Karsh-Masson Gallery “Fiona Annis – Mormorii.” Véronique La Perrière M, 2019
“Like a spell or invocation, lullabies are a set of repeated words and lulling rhythms. Incantations intended to send children to sleep, they are by nature soothing and hypnotic, inducing shifts of consciousness. Across all corners of the world since time immemorial, lullabies have acted as portals into the dream world. Tender, intimate, and coded with folklore, lullabies occasionally recount surprisingly dark stories, embedded within a melodic suggestion of abandon… The origins of this project trace back to San Romano, Italy, where Annis began recording lullabies with various members of the community. For the following two years, the artist continued to record lullabies in Canada and abroad while developing parallel projects. Over time, her collection has grown to include a diversity of voices and languages. Gathered together in this immersive installation, the multiple voices “a thousand times whispered” create a soft murmur, from which the title of the exhibition, Mormorii, takes its name.”
