Barbara Paganin: Memoria Aperta

The works shown in the series Memoria Aperta (open memory) at the Art Alliance are mind maps and miniature landscapes that tell stories in gold, silver, semi-precious stones and new materials. They are inspired by the emotions of the artist’s past but they open up to the world by exploring the memories of others. For Paganin, the work starts with a search among the antique shops of Venice reclaiming unique objects and heirlooms. Some recurring elements point to her personal history yet each brooch contains details that viewers can re-configure according to their own individual fragments of memory.

Barbara Paganin is well known for her use of precious materials, but she has added techniques in glass, resin and dental acrylic over the years to complement her recovered elements. The brooches and neckpieces in this series have been designed as a single suite, on which the artist has worked continuously over the last several years.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website