0002 Metamemoria

Memory is not a static condition. It transforms, fragments, and continuously reconstructs itself over time, taking on new forms and meanings. From this reflection emerges Metamemoria, an exhibition that explores the relationship between past and present through the encounter between ancient Majapahit terracottas and works by contemporary artists from different generations and expressive practices.

The exhibition takes shape as a space for dialogue in which historical memory is removed from the confines of the traditional museum context and reimagined as a living material, capable of generating new interpretations. The Majapahit sculptures, created between the 13th and 15th centuries on the island of Java, form the exhibition’s original core. Human figures, often female, characterized by relaxed postures, contemplative expressions, and a remarkable sense of vitality, emerge from the past as enduring testimonies to a sophisticated and complex civilization.

Far from being viewed solely through a religious or archaeological lens, these works offer a portrait of a society shaped by relationships, rituals, social roles, and everyday life. Their weathered surfaces, fractures, and centuries of restoration become integral to their meaning, transforming each sculpture into an object that speaks not only of its origins but also of its enduring journey through time.

Alongside these historical presences, a dialogue with contemporary practice unfolds. The works on view do not seek to imitate or illustrate the past; rather, they engage with it through new forms of representation. The seemingly delicate and narrative qualities of certain artistic approaches intersect with investigations into the human figure, the construction of the image, and the fragmentation of contemporary identity. Other works directly reinterpret the archetypal forms of the ancient sculptures, transforming them into new objects capable of inhabiting the present.

The concept of metamorphosis runs throughout the exhibition. The ancient terracottas, having survived destruction, dispersal, and oblivion, become symbols of cultural resilience. The contemporary works embrace this legacy and transform it, demonstrating how every image continues to live on through endless reinterpretations.

Metamemoria ultimately invites reflection on the ways we construct our relationship with the past. Memory is understood not as a static archive of information, but as an active process of transformation. Each work in the exhibition represents a stage in this process, a moment in which what has been is reinterpreted through the lens of the present and returned in a new form.

Through the encounter between different cultures, eras, and artistic languages, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the very nature of memory and art’s ability to transcend time. What emerges is a layered narrative in which the ancient and the contemporary do not stand in opposition, but work together to create new possibilities for interpretation, demonstrating that memory itself must inevitably transform in order to endure.

Photo © Dario Borruto