Join us for an artist talk with Annie Ratti in conversation with co-curator Dirk Snauwaert, as they delve into the themes of extinction, ecology, and memory that traverse Annie Ratti's work, Animal Memory, presented in the Magical Realism exhibition.
Animal Memory is a poetic reflection on extinction, drawn from a meticulously compiled archive of species that have disappeared over the past century. Inspired by Aby Warburg’s Pathosformel, Ratti reimagines disappearance and explores how emotionally charged images transmit cultural meaning across generations. These works become symbols of ecological crisis, prompting a conversation and a reflection on our complex relationship with the natural world and the fragile persistence of life.
Annie Ratti (b. 1956, Switzerland) is an Italian artist based in London. Her transdisciplinary research-based practice looks to specific geographical, historical and social issues, addressing concerns related to the aims of science, culture and ecology. Her work explores the vulnerabilities of human experience and the uncertainties of institutional knowledge.
Among her solo exhibitions are Bombyx Mori, Amanda Wilkinson Gallery, London (2022); ANARGONIA, Amanda Wilkinson Gallery, London (2019); Lallazioni (with Bruna Esposito), Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, Rome (2015); The Shroom Project, Kabinetten van de Vleeshal, Middelburg (2013); Image of September, Gallery Sejul, Seoul (2010); Annie Ratti: Die Grenzen meiner Sprache bedeuten die Grenzen meiner Welt, KUB-Billboards, Kunsthaus Bregenz (2006); and Annie Ratti – Objects, Vorarlberger Kunstverein Magazin 4, Bregenz (1997). Her group exhibitions include Sacred Landscapes, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, 18th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice (2023); A Century of the Artist’s Studio: 1920–2020, Whitechapel Gallery, London (2022); Dual Realities, 4th Seoul International Media Art Biennial, Media City Seoul (2006); and A Grain of Dust A Drop of Water, Gwangju Biennale (2004).