In her practice, Francesca focuses on autobiographical memory: the “life-narrative” which tells the story of our experience and serves as our own personal mythology. Her work examines the metamorphic nature of the memories which compose this narrative, exploring their role in creating a consistent notion of Self, despite, and thanks to, their constant revision over time. Some of her pieces focus on finding ways to visually represent the memory transformation process, specifically that which occurs in order to form a cohesive narrative. Her work also reflects on the role of extended memories, like photographs and tattoos, as attempts to preserve themselves from changing or being forgotten over time, but also to immortalize the personal mythology which they help construct. Further, she explores how even these externalized forms of memory are subject to the same processes of reinterpretation and transformation which occur in the brain.
Memory Organs, 2016, Wax, twine, shells, pigment
Memory Organs (detail), 2016, Wax, twine, shells, pigment
The Tattoos of Cesare Lombroso, 2016, Silicon, ink
The Tattoos of Cesare Lombroso, 2016, Silicon, ink
Riunione di famiglia, 2016, Found photographs, yarn, pushpins, post-it notes
