Paola Gaggiotti's 'Le immagini che restano' at Quarta Vetrina in Milan

The Quarta Vetrina contemporary art program at Libreria delle donne di Milano, initiated by Corrado Levi and continued by Donatella Franchi and since 2015 by Francesca Pasini, features 31 female artists. In 2019, Pasini curated the exhibition 'Vetrine di Libertà' at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan with a catalog by Nottetempo. A documentary by Cristina Rossi, Chiara Mori, and Alessandra Quaglia, recording opening dialogues, is forthcoming. The 2020 season, part of Milan's 'I talenti delle Donne' program, was to begin on March 25 with Paola Gaggiotti's 'Le immagini che restano' but was halted by COVID-19. Instead, from June 25, the work is displayed on the external side of the window at via Pietro Calvi 29, with an internal viewing and dialogue planned for September. Gaggiotti's work consists of 14 drawings on panels (212×220 cm) depicting her memory of a street where she experienced childhood violence, using Google Street View for an abstract, desolate view. The installation includes wallpaper resembling her childhood bedroom, creating a dual perspective: from outside, the trauma is only hinted; inside, it can be narrated. Gaggiotti aims to create a 'collector of emotions' where viewers can superimpose their own stories, avoiding explicit depiction to prevent the work from becoming a case study or inviting compassion.