Liselotte Watkins, a renowned artist with a deep-seated connection to both her native Sweden and her adopted home of Tuscany, finds inspiration in the fading tradition of Italy’s ”edicole,” or kiosks. These small, often family-run newsstands, once ubiquitous throughout Italian cities and towns, are slowly disappearing, victims of changing times and digital advancements. Their decline sparked a creative flame within Watkins, leading to her latest exhibition in Stockholm, a poignant exploration of memory, time, and the intersection of personal and collective histories.
Watkins’s artistic response to the vanishing edicole takes the form of a series of large-scale, collage-like paintings. These works are not mere representations of the physical structures themselves, but rather complex visual narratives that weave together multiple threads. The kiosks serve as a point of departure, a symbolic anchor for broader themes of nostalgia, cultural shifts, and the transient nature of everyday life. Interspersed with imagery of these disappearing landmarks are fragments of personal photographs, vintage ephemera, and glimpses into Watkins’s Tuscan world, creating a richly layered and deeply personal tapestry. She employs a vibrant palette and a distinctly tactile approach, incorporating elements of collage and mixed media to build texture and depth within her compositions. This layering mirrors the layering of memory itself, where past and present intermingle and inform one another.
The exhibition becomes a meditation on the passage of time and the interplay between the past and the present. The edicole, once vibrant hubs of community interaction and information dissemination, now stand as silent witnesses to the relentless march of progress. Their fading presence evokes a sense of melancholy, a longing for simpler times and the tangible connections they represented. Watkins doesn’t shy away from this nostalgic undercurrent, but rather embraces it, allowing it to inform the emotional resonance of her work. She explores how memories, both personal and collective, shape our identities and our understanding of the world around us. The exhibition becomes a space for reflection on the ephemeral nature of existence, the things we hold dear, and the inevitable changes that shape our lives.
The Tuscan landscape, Watkins’s current home, also plays a significant role in the narrative. Images of rolling hills, cypress trees, and sun-drenched vineyards interweave with the urban scenes of the disappearing edicole, creating a dynamic interplay between the rural and the urban, the natural and the man-made. These elements reflect the artist’s own life, bridging the gap between her Swedish heritage and her Italian present. The Tuscan landscapes represent a sense of rootedness and belonging, a counterpoint to the transience symbolized by the fading kiosks. They evoke a sense of timelessness, a connection to the earth and the cycles of nature, offering a sense of stability amidst the ever-shifting landscape of modern life.
The incorporation of personal photographs and ephemera further personalizes the narrative. Snapshots of family, friends, and everyday moments are integrated into the compositions, blurring the lines between the personal and the universal. These intimate glimpses into Watkins’s life add another layer of meaning to the work, inviting viewers to connect with the artist on a more intimate level. The inclusion of vintage ephemera, such as postcards, stamps, and old advertisements, adds a historical dimension, anchoring the narrative within specific time periods and cultural contexts. These fragments of the past serve as reminders of the ephemeral nature of trends and fashions, further highlighting the theme of impermanence that runs throughout the exhibition.
Ultimately, Watkins’s exhibition transcends a simple lament for the disappearing edicole. It becomes a broader exploration of the human experience, a reflection on the passage of time, the power of memory, and the constant interplay between past and present. The kiosks, in their fading glory, become a potent symbol of this interplay, prompting reflection on the things we lose, the things we hold onto, and the ways in which our individual stories are interwoven with the larger tapestry of history and culture. The exhibition invites viewers to engage with these themes on multiple levels, to consider their own relationship with the past, and to appreciate the beauty and fragility of the everyday moments that shape our lives. Through her evocative imagery and deeply personal narrative, Watkins creates a powerful and moving experience that resonates long after leaving the gallery walls. It’s a testament to the enduring power of art to connect us to ourselves, to each other, and to the world around us, reminding us of the shared human experience that binds us together across time and place.
