Livia Ribichini, Prospects at Art Rotterdam, Ahoy, Rotterdam

“Prospects” by Livia Ribichini, curated by Johan Gustavsson & Louise Bjeldbak Henriksen, at Art Rotterdam, Ahoy, Rotterdam, 28/03/2024–30/03/2024.

Exhibition Text:
Brightly coloured wigs endlessly sweeping the floor as if they were mops. On the surface, Livia Ribichini’s (1994) installation Perpetua Performance (2025) looks like a light-hearted parody on people at work. On closer inspection, however, the cheerfulness soon transforms into monotony.

The endless movement becomes symbolic for mechanized human beings in a world obsessed with production. Ribichini zooms in on the ruthless mentality of exploiting people to such an extent that they get occupational burnout. Prior to studying for a master’s degree in Media, Art, Design, and Technology at the Frank Mohr Institute in Groningen, Ribichini studied scenography in Rome. Here she developed light installations centring on the interaction between the spectator and the physical space. During her master’s programme, she shifted her focus to the relationship between human beings and the virtual space, and the role avatars play in this.

The possibility of transforming yourself through avatars, and taking on multiple personalities, is something Ribichini regards as healing. This idea also serves as the point of departure for Perpetua Performance. The mops are engaged in a confrontational, inescapable, and endless performance. But as symbols of transformation – giving the wearer a different identity and perspective – the wigs also represent hope of escape. Ribichini’s work can thus also be read as symbolic of the resilience of women who withstand and conquer the challenges of life with power and creativity.