Variations in Memory Flat [THE ECCO]

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