Beatrice Scaccia's 'My Hope Chest' at Katonah Museum of Art

Italian artist Beatrice Scaccia (Veroli, 1978) presents 'My Hope Chest,' a site-specific installation at the Katonah Museum of Art in New York, on view until June 27, 2021. The exhibition centers on a stop-motion animation exploring themes of identity, gender, and social roles, inspired by the concept of a 'hope chest' (corredo). Scaccia created the animation using 30,000 frames, constructing puppets, sets, and a hope chest resembling a coffin. The installation includes wall drawings and painted elements from the animation, creating a surreal domestic environment. This marks Scaccia's first post-pandemic show, following her participation in Magazzino Italian Art's 'Homemade' project during lockdown, where she experimented with stop motion and hoarding themes. Scaccia has shifted from her earlier 'Eve' character to new subjects like surreal wigs and hair, influenced by William Hogarth, Lorna Simpson, and Domenico Gnoli. She is also exploring painting in large formats and writing, with a story published on Nero Magazine. Scaccia reflects on her decade in New York, noting a renewed commitment to the city after the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests.