MAalex | Martina Pizzigoni & Alessia Fallica
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MAalex (*2019) is an artist and curatorial duo founded by Martina Pizzigoni (*1998) and Alex Fallica (*1998). They are currently enrolled in the MA Interface Culture program at Kunstuniversität Linz. Recent exhibitions include: Ars Electronica Festival 2023, Linz (AT), Speculum Artium Festival 2023, Trbovlje (SLO), Pixxelpoint Festival 2023, Nova Gorica (SLO), Recto VRso 2024, Laval (FR), WIP Festival 2024, Nicosia (CYP).

Tutta Notte Buia, 2025

The work shown here is the second chapter in MAalex’s research series Death on the Internet, in which the artist duo explores mourning in the digital age. The work addresses death as a collective, shared event that transcends individual boundaries and makes mourning mechanisms within digital communities visible. The title refers to the Greek-Salentine expression Panta nifta scotinì (Eng.: “always dark night”), alluding to the disorienting, all-encompassing dimension of death and the transience of life.
The piece consists of two complementary elements: an artistic documentary film featuring oral testimonies, archival footage, and material from the Salento region, as well as a multi-channel installation. At its center is a digital investigation into the ancient ritual of lamentation (chiangimuerti), which—through photography, video, 3D scans, programming, and AI—is transformed into a speculative view on present and future burial cultures.
The tradition of chiangimuerti or prefiche—professional mourners whose roots go back to ancient Egypt and Greece—was an almost exclusively female, emancipatory role in patriarchal societies. As the last custodians of orally transmitted pagan rituals, they disappeared over the past decades. The work is thus also an attempt to preserve this cultural heritage and reinterpret it in a contemporary way.

Jury Statement:
The jury was convinced by the project Tutta Notte Buia by the artist duo MAalex, comprised of Martina Pizzigoni and Alessia Fallica, who are studying Interface Cultures at the University of Art and Design Linz. The artists engage—quite literally—with “our final journey.” Inspired by Alessia Fallica’s cultural background in southern Italy, the project aims to transform traditional mourning rituals into digital performative art. Tutta Notte Buia was selected for its innovative combination of tradition and modern technology.
The project offers an unusual perspective on grief and community in the digital age and opens new avenues for cultural and emotional engagement. MAalex’s research focuses on the socio-anthropological dimensions of human nature, with a particular interest in cultural heritage and its transition into new paradigms through digital technologies.
Tutta Notte Buia is to be realized as an interactive installation, creating an immersive experience for visitors.

Jury: Reinhard Gattinger (Art Representative Energie AG), Alexandra Grausam (Curator, Director of “das weisse haus” in Vienna until 2023 and “Away Art Residencies” for the BMKÖS), Peter Hauenschild (Artist, Lecturer at Kunstuniversität Linz), Maria Venzl (Curator OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH)