summer of 2018 and revisited the following year. Spanning two days, the work interwove an initial phase of solitary practice with a powerful communal ritual.
On the first day, the artist carefully assembled a mandala using 10,400 pomegranate seeds, arranged in five concentric circles. The second day brought a procession involving seventeen participants, each dressed in black. Gathered at an open space along Talvera River, they were invited to select a single pomegranate seed from a fruit placed before them and gently cradle it with their hands: each participant was entrusted with their seed, tasked with protecting it throughout the duration of the walk. The seed symbolized something fragile, unique, and vulnerable—requiring attention and responsibility during this journey of care and introspection.
Led by the artist, the procession moved towards the mandala site: there, participants were asked to integrate their seeds into the existing design, signifying their contributions to a shared creation. The performance reached its cathartic climax as the group united, hands joined, in a shared act of destruction. Together, they dismantled the mandala, releasing pomegranate juice and blending the seeds, staining the floor with red. This act embodied the impermanence of creation, the fragility of ego, and the inevitable dissolution of even our most treasured constructs.
Exhibited at -> Fondazione Antonio dalle Nogare
Work participant of -> Performing Arts Gen Lab