Francesca Grilli's 'The Forgetting of Air' at MAXXI

Francesca Grilli (Bologna, 1978) presents 'The Forgetting of Air' at MAXXI in Rome, a performance that uses breath as a political and relational material. The work features four performers with migration backgrounds who amplify their breathing through tin megaphones in a vapor-filled space. Grilli developed the piece over two years, starting from an invitation by MAXXI. She aimed for a sparse aesthetic, moving away from complex installations. The performers include Ahmed Tanbouz (Palestinian singer) and Hassanein Ali Al Zubaidi (Iraqi actor), among others. The performance has been staged at Terni Festival and Contemporanea Festival in Prato before arriving at MAXXI. At MAXXI, the space is larger, and a woman who crossed the sea alone with her child joins the cast. The work will also travel to Homo Novus Festival in Riga. Grilli's research on voice spans earlier works like 'Enduring Midnight' (2007), 'Moth' (2009), 'Conversazioni' (2008-2010), 'Variazioni per voce' (2012), '47' (2012), 'Fe2O3, Ossido ferrico' (2013) for the Italian Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale, and 'Family' (2015-2017) at Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. 'The Forgetting of Air' is part of this trajectory, focusing on breath as a pre-verbal, shared experience. The performance is curated by Piersandra Di Matteo.