Place of Memory is a performance created in connection with the artwork Conscious Matter, which is part of the Arte Povera – A New Chapter exhibition. Conscious Matter installation examines human life as part of the cosmos through the chemical element of iron. Iron appears in the work in various forms as powder, iron ore and blood, highlighting its presence in the human body and the universe.

In the Place of Memory performance, the body is dressed in the materials of the work—even the performer’s hair is bound into its structures. Slowly, they begin to unravel themselves from these bindings, initiating a transformation that depicts a passage from constraint to freedom.

The performance is preceded by a 15-minute meditation session open to the public, during which the themes of the piece are explored through bodily sensations. The session is guided by Alex Ashot Ikilikian.