Beast Mother exhibition

A multi-layered fabric installation supports a monstrous yet fantastical female silhouette, inspiredby the prehistoric terracotta figurines of women discovered by Lithuanian archaeo-mythologistMarija Gimbutas, alongsideher theories on matrifocal social structures and Neolithic deities.Drawing on these foundations, the body presented in the installationreferences the maternalfigure as both a presence and an organising force of the world.At once deeply embedded in thematernal, this figure extends into the realm of the monstrous, evoking a hybrid and indeterminateentity and re-engaging with the theme of duality. This duality not only alludes to the mother-childdyadic relationship but also speaks to Grossi Maglioni as an artistic duo.Beyond its physical form,the plateau is conceived as an immersive space, inviting participants to enter and engage with itasa living, inhabited realm where the boundaries between self and other dissolve.The plateau ishoused within four tents associated with theOccupazioniresearch project, including those of theBeast Mother and the Observing Child. This arrangement highlights the interconnections,iconographic echoes, and conceptual reverberations, weaving together the diverse threads ofthought, practice, and artistic trajectory that define this ongoing exploration.