An interview with Ellis Moseley, Helpman Academy Resident, in which he speaks about the work he has produced during his residency at the BSR from March to June 2024, ahead of the Summer Open Studios.
Could you tell us more about the research you are developing during your three-month residency at the British School at Rome?
During my residency at the BSR I have been drawn to the exploration of contemporary Rome, particularly the suburbs. I have often visited and spoken with residents in suburbs such as Vitinia and Ladispoli. These interactions have given me a new lens to apply to my view of Rome. To an extent, I see a city lost to its people, pushed out to its margins by overwhelming tourism. In this there is an irony, the ancient Roman was perhaps the most prolific coloniser in human history, today the unquestioning fascination with the ruins of that very empire brings about its own colonisation. These observations, together with my broader research into the ideas of theft and power in Italy, has provided the basis for my research at the BSR.
The works you’re making for the Summer Open Studios trace parallels between power and thievery. Could you expand on this?
Theft and power accompany one another always, indeed even at the crucifixion Jesus (God as man) is flanked by two thieves. Whether petty, national or multinational, or intellectual, theft is an act of power. As we see deep challenges to internationalism, and the active expressions of national theft, the re-emergence of the currency of pure military power sees us once again turn to the expressions of that power as tokens of our faith, weaponry as objects of safety and security. This body of work explores these themes, touching on Italy’s secularisation and re-militarisation.
