ALESSANDRA LETA
Born in Milan, 1997, Alessandra Leta is a visual artist. Trained as a photographer, her practice incorporates image-making, sculpture, installation, and mixed media. She primarily works with found objects and images retreived online, investigating the acts and language of collecting, looking, and display across historical and contemporary contexts.
She is currently based in the French Alsace and has her studio in Basel, Switzerland.
She also works as a commercial photographer.
PROJECTS
The Unmovable Mover (2022-2024)
A Sudden Unspeakable Sweat (2024)
Docile Flesh: Eye, Mouth, and Sugar (ongoing)
CV
CONTACT
hello@alessandraleta.com
instagram
+41 77 814 XX XX
ATELIER
Unterdessen
Schanzenstrasse 13
CH-4056 Basel
DOCILE FLESH: EYE, MOUTH, AND SUGAR (ongoing)
Docile Flesh: Eye, Mouth and Sugar is an ongoing cycle of works exploring the intertwined histories of looking and collecting. Through photography, sculpture, and installation, the project traces a language of fixation shared by hunting, photography, museum display, and consumerism.
At its center is
a Swiss man whose lifelong fascination with birds led him to commit
a remarkable theft: over a decade, he plucked away more thank 17
thousands feather from 167 species across various European Natural
History Museums. Disguised as an expert ornithologist, he
befriended museum staff to gain access to valuable archives, where he
discreetely committed his crimes. His methodical approach went
unnoticed for years, resulting in significant scientific and financial
losses.
Divided into distinct works, the project wants to reflect on this true story as it opened questions on obsession, display, and the colonial roots of how we look at and possess the world.
Partially funded by the AIC (Aide individuelle à la création) of the French Ministry of Culture and DRAC Grand Est.