In Between The Folds are Particles

+ Oriel Davies Gallery 2019
+ Aberystwyth Arts Centre 2021-22

In Between the Folds are Particles presented a conversation between Falcini and the late Welsh artist, Gwen John (1876-1939) with a century having passed between them.

The exhibition featured new work by Anna, bringing together film, drawing, photography, sound work and object-based installation, borne out of five years of exploring archival letters and notebooks relating to John’s life in Wales and France at Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. Bound within the archival materials, the particles of John’s life were apparent; her vulnerabilities, passions, doubts and artistic concerns and, despite the passage of a century, Falcini felt a particular connection.

Falcini became interested in the facets of John’s life as a woman living in Paris, in circumstances away from the usual domestic constraints and demands of that period, where she could pursue her artistic career. A number of themes emerged from both her letters and diaries, revealing her dedication to her artistic practice, her ‘interior’ life, her connection with the sea and her relationship with Auguste Rodin.

In Falcini’s quest to unravel the episodes of John’s life, she travelled to the locations that were key in shaping John’s story; Tenby, Paris and Dieppe. Far from gaining clarity, however, Falcini became immersed into the ‘multiplicities of meanings’ (1) that emerged from the narratives and spaces inhabited by John. John, became simultaneously absent and present, hovering like an aura, in the guise of ‘a shadow’ (2).

1. Maria Tamboukou, Nomadic Narratives, Visual Forces: Gwen John Letters and Paintings (New York: Peter Lang, 2010) p.3
2. Sue Roe, Gwen John: A Life (London: Vintage, 2001) p.34