MEMORIAABSENTIA
Video documentation of a happening,
2023
artist in officina Montefollonico
What if viewers had to participate in an action to see the object, or there would be no
exhibition? This simple truth implies that art must engage in dialogue beyond mere
existence, especially today.
MEMORIAABSENTIA is an archaeological process uncovering the unconscious,
capturing what emerges before sleep, recording it, and presenting it to an audience.
Painting becomes the essence of what has yet to see the light, remaining in the
shadows.
The inspiration for the happening comes from the author’s metaphorical journey and
therapeutic collaboration with the Department of Psychotherapy at Jagiellonian
University in Krakow. It questions the role of existence and memory’s disappearance.
During the happening, Agata Stępień, dressed in a sheet costume, distantly engages
with the audience. She rhythmically reads fragments of personal notes surrounded by
sounds and minimal choreography.
Monte Amiata in Tuscany held significant importance for the ancient Etruscans. Believed
to be a sacred place associated with the worship of gods, particularly the god of fire, the
extinct volcano symbolized energy, elements, and nature’s cycles.
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© Agata Stępień 2025