Persephone

PERSEPHONE
An Exhibition of Transformation, Loss, and Rebirth

Persephone, the chthonic goddess of the underworld and spring, embodies the eternal cycle of life, death, and renewal. Each year, she descends into the realm of Hades to reign over the dead, only to return to the earth in spring, bringing life and growth to the world. This myth encapsulates the rhythm of existence—an endless oscillation between decay and regeneration. Through the lens of this timeless narrative, the project Persephone delves into the profound themes of loss, grief, and the transformative power that arises from within the depths of darkness.

In our journey through grief, a part of us is lost—sometimes suddenly, sometimes slowly. But with loss comes the quiet emergence of something new: hidden parts of ourselves, new identities, and unforeseen strength. Persephone is a meditation on the interplay of life and death, a reflection on how pain and beauty can exist side by side, and how, even in the aftermath of destruction, there is fertile ground for new beginnings.

The work presented here invites you to witness that transformation. The two female photographers, Chiara Rizza and Liina Salonen, explore this delicate balance between the end of one cycle and the birth of another. Their photographs are not just images of sorrow, but also of healing—depicting life in all its fragility, strength, and renewal. They create a dialogue between past and present, between grief and hope, highlighting the process of internal metamorphosis that occurs when we face the abyss of loss.

The project was conceived in locations once home to forgotten cemeteries, submerged now by the ever-persistent sea. In these places, the sea, with its endless, cyclical motion, becomes a metaphor for the regenerative forces of nature—where ancient lives are reclaimed and transformed. In Mazzarelli, Marina di Ragusa, where an old cemetery once stood, the sea has reclaimed the land, remaking it into a place where life and death continually interact, where beauty and movement emerge from the stillness of grief.

In Persephone, we are led on a journey that mirrors the stages of loss—moving from the raw pain of grief to the quieter acceptance of transformation. The images invite us to reflect on the cycles within ourselves: how something must die in order for something else to be born, how beauty can arise from the darkest places, and how, in the end, life is unstoppable.

This exhibition is an invitation to sit with the mystery of existence, to honor both the beauty of life and the inevitability of death, and to acknowledge the silent, powerful forces of transformation that shape us.

Chiara Rizza and Liina Salonen have crafted a visual dialogue of profound depth, one that will resonate long after you leave the gallery, reminding us all of the resilience of the human spirit and the ongoing cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Persephone
Photography Project by Chiara Rizza & Liina Salonen
Created in Sicily, Italy, 2024

Exhibited:
Paratissima, Turin, Italy, 2024