#LUCE LOVES ART - The beauty of Art lies in its diversity. It's a form of expression that can be shaped in the simplest and truest way, the one that best represents you. Your way.
With this project, we wanted to talk about this topic that we love so much, adapting it to our Luce, in a perfect blend of style and originality.
We chose to introduce you to some female artists: pleasant new discoveries, but also familiar faces. We had fun with them taking some photos and chatting about their art and what makes them special, in their uniqueness and in their work.
1) Hi Vittoria! Why did you choose to include children in your artistic project? It wasn't really a "choice" for me... it all started in 2017 when I met Martha Zimmerman and began working for "Los Superpoderes del Arte," a Contemporary Art project for children in Barcelona. Since then, the inclusion of children in my work has grown more and more each year, and today it's a part of me. It's constantly helping me grow and evolve, both as a person and as an artist.
2) What have children taught you from an artistic point of view? My work process is experimental, and the printing techniques I use, although confidently mastered, always have an element of surprise that makes them astonishing. When working with children, there's always an element of surprise and wonder, and this aspect is the common thread that connects everything. They've made me more flexible and broken down walls I had built up as I grew. They continually inspire me with their natural, free, and authentic way of living and creating art.
3) Is it important to introduce children to the world of art at such a young age? Absolutely, and here I want to respond with the words of an English writer named Philip Pullman, who wrote this text in 2012, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (which he won in 2005). I will only quote 3 paragraphs:
“Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. If you don’t give a child food, the damage quickly becomes visible. If you don’t let a child have fresh air and play, the damage is also visible, but not so quickly. If you don’t give a child love, the damage might not be seen for some years, but it’s permanent.”
“But if you don’t give a child art and stories and poems and music, the damage is not so easy to see. It’s there, though. Their bodies are healthy enough; they can run and jump and swim and eat hungrily and make lots of noise, as children have always done, but something is missing.”
“We must understand that every child has a right to the experience of culture. We must fully understand that without stories and poems and pictures and music, children will starve.”
*The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is an annual prize presented by the Swedish government to authors of children's and young adult literature and illustrators to honor the creator of the character Pippi Longstocking, the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002).
4) What are your future plans? Certainly, the main one is to consolidate my presence as an Art Expert and Atelierista in schools and kindergartens and to continue growing my personal educational project @Farearte. Before the end of the year, I will hold a major training session for educators on the occasion of Bergamo and Brescia as Culture Capitals, and on October 23rd, I will inaugurate a personal exhibition titled "FORMA PROPRIA" in my city at [SETTECENTO] in Presezzo. Throughout the exhibition period, there will be workshops for children and families inspired by my works, in collaboration with SEMINASTORIE, an independent bookstore dedicated to the world of childhood.
Credits - Artist: Vittoria Drago, Photographer: Marta Dall'Agnola