Sussurri / Whispers, 1978

Embroidery and assemblage on jute; 172 × 200 cm

The tapestry Sussurri / Whispers belongs to a body of work made in 1978 – the year that Parrocchetti showed at the Venice Biennale. The small series comprises raw jute tapestries including Scream Towards Hope (shown in Venice), Dialogue, and The Heart of Life. Each piece presents Parrocchetti’s iconic use of embroidery and textiles, particularly her foam-filled fabric mouths and breasts. These elements are essential to the artworks she placed within the category of “objects of feminine culture.” In this particular series of tapestries, the artist also sewed small objects, dolls and toys onto the fabric. Sussurri features plastic children’s beach shovels, rakes and shapes in which we playfully recognise phallic forms. This is a further ironic commentary on labour and its tools (which for women are not just domestic). In Sussurri the toys are placed atop horizontal embroideries at the ends of which are the stuffed mouths and breasts. This design reproduces the shape of a loom that Parrocchetti breaks and reassembles.

Photos by Marjorie Brunet Plaza
Archival photos from Clemen Parrocchetti Archive