In the performance The Trace, the artist Alessandra BB carries a burden—physical and emotional—woven from knots of memory, labor, and pain. A heavy ball of yarn, crafted from old clothes and equal to the weight of her body, becomes a symbolic trace for all the invisible stories of women overshadowed by time.

As the artist unravels the fabric along the forest floor, the burden transforms. Stones, branches, and trees become part of this evolving path, witnessing her release and quiet strength. This ritual of unburdening—of letting go of pain and expectations—reveals the forest as both a sanctuary and a source of healing.

In the final moments, the woven path is left behind as the artist crosses a river and disappears into the forest. What remains is not a weight, but a liberated memory, a testament to resilience, and the enduring strength of women.

The Trace is an act of liberation and a tribute to the unseen labor of women who shape the world in quiet, often forgotten ways.

This multimedia series, created using oil on canvas, photography, and papier-mâché, is inspired by Ana Mendieta’s Silueta Works in Iowa (1976-78). The works explore the deep connection between the body and our roots, reflecting the fluid energies within us and how they change as we define our circumstances. Through organic forms and human figures, the series emphasizes our intrinsic ties to nature and each other.