Could you please tell me about your artistic process?
My works are grounded in repetition, imagined as ‘long walks without a pre-determined goal’ where every step taken leads to a different result than the sum of these steps. It’s not only a work of construction, however, it’s also the result of observations and search of traces. They are everywhere and even if I don’t translate them in a literal way, they are a great source of inspiration.
Let’s take a desire path for example, which you find a lot on lawns: someone has decided to take a shortcut which didn’t leave much of an impression in the grass, but when many others do the same it leaves a trace and turns into a path which redefines the ground. This is a very literal example, but there are so many more, like bronze sculptures that were touched at the same spot so often that these spots become polished and shiny, and so on.
Those traces are evidence of repetitive small actions.
And so I built up each drawing by layering minute, precise marks. Small dots, lines or punched holes are similar yet distinctive in shape and colour, placed in close proximity forming a vibrating unit.
At first glance, the result suggests to be a still image, but captivating the gaze, reveals a dynamic and noisy tremor.
What is the most challenging part of it?
The most challenging part is the danger of falling into a routine. Even if I carry out the very same action many, many times, like making a dot or piercing a hole it must never turn into a factory-like act.
There is a logical consequence resulting from every previous step. Even if I talk about getting carried away I actually never give up control.
Without a focused mind, my artistic process leads to something hollow and meaningless.
The line between substantial and superficial is sometimes very thin and many times I found myself in dangerous proximity to the wrong side of that line.
What lockdowns and the current situation has changed to you from an artistic perspective?
During the lockdown, many activities stopped, like events, travels and art fairs, and all of a sudden there was so much extra time that I had to spend all by myself in the studio.
I don’t think I ever worked so much on my art as during this last year. On one side very luxurious, because I got so much more done and could finally close open cases, but on the other side it was a lonely and uninspiring period, and the need to show to the world what I have made has grown enormously.
If there is one good thing coming out from this period then it is the rediscovery of hunger.
But a hunger for a high percentage (not sure about the use of ‘percentage’ here, are you referring to quality?) and not high quantity.
The distraction of fast consumption like goods, travel, etc. is temporarily replaced by a strong need to be touched. It may be wishful thinking from my side, but it seems to me that people spend more time in front of an artwork than before. I am somewhat surprised and touched to see how many people make an effort to experience art in real life again.