Sinnestesia: A study of Waitressing by Eleonora Agostini will be on view at the ISSP Gallery

From June 7 until July 18, ISSP Gallery will host Italian artist Eleonora Agostini’s Sinnestesia: A study of Waitressing, an exhibition exploring the connections between perception, memory, and space. The opening of the exhibition will take place on June 6 at 6 PM. The evening will also feature 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 serves as a bridge between the observer and the observed, weaving a narrative that oscillates 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.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a free public workshop led by Eleonora Agostini on June 7 at 10 AM at ISSP Gallery. Open to all, the workshop will explore collage, photography, and performative practices.

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.

Rocco Venezia (Italy, 1991) is an artist and curator with a strong foundation in research-driven methodologies and visual storytelling. He holds an MA in Photography from the University of South Wales and brings over nine years of experience across curatorial practice, artistic production, and education. In 2024, he was appointed Artistic Director of Fonderia 20.9, where, together with Chiara Bandino and Francesco Biasi, he leads the exhibition program, residency initiatives, and educational projects.

Fonderia 20.9 is a cultural space dedicated to the promotion of contemporary photography and visual art, founded by Chiara Bandino, Francesco Biasi, and Emanuele Brutti in 2015 in Verona, Italy. The organization supports artistic research through exhibitions, residencies, and educational projects. www.fonderia209.com

Curator: Rocco Venezia

Contributors to the exhibition: Iveta Gabaliņa, Santa Ozoliņa, Kamilla Kūna, Ulrika Māliņa, Aldis Bušs

The exhibition is supported by the State Cultural Capital Foundation, the Riga City Council, and the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Culture, under the Italian Council program (13th edition, 2024).

The exhibition is organised by ISSP – a platform for contemporary photography, art and education. ISSP organises local and international education and exchange programmes, produces exhibitions, publications and events and has gathered a thriving community of artists in Latvia and abroad while exploring the connections between art and society. The ISSP Gallery is the central exhibition and events space for contemporary photography in Riga.