Laura VdB Facchini
KONO
curated by Manuela De Leonardis
Valicelliana Library, Rome, November 11 - December 2, 2026
Opening in the presence of the artist
Wednesday, November 11, 4-7 pm
From November 11 to December 2, 2026, the Vallicelliana Library will host, in the Salone Borromini, the exhibition KONO by Laura VdB Facchini, curated by Manuela De Leonardis. The exhibition focuses on the stories of 12 migrant women of different ages and geographical and cultural origins who crossed the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better future.
The title of the exhibition refers to the Bambara word "kono," which in the Mali region means nightingale and refers to musicians by choice (and not by family tradition), also becoming a symbol of emancipation.
As the curator writes, "The freedom to which Laura Vdb Facchini's artistic project refers—connected to self-determination, autonomy, and independence—represents, rather, the conquest of an emancipation that comes through pain, humiliation, and suffering, both physical and psychological. KONO is the expression of the willpower of twelve women deeply affected by their past, but who, by sharing their respective stories, direct their gaze toward a future of possibility."
The stories of Aicha, Aissata, Aya, Blessing, Bouchra, Faith, Fatima, Hope, Jasmine, Judith, Yvonne, and Zaira are strengthened by the unity of their stories: for each woman, the artist created a textile sculpture, using structures made of galvanized iron hydraulic pipes, which she covered with padded fabric on which she embroidered their names, sewing and gluing their own iconographic elements that symbolically reference the protagonists' biographical events.
The versatile use of materials includes printed paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, straw paper, as well as wine-dyed and draped fabric, real copper coins minted in different countries wrapped in thread like quilt buttons, wax, wheat stalks, real river pearls, lace and embroidery, even steel thread reminiscent of the "silver comma" (isolated chain stitch), traditionally used to embroider liturgical vestments.
As the artist Louise Bourgeois, one of the most important figures in contemporary art, argued, "Art is a guaranty of sanity": a vision shared by Laura VdB Facchini, who also believes that artistic creation is equally fundamental in the therapeutic process of addressing, metabolizing, and healing pain and trauma.
A limited-edition artist's book has been created for the exhibition, featuring contributions by the artist and texts by Manuela De Leonardis and Federica Marri, as well as a digital volume with texts in Italian and English.
On November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a performance of Soliloquio corale, written by researcher Federica Marri, a historian specializing in women's studies and development cooperation, will be held.
Artist Biography:
Laura V.d.B. (Van der Bol) Facchini, of Dutch origin, was born in Prato in 1962. She graduated in Event Planning and Management and Arts and Entertainment Businesses from the University of Florence. Since the late 1980s, she has devoted herself to the visual arts, beginning the "MATRICI" series, works that explore the sacred feminine in its many aspects, using various expressive media, from the more material and sculptural to photography, video, and performance.
Facchini's artistic research is strongly influenced by a sculptural and spatial vision that is expressed in large site-specific installations for which he uses touch-sensitive materials, specifically designed for historical and institutional locations. Among the most recent are: WATERFALL (2025) Carlo Bilotti Museum, Rome; À JOUR (2024) Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Rome; INTER-AZIONE, Cassero Medievale, Prato (2023); CANVAS, for CANAPA, production Teatro Metastasio, Prato (2018); IL GIARDINO DEI SOGNI, Teatro stabile Sloveno, Trieste (2015); CAMPI ELISI, Sant'Agostino Museum, Genoa (2017); DEEP SKY, Fortezza di Montepulciano (2018). We also remember: the exhibition DIALOGOS, curated by Erica Romano, Palazzo Pretorio, Prato, Cassero Medievale, 2023; Art Action and Video ECCE DOMINUS, CARO PIERPAOLO, part of the Pasoliniana exhibition, Rome, Galleria d'Arte Moderna (2023); Art Action and Video FLORILEGIO, Tribute to Mimì Quilici Buzzacchi and Laura Grisi, an event for RomaVisiva, Casa del Cinema, Roma Culture (2021).
Laura VdB Facchini founded the "Wind Mill" Cultural Association in Rome in 2020, with the aim of promoting the deconstruction of gender stereotypes through art and culture and contributing to equal opportunities in contemporary art and society, as well as encouraging and promoting the work of female artists worldwide. She also launched the project "Women Visual Artists"