Gloria Oyarzabal
Appunti per un'Orestiade Africana - A Democracy in Fatigue

Exhibition Details

Different places and times intertwine in Oyarzabal's work to reflect on the creation of knowledge, and on hegemonic narratives that seem to repeat themselves over time.

Is the concept of democracy universal? How did we invent freedom? In 1970, Pier Paolo Pasolini's Notes for an African Orestiade raised reflections that are even more significant today. Post-colonial African states were superficially described as homogeneous, and western democracy as the best possible model. Pasolini recognised his mistakes, and began a process of (self)criticism by dialoguing with a group of African students - a conversation that would later be included in the film. His reflections are highly relevant to escape the clichés and stereotypes inherent in our collective consciousness. In the age of Artificial Intelligence, the problem becomes even more pressing. It is important to learn to see the biases that lurk in an image. To ask ourselves which pieces originate what we see - or to what software can originate - and how a collective consciousness takes shape from them. In this exhibition, memory and its violence, the imagery and its stereotypes are intertwined. With a clear aim: to escape the danger of a single narrative.

The project is exhibited in synergy with Cheap as part of the collaboration program promoted by PhMuseum for PhMuseum Days 2023.