Ketty La Rocca Appendice per una supplica, 1972 Video, silent, b/w 9.30 minutes A central work is her film “Appendice per una Supplica” (Appendix for a Petition) that was screened at the Biennale di Venezia in 1972, which can be screened in a restored version for the first time since then at Art Basel. It shows a pair of male and female hands against a black background gesticulating an entire repertoire of possible meanings and interpersonal tensions. The film reveals La Rocca’s attempt at developing a language that is not pre-coded by society. This dealing with the social construction of meaning was influenced by her work for Italian television, where she created and presented shows for deaf-mute persons. It is the very first film in art history showing manual gestures.
