Sara Basta's Exhibition at Ex Pastificio Cerere Explores Life's Tragic Sense

Sara Basta's exhibition at the former Pastificio Cerere in Rome transforms the industrial space into a psychological journey. The show opens with a series of watercolor self-portraits executed with closed eyes, leading to a playful childhood environment with fabric masks and a hiding place for a live performance. However, old photographs and autobiographical writings disrupt the joyful effect, urging caution. In the basement, where the mill once operated, works including maternity self-portraits, family fabrics and embroideries, and ancestral voices evoke a mythical and painful dimension. Basta, born in 1979, draws on traditions from Arte Povera, the puppets of Calì for Paolo Poli, Lecocq's larval masks, and Maria Lai's weavings. The exhibition demonstrates how private experience can resonate with collective feelings.