2010

Installation
| Materials | nine A4 sheets of paper, a DVD, stamps, postage, and a shipping envelope.

| view of the installation at ScalaMata Gallery, Venice, Italy |

The right to choose one’s surname is a fundamental personal right, as outlined in Article 2 of the Italian Constitution, and it should belong to the individual who bears it. According to the ruling in Case 2572/2004 by the State Council, "there is no prohibition if the applicant requests to add their mother's surname to their own" (Paragraph III, No. 1374/84). This principle emphasizes that while our legal system favors the stability of family names, it does not entirely exclude exceptions to the traditional recognition of individuals solely through their paternal surname.

Modello A serves as the first form in a series required to initiate the bureaucratic process for changing or adding a surname. The A4 sheets, arranged in a sequence, present a reconstruction of the family genealogy, which is juxtaposed against the official documents in an exploration of personal identity.

The first sheet, adorned with a revenue stamp, constitutes the application for a surname change for adults. It identifies the applicant and provides space for them to articulate the reasons for their request within a limit of fifteen lines. The second sheet comprises a substitute declaration of personal data certification and civil status registration.

Supporting documents can be attached to these two forms to bolster the applicant's reasons; for instance, five sheets illustrate the family tree, while a DVD contains a video of a performance held at the maternal family’s gravesite. A postscript concludes the submission: the collected materials will be sent to the relevant authorities upon the death of the last family member with a direct connection to the ultimate bearer of the maternal surname.