Variations in Memory Flat [bilingual Italian and English - links to translated videos below], is a quiet reflection on childhood memories, caught in a kitchen between big moments of joy and small, unexpected sadness.

This is the final outcome of my participation in THE ECCO, unveiled at the ((XMTR)) Festival.

Slippery memory, the theme chosen for THE ECCO’s second cohort, was more than a concept, it was a sensation that speaks to those memories that slip away and hide just as you try to grasp and describe them.

I tried to translate this fleeting quality into sonic impressions, guided by the fragmented recollections of an ever-unreliable narrator.

This piece represents a pivotal moment in my creative journey: an intimate investigation that wants to open a doorway into what remains with us and what time quietly erases.

The project is shaped by the interplay of languages and memories, softened by the patina of recollection, a gentle coating that sweetens even those moments that, when they occurred in the past, left us grasping for meaning.

I am profoundly grateful to Jasmin Bauomy, founder of THE ECCO, for giving me the opportunity to be part of this group and for the vision and the guidance that were pivotal in bringing to light what I didn’t even know I needed to express.

I am grateful to the group of European audio producers of THE ECCO, who have become my friends. We spent some incredible days in our Tuscany retreat, writing, playing, cooking, eating, talking, feeding the fox, crying, and laughing. We shared experiences, doubts, and ideas, forging bonds that are difficult to articulate.

This has been an amazing experience of growth and discovery.

I invite you to listen closely, to immerse yourselves in these fluid, slippery memories, to discover reflections of your own stories within, and to embrace the beautiful ambiguity of what slips through our fingers yet lingers in our minds.

Text, editing and voice: M. Cristina Marras
Producer: Jasmin Bauomy
Additional sound engineer: Jesse Lawson

Video with English subtitles
Video with Italian subtitles

Was passiert, wenn eine Uhr, die früher an der Wand hing, nicht mehr funktioniert und weggeworfen wird? Und warum fühlen wir uns gezwungen, eine Streichholzschachtel zu schütteln, selbst wenn wir sie nicht benutzen wollen? In diesem Werk finden Sie keine endgültige Antwort auf diese Fragen, aber ich lade dich trotzdem ein, zuzuhören – für eine ruhige Erkundung der beständigen Gewohnheiten unseres Gedächtnisses, dessen, was nach dem Verschwinden von Menschen und Gegenständen aus unserem Leben bleibt, und wie der Klang ihres Lebens lange nach ihrem Verschwinden nachklingt.

Diese Geschichte habe ich für Small Audio Art erstellt, eine von Phoebe McIndoe gegründete Gemeinschaft von Künstlern und Audiomachern, die in einer zerstreuten Welt Zusammengehörigkeit suchen. Das Thema für dieses Audio war "Uhr".

Listen also in English

Bildbearbeitung des Fotos von Abiodun Ageh bei Unsplash

I take you on a journey of creativity, surprises and changes of direction, because this story evolves in ways I didn’t expect.

I started intending to record an interview with my friend Kathleen McCann, who painted the painting I wanted to talk about for my Small Audio Art project. A friend who lives 10 hours time difference away.

I end up sharing much more, beyond the messages I sent, the questions I wrote, the quiet rooms I asked for.

The piece becomes a gentle reflection on time, care, and the balance between being present and absent. Hard moments in life quietly emerge, along with the demands on time, and the love that carries through it all.

Join me in this quiet and thoughtful exploration of art, friendship, and the spaces between sound and silence. I hope it stays with you.

The painting that inspired me was created by my good friend of many adventures, artist, activist and overall amazing human being Kathleen McCann.

Small Audio Art is a community brought together by Phoebe McIndoe with artists and audio makers looking for togetherness in a scattered world. The prompt for this audio was 'painting'.