A study on behaviour — Mara Palena, Micaela Flenda, NonSeiLiberə＊
01/01/1970
Recontemporary presents A Study On Behavior, an exhibition by Mara Palena curated by Micaela Flenda.
The opening on September 11th is followed on September 12th by a talk in collaboration with the artist, the curator, and NonSeiLberə＊: a current investigation into the role of women in contemporary art. For more information on the exhibition, click here.
Mara Palena
Mara Palena (b. 1988) lives and works in Milan. Her aesthetic was influenced by her training in the fashion field, where she worked for the most influential fashion stylists in the industry, but at the same time it represented a step towards approaching something different. Through the photographic medium he studies the theme of memory and identity. His work almost always has an installation character and explores the use of different media. She works between Milan and London as a photographer and film-maker. His work has been exhibited in several group shows, his first solo show was hosted by Twenty14 in 2016. His work has been selected and exhibited during LA Photomonth 2017 and Lucie Foundation Los Angeles. His films celebrate the collaboration between writers, poets and actors. All films are films programmed with specific conceptual goals. In 2020 he founded together with the actress Jessamine-Bliss Bell a film label called EXT. ANGST.
Micaela Flenda
Micaela Flenda, born in Milan, is an independent curator and art writer specializing in feminism and gender studies.
The relationship between fashion, culture, and politics, the representation of the body, and the analysis of the concept of identity are some of the themes central to her research and curatorial practice. From 2016 to 2020, she founded and curated the TIMNBY collective, a platform aimed at promoting emerging Italian and international artists. She teaches photography and fashion film studies at NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan. She is currently completing her Master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Bologna and the University of Granada.
EXT. ANGST
An independent film company founded by Mara Palena and Jessamine-Bliss Bell. These artists have a deep interest in creating experimental films, with no other purpose than to explore ideas that seem limited in the film industry.
Their goal is to create films that, in addition to sparking curiosity about the themes they explore, also examine human behavior, particularly within the society we live in.
EXT. ANGST aims to create films freely, always seeking truth within the moment, while remaining true to the narrative of each project.
Jessamine-Bliss Bell
Jessamine-Bliss is a British actor of Asian descent. He spent his childhood in Paris before moving to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute (New York). He speaks English and French, working in both the London and Parisian industries.
He has worked on film and television productions including Trick or Treat (Marbella Film Festival 2019), Imogen (BFI, We Are Lief & Alma Har'el), Pure (Channel 4), and Salt (short NFTS). His next release is Everything Will Change, for TF1 (Flare film & The Wim Wenders Foundation).
Jessiamine is co-creator and writer at the film company EXT. ANGST.
He recently completed filming the pilot episode of the series Epic (ABC/Disney), and is the writer and lead actor of Neither Seen Nor Heard.
NonSeiLiberə＊
NonSeiLiberə＊ is a project born in 2020 as a campaign to raise awareness about revenge porn and has now evolved into a movement to educate about the freedoms and limits of digital technology. The goal is to communicate with younger generations to create a network that condemns discriminatory attitudes and phenomena online—and at the same time promotes a positive and responsible culture, both online and offline. It's a space where people can discuss not only the risks but also the potential of the internet.