Pigments made from debris, on mirrors and glass, variable dimensions, 2025.

Through the study of traces discovered among the arches of the Acquedotto Felice, in Rome’s Quadraro neighborhood, artist Mercedes Klausner evokes the memory of a deeply rooted history of community and resistance in this area. The architecture of the aqueducts, originally conceived to transport water, common good, was transformed during the postwar period into a refuge for a multitude of people, standing as a testament to a solidarity that endured beyond precariousness. Intrigued by a series of graffiti etched onto the remains of old plaster, Imago acquae-urbis seeks to revive an architectural utopia envisioned in 1973, the year the last dwellings were demolished, through the use of dust from rubble collected in situ and mirrors.

Curated by Isabella Vitale, founder of pianobi
As part of the project “Il Racconto dell’acqua” conceived and curated by Adriana Polveroni, in collaboration with the Ciel’ in Città association, winner of the Artes et Iubilaeum call for proposals promoted by the Department of Culture of Rome Capitale and organized by the Department of Cultural Activities.