Giovanna Ricotta Reimagines Ariosto's Orlando Furioso in Ferrara

Giovanna Ricotta (born 1970 in Loano) presents fourteen drawings and photographs from two of her most famous performances at MLB HOME GALLERY in Ferrara, reinterpreting Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso through her own body. Her performances, from the icy powdered lady of Toilette to the futuristic geisha-samurai of Fai la cosa giusta, carry political weight, turning her body into a site of negotiation between personal needs and the poet's imagination. The drawings themselves become performative, metaphors for modern tensions. The exhibition, titled 'Furiosamente. Le donne, i cavalier, l'arme, gli amori,' is curated by Maria Livia Brunelli and Silvia Grandi and runs until September 18, 2016. Ricotta's work reframes Ariosto's epic: Astolfo's journey to the moon becomes a path of growth, Orlando's fury represents insatiable desire, Angelica's unrequited love symbolizes modern frustrations, and the war between Saracens and Christians mirrors ongoing conflicts.