Julia Krahn's 'Ursprung & Untergang' at Ischia's Aragonese Castle

Julia Krahn's exhibition 'Ursprung & Untergang. Al crepuscolo, una favola!' is on view until September 30, 2026, at the Chiesa della Immacolata on the Aragonese Castle in Ischia, organized by the Fondazione Karin e Gabriele Mattera. The title, meaning 'origin and dissolution,' was chosen before the work was created. The multimedia installation spans video, ceramic sculpture, and a rosary of 4,320 handmade ceramic beads—each a unique votive prayer—symbolizing the minutes between death and resurrection (3 days) and the number 144 multiplied by 3, associated with harmony. Central to the installation is a ceramic biscuit face of a woman inspired by Piero della Francesca's Madonna della Misericordia, whose cloak is likened to a parachute. The work reflects on childhood, war, and transformation, inspired by children playing with a humanitarian aid parachute in a war zone. Krahn's notes include: 'When food comes from the sky, the earth no longer nourishes.' The exhibition also features a video of pre-pubescent girls simulating fall and rebirth, and engages with the 'kumbhaka'—the vital pause between inhalation and exhalation. Anna Cristina Mattera, president of the foundation, and architect Nicola Mattera support the project, which aims for spiritual and cultural renewal on the island.