The art of places

You were involved in the “50th Biennale” in Venice; in your opinion, what relevance and meaning do such events have in developing a new awareness/sensibility in the audience?
I think that it is essential that events like this exist; they give some kind of overview on what is happening in art at the moment. We might like one biennale better than the other but their existence is crucial for the world of art. Biennials also often produce new works that might have never been made otherwise. They also function as a counterpoint to the market and as such make a parallel existence to the market one possible.

John Cage states that the creative ideas of artists should be considered within their social, historical and cultural contexts. Does the “global artist” then exist?
I do not think so. There are many different art practices in the world and not all of them are socially involved or conscious but that does not make them `global’. If by `global’ one would define the Western European /American art then it still stays what it is – Western European or American and not global.

Do you believe that the message conveyed by contemporary art influences the conscience of a multitude of people or is it intended for a small cultural elite instead?
Art in all historical periods had its public that was often reduced to a cultural elite. Only after passing through a historical approval it becomes closer to the wide public, like today impressionism is. At the time of its creation it also was seen and appreciated only by a small circle. It is a normal process that contemporary art is going through as well. I do not think that art should flatter or adapt to the tastes of the large public. For that we have entertainment, TV, design etc. I do not see art as something that should entertain and be largely accepted straight away like a pop star.

Your research underlines the need for a new ethical and political awareness. Could you please elaborate on this statement?
I position myself more as a witness then as a preacher. There are fields of human activity for everything so if one wants to be politically or socially active, one can do that without misusing art for it. I find that a social engagement as such cannot be enough to be considered as art.

Belonging to a community bound to a specific territory and, at same time, living in a globalized and “homogenized” society. How can these two contradictions coexist?
I do not think that I, or any of us, lives in a globalized or homogenized society. If you are talking about the Coca-Cola, McDonalds etc. society that is only a part of the society, the part of  economic goods. And that of only a part of the world. Otherwise I see many differences in between France and Italy for example. Even more so in between Europe and the States. I do not know what would be this homogenized society? The world is at a point of being the least homogenised than it has probably ever been.

Some of your artworks highlight the role played by women. To what extent did your “woman’s point of view” influence your artworks?
It influenced my work to the extent that I am, as a person a woman and therefore have a female point of view. The male point of view is what we are used to, what we see in majority. The female point of view was so long in the shadow that we almost forgot that it exists and that it is somewhat different from the male.