Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Alena Alexandrova

Independent reviewer: Maria José de Abreu

Thesis: : The Relics of a Clown, a parallel study of two apparently incongruous subjects

February 2012

ABSTRACT

This thesis is a comparative research between the subjects of 'Relic' and 'Clown', taking as starting point the case study of a collection of eggs held by the society of Clowns International, which functions as an archive of clowns' make-up. The first chapter on the theme of Relic is structured in two parts, where the first half is an analysis of the nature of relics, their origin and characteristics, while the second half is a study of Tacita Dean's work The Martyrdom of St. Agatha and Other Stories, in relation to questions of authenticity and fiction explored in my practice as an artist. Here I draw a connection with my recent work Biscotti di Vento, which explores the legend of a disputed biscuit. The second chapter is divided in four sections, the first of which is dedicated to the figure of the modern clown, operating as a healer in hospitals, prisons and war zones; it was inspired by a project I coordinated with hospital clown trainer Smilzo, which was aimed at the investigation of his job. The chapter continues with a journey into the death, birth and resurrection of the clown, with particular attention to the Joseph Grimaldi memorial service in London (a liturgical celebration of clowns), and the finale of Federico Fellini's The Clowns. The two subjects progressively come together in the conclusion of the paper where it becomes apparent that both relics and clowns base their existence upon a form of recognition on the part of the communities that form around both phenomena.

Author: Vittoria Soddu