Monday, May 14, 2012

Valentina by Simone

This week end I had the chance to see the work of Simone Marinetto in his studio at ISCP
Here is one of his project, the story of Valentina, his grandmother. 
                               What would we be without our past?
How would our thoughts develop without any link to the previous ones?


                                   WITHOUT MEMORY 
by Simone Martinetto 


This is the story of Valentina, of her memory problems and of the thousand paper sheets scattered in her house.
Valentina lost her memory. The reason is unclear even to doctors: they believe it to be linked to her frequent taking of tranquillizers and to a nervous breakdown treated with electroshock.
Valentina's daughter loves her and refuses the fact that her mother does not remember events and persons for more than two minutes; most of all, Valentina's daughter cannot accept there are days when Valentina does not recognize her and mistakes her for her own mother.
Valentina goes out alone only to take a walk or to go to the parish church. She has a note with her name and address on it stapled in the pocket of her jackets.






Valentina is my grandmother and, although she does not remember my name, I love to hug her. Sometimes I take my guitar and play and she walks after me whistling and singing, following her great musical instinct.

Simone Martinetto was born 1980, Turin, Italy his practice consists of photography and installations. His work is an investigation on the
importance of memory, freedom, coincidences and dreams. 
Martinetto has created a new form of narrative, using an original photographiclanguage to tell small stories with symbolic meanings.
Using photography as a tool to examine the minds of others.
He began to practice photography when his grandfather, shortly before his death, passed on to him the camera he bought on the occasion of his birth. Martinetto works as an artist, cinematic still photographer and teacher. www.simonemartinetto.com