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“I’ll have herbal tea if there’s some going,” she chuckles, bundling with energy into
The Florentine offices for an interview/chat/long overdue catch-up. “It’s been one hell of a morning.”
Born in Perth, Australia,
Marisa Garreffa
’s ongoing projects reflect the eclectic approach she takes to her art and her firm commitment to the Florentine community. Right now, she’s developing a
performance art piece and a
summer festival, both of which are aimed at healing and entertaining locals. But her arrival in Florence eight years ago was, as Marisa terms it, “an accident”.
“Florence is home because it’s a place I want to fight for. Florence kicked my arse, but it’s also given me so much.”
To Remember, To Listen will see Marisa Garreffa sit alone in the Sala Lungarno of The British Institute of Florence based in Palazzo Lanfredini, Lungarno Guicciardini, 9, patiently sewing together hundreds of pieces of paper and slowly creating a flowing sculptural form. It is a river of stories, and as she works, she listens to voices telling these and other stories. The tales told are of Florence during the pandemic, a year which has hurt us in so many ways, which has kept us apart, alone and sometimes despairing. Although we cannot touch, we can still share our thoughts and our dreams, our sadness and our moments of joy, our hopes and the dark comedy of life under lockdown. By sharing our emotions and experiences, and by listening to the stories of others, we can start to heal, as ourselves and for our communities in the beautiful though battered city to which we all connect and belong. The performance will take place from 2-9pm each day from May 17-23, livestreamed on The Br
Performance by Marisa Garreffa from May 17-23
Editorial Staff
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To Remember, To Listen will see Marisa Garreffa sit alone in the Sala Lungarno of The British Institute of Florence based in Palazzo Lanfredini, Lungarno Guicciardini, 9, patiently sewing together hundreds of pieces of paper and slowly creating a flowing sculptural form. It is a river of stories, and as she works, she listens to voices telling these and other stories. The tales told are of Florence during the pandemic, a year which has hurt us in so many ways, which has kept us apart, alone and sometimes despairing. Although we cannot touch, we can still share our thoughts and our dreams, our sadness and our moments of joy, our hopes and the dark comedy of life under lockdown. By sharing our emotions and experiences, and by listening to the stories of others, we can start to heal, as ourselves and for our communities in the beautiful though battered city to which we all connect and belong.