themes, such as the experience of emigration, the resulting dynamics of the military dictatorships, censorship, crime, social balances between the individual and the community, the identity value and the fragility of human relationships. The exhibition opens with the eclectic contribution of Ana Mendieta, one of the most incisive figures of this important art scene. Despite her short life (she prematurely dies when she was 36 years old falling down of her apartment in New York), Ana Mendieta is reconfirmed today, 30 years after her death, as an undisputed source of inspiration for the international stage. The Biennale Donna pays tribute with a group of works that highlight the unique experimental imprint, from Siluetas notes to the photographic documentation of the powerful performance events dating back to the 70s and 80s. At the center the interweaving of themes always dear to her, such as the constant search for contact and dialogue with nature, the reference to Cuban ritual practices, the use of blood - while denouncing violence, but also an allegory of the eternal binomial life / death - or the use of the body as a universal energy container.
The body as a vehicle of expression is a feature that we can also find in the early works by Anna Maria Maiolino, with Italian origin but moved to Brazil in 1960, at the dawn of the dictatorship. The experience of the dictatorial regime in Brazil and the consequent tense situation have profoundly influenced her art, prompting her to reflect on concepts such as hazard perception, the sense of alienation, the identity of emigrant and the imaginary female newspaper. On display we can find a selection of works that confirm her great versatility, from her most famous works of 70s and 80s, photographic documentation she calls "photopoemaction" - clearly with a performative basis - to her recent sculptures and ceramic installations, where emerges the ever faithful relevance to daily life, in addition, however, the exploration of the processes of creation and destruction to which the individual is inevitably linked.
With a similar suggestive power, but with a particular aptitude for raw realism, the poetry of Teresa Margolles testifies the complexities of Mexican society, now crumbled by the alarming proportions of an organized crime that is tearing the whole country and especially Ciudad Juarez, considered one of most dangerous places in the world. With a minimalist stylistic grammar, but almost overbearing impact on the conceptual level, the work of Margolles addresses the taboo of death and violence, also investigated in relation to social and economic inequalities currently found in Mexico. Large installations that the artist presents for the Ferrara exhibition - including a new work made especially for the Biennale Donna - reveal an obvious immersive power, which forces the viewer to absorb and participate in the pain of a situation out of control, too often silenced and denied by the local authorities.