Elena Mazzi
(Reggio Emilia, Italy, 1984)

En Route To The South, Learning To Be Nomadic, 2015-2017, 2019


Beehive, mixed media on paper, wood, six frames, wax, wall text
Variable dimensions
[Photo: © Nadia Pugliese. Courtesy Elena Mazzi]


Starting from the examination of specific territories, in her works Elena Mazzi reinterprets the cultural and natural heritage of places, interweaving stories, facts and fantasies handed down by local communities, in order to suggest possible resolutions to the man-nature-culture conflict.

The En Route To The South project is about nomadic beekeeping, related to the nomadism of migration. Embossed on the wax surface of six bee frames are maps of six European cities where emigration is strongest. Combining them with the installation consisting of a beehive, a series of drawings, a wax engraving and a wall text, the artist lays the groundwork for a future development of the work, conceived as a series of workshops for migrants that will be dedicated to nomadic beekeeping. Sharing specific knowledge related to the craft of the nomadic beekeeper, the artist emphasizes the importance of sustainable agriculture and the preservation of endangered animal species such as bees, in order to enable life for new generations. The works are created by the artist in collaboration with Rosario Sorbello.

Elena Mazzi currently lives and works in Turin. Solo and group exhibitions include those at: PAV – Parco Arte Vivente, Turin; der TANK, Basel; Madre, Naples; ar/ge kunst, Bolzano; Sodertalje Konsthall, Stockholm; Whitechapel Gallery, London; BOZAR, Brussels; Museo del Novecento, Florence; GAMeC, Bergamo; MAMbo, Bologna; Art Center, Seoul; Palazzo Fortuny, Venice; GAM, Turin; Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice. She was among the participants of the 14th Istanbul Biennial and the 17th Mediterranean Biennial. She is the winner of Cantica21, the 7th Italian Council, the XVII Ermanno Casoli Prize, the STEP Beyond Prize, the OnBoard Prize, the VISIO Young Talent Acquisition Prize, the Eneganart Prize, the illy Scholarship for Unidee, the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Prize, the Fondazione Lerici Prize, Movin’up, among others.