Elisabetta Di Maggio’s ‘In-attesa’ at Studio Trisorio Confronts Violence Against Women

Elisabetta Di Maggio’s solo exhibition 'In-attesa' at Studio Trisorio in Naples features her signature carved works, including the powerful installation 'Rape' (Stupro), composed of 600 hand-carved Marseille soap bars inscribed with bodily fluids produced during sexual assault: saliva, blood, sweat, sperm, urine, and tears. The title 'In-attesa' plays on the dual meanings of waiting and the unexpected, reflecting a state of suspension. Works include 'Annunciazione' (two large dragonfly wings carved in copper evoking Renaissance angel wings and cathedral stained glass), 'Traiettoria di volo di farfalla' (butterfly flight trajectory made with entomologist pins), the glass mosaic 'Pie in the Sky', and wax mosaics from the 'Cosmographiae' series inspired by ancient geographical planispheres. Di Maggio, born in Milan in 1964 and based in Venice, uses surgical scalpels to carve materials such as leaves, soap, porcelain, tissue paper, and plastered walls, revealing layers of past life. She cites Arte Povera, pioneering female artists, and late medieval and Renaissance art (including Nordic) as influences. The exhibition includes both new and previously shown works. Di Maggio notes that while the art world has become more pragmatic and professionalized since her first group show at Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice in the early 1990s, she still belongs to the past century. She describes the show as 'whispered,' demanding attention and reflection in difficult times.