Sinestesia: A study of Waitressing

Eleonora Agostini:: Sinestēzija: Pētījums par viesmīlību /
Sinestesia: A study of Waitressing

Opening: 6.06. 2025

Exhibition dates: 7.06 - 18.07.2025

Curators: Rocco Venezia

The exhibition is supported by the State Cultural Capital Foundation, Riga City Council, Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture under the Italian Council program.

The exhibition explores the connections between perception, memory, and space. The opening of the exhibition took place on June 6 at 6 PM. The evening also featured a special art performance by contemporary dance collective KUUP related to the exhibition.

In collaboration with Fonderia 20.9, the project is curated by Rocco Venezia and supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture under the Italian Council program (13th edition, 2024). Sinestesia marks the continuation of the artist’s long-term project A Study on Waitressing, in which Agostini draws upon the three dimensions of theatre—the stage, the backstage, and the performative—to question how roles are embodied and perceived. The show will present a selected collection of photographs, archival materials, audio and texts, each piece engaging deeply with themes of visibility, process, and performativity.

Central to this investigation is the figure of Agostini’s mother, whose gestures, movements, and behaviors as a waitress become the focal point of an exploration into the performative nature of social roles. The restaurant is reimagined as a stage, where the body connects the observer and the observed, weaving a narrative oscillating between individuality and societal expectations. A Study on Waitressing challenges viewers to consider the layers of existence within social interactions, the roles we play, and the fluid boundaries between the real and the staged.

Eleonora Agostini (Italy, 1991) is a visual artist working across photography, collage, performance, and installation. Her work has been presented at venues including FOAM Amsterdam, Venice Biennale, South London Gallery, MAR Ravenna, Fotografia Europea, and Circulation(s). She was selected for FOAM Talent 2024 and Futures Photography 2021, and shortlisted for the Foam Paul Huf Award in 2024.