Mediterranean Bite

Curated by Pietro Cattai

London Uk,  12th September - December 2024

Alessandra Risi Castoldi explores the intricate relationship between identity, memory, and nature through the vivid colours of her oils. Her exhibition "Mediterranean Bites” at the Queen Alexandra house references her Italian heritage and the fragmentary nature of her narrative. Alessandra presents a series of significant works marking her debut in London and on the eve of her entrance into the Royal College of Art.

This collection, created in Italy during the summer of 2024, represents a thoughtful return to her roots. Each canvas offers a window into Alessandra!s inner journey,

deeply influenced by her family!s history and migration from Italy to Peru. The connection with her heritage is revisited through objects and natural landscapes, blending cultural elements into a cohesive visual dialogue, signifying a past awaiting rediscovery.

Alessandra!s brushstrokes reconstruct fragments of life and history, weaving a narrative that spans natural and emotional landscapes. Plants in her work transcend mere decoration, emerging as potent symbols of resistance and transformation. Just as humans remain connected to their history, plants adapt while retaining their essence. Alessandra!s canvases explore how roots and leaves symbolise migration, adaptation, and continuity. The 2024 series, featuring notable pieces such as "Puya Raimondi" and “Aloe salvaje”, synthesises memory, recollection, and loss themes.

Utilising velvety greens and greys contrasted with intense reds and purples, Alessandra crafts landscapes that serve as actual inner maps. These works evoke South American ecosystems and 20th-century Italian cinema, reflecting the complex interplay of isolation and belonging explored during her residency in Mahón, Menorca.

In "Zanzara in Aloe" Alessandra revisits the symbolic aloe plant, representing healing and displacement. This piece parallels the plant!s life cycle with human

migration, emphasising self-awareness through the symbolism of the mosquito. This theme extends to various forms of fortification, including "Il Riccio di Mare”.

In “Paraggi" and “Isola”, Alessandra returns to her “Fitocentrismo” theme, examining the invisible connections between nature and the human condition. Focusing on islands and landscapes about the female body, her works transform plants into mirrors of the human experience. The concept of the island expands to include places of memory and cultural identity, with pieces ranging from large canvases to small surfaces like matchboxes, evoking fragmented landscapes and renewed memories and fostering a dialogue between fragmentation and belonging.