Francesca Grossi: An interesting aspect of your artistic practice is the use of very different mediums such as drawing, painting, hand-sewn object installations, video, and performance. Do you feel more connected to a particular technique, or do you think that all these mediums equally convey what you want to express through your works?

Silvia Berry: At the moment, I feel that I have gone through different phases in my work. Certainly, I have touched on many points, mediums, and modes of expression. I think I am still in an embryonic state, and I am sure I will touch on many more, often returning and traversing safer paths that I have already taken. Right now, I feel that my work is so open that I cannot exclude or favor one thing over another. I haven't found a technique that feels uniquely mine yet, but I like this aspect, knowing that I haven't reached a final point. Closure, achieving a result, would be the death of my creative process, of work that I want to remain open forever.

FG: What is the creative process that precedes the crocheted works, and what role does memory play in these pieces?

SB: These works arise from the need to tell a story. With this work, I've understood that a piece cannot only be ironic. These objects have a very high value for me. They come to life from the memory of an event that has marked me. They are tools that would have helped me resolve situations from the past that caused me pain; they are an attempt at personal redemption. They may seem funny at times, useless many other times, but if you look closely, you can see the small traumas I have experienced.

FG: How does performance relate to your installations?

SB: The crocheted objects, through their constructed forms, suggest a movement, a gesture that doesn't necessarily have to be related to correctly wearing the piece. A combination of external knowledge, lighting, and mental visions triggers an unknown, non-replicable mechanism that sets an action in motion in a place and at a certain point in time without anything being studied. Chance dominates these moments. The presence of the body through the performative gesture and the active use of tools is fundamental. At the same time, a body is perceived even if it is not visible, or if the action is not happening at the moment of contact with the object. The forms indicate and mimic a use that is not always necessary to see but is enough to imagine to feel its presence.

FG: How do you feel about the idea of having your first solo exhibition in your hometown?

SB: I am very honored to be able to achieve this milestone at my age. I admit to feeling some pressure and significant responsibility, but they are accompanied by the confidence of the success of this project.