Elena Berriolo's Sewing Machine Performances Bridge Political Divides Through Social Practice

Elena Berriolo, an artist, has transformed her sewing machine work into performances that serve as political protests against current issues. In December 2016, she staged "A Book as a Bridge" aboard a bus traveling from San Diego to Tijuana, opposing Donald Trump's suggested border wall by sewing on an accordion book. This performance came after her November 2015 act on New York's 2 train and a June 2016 ferry ride from Manhattan to Staten Island. Berriolo's engagement in political art began following the 2016 U.S. presidential election with "A Book as a Pink Line" on an Amtrak train during the January 2017 Women's March. Her artistic journey commenced in 2012 with "Two Sided Concerto," merging art and music through sewing. With a family background that includes both pro-fascist and anti-fascist figures in Italy—her father joined the resistance at 16—she perceives the seam as a connector, addressing social and economic disparities.