Francesca Marchesini

Performance story

I have become a reflection that does not belong to me. Each day, I paint over my silence and slip into this costume stitched with expectations. They call me “clown.” But tonight, I refuse to entertain. Tonight, I want to tear off the mask. In the mirror, I see only the image of a role — one pressed onto my skin, a burden painted in bright colors. I wrestle within this cage of learned smiles, frozen gestures, laughter that rings hollow. So I face it. My reflection. Your commands. The image etched onto me without consent. And in this face-to-face, I unravel. I break free. I become. No longer the clown, but the being. Not funny, not obedient — but alive.