Perspective // Valeria Del Vacchio (@valeria.del.vacchio)
Artist Liaison & Co-curator @valeria.del.vacchio shared her perspective on IDENTITIES:
“I really enjoyed watching the video. I think it connects beautifully with AMALGAM, particularly through the idea of identity as something that is constructed, negotiated and continuously transformed. The line “a body is not a monument to the past. It is a site of negotiation” really stayed with me, and I think it captures the work extremely well.
Visually, I find the constant movement between very different bodies, garments, materials and cultural references particularly successful. Ancient or traditional forms coexist with synthetic, futuristic and almost impossible objects; jewellery, headpieces, clothing and body modifications sometimes become difficult to distinguish from one another. This really embodies the idea of amalgamation rather than simply illustrating it.
I also like that the work doesn’t propose hybridity as a harmonious fusion. Some combinations feel deliberately unresolved or even contradictory, and I think this makes the project much more interesting. The different identities don’t necessarily merge into one; they remain multiple and coexist. The sequence of the word identity in different languages reinforces this beautifully.”
What resonated most with me from her reflection is how she captured the core tension of the project: identity isn’t a static artifact to be preserved, but an ongoing, fluid negotiation.
Extremely grateful to @valeria.del.vacchio and the @clusterlondon team for bringing this dialogue into the space.