Q. How is the situation in your area and how has it affected your life?
A. I live in Turin, a city in the north of Italy, which is actually very close to Milan in Lombardia – the area that has been affected most severely since the pandemic outbreak, as we all know from the news.
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Valentina Brostean interview
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About Valentina Brostean Valentina Brostean is a multidisciplinary artist, originally from Novi Sad, currently based in beautiful sunny Italy. Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts Novi Sad, she holds a BFA degree in graphic design and an MFA degree in Illustration and Book design. Her bold, colourful style, often described as Pop Art that meets Surreal Expressionism, is a striking lesson in the use of courageous, unexpected compositions and bold, bright colours that perfectly describe her state of mind and wild temperament. Valentina has specialized in Editorial and Fashion illustration mostly using her well known playful collage technique. Her widely recognizable style has established her as one of the emerging contemporary artists appreciated by selected international clients such as Armani Exchange, Washington Post, Corriere Della Sera, Bicycle USA among many others. |
Nevertheless, I must say the situation in Turin is slightly more stable and acceptable in comparison with these most affected areas. A month ago no one really knew what was about to come and we were quite easygoing and relaxed regarding the distant “Chinese virus”.
I remember we went to the seaside close to Turin and the same day when we got back home the authorities gave official order to put the whole country on lockdown and block basically everything, traffic, schools, workplaces, travel, any sort of movement or activities except for basic needs.
For more than a month now we’re in a situation where only pharmacies and supermarkets are open. It’s scary and surreal! It has been and still is quite a shock, life suddenly slowed down big time. No more evening ‘aperitivi’, meeting friends in bars or clubs, no more travelling or even walking around freely! All of a sudden everyone works from home, at least those who can do their jobs remotely and still didn’t lose their jobs! You can see very few people on the streets, all wearing masks, avoiding each other, keeping at a safe distance.
A silent weirdness echoes the empty streets… I cannot even walk my dog properly as all the parks have been shut down due to some people not respecting the basic rules set by the authorities. Still, I have to say that (luckily) I personally don’t know even a single person who got the virus. As the situation is still risky and fragile, we try to respect the rules and live one day at a time, waiting for the moment when life would return to normalcy, hoping in the first place it would be possible at all.
Q. Has coronavirus changed the way you see the world and your own art?
A. From my perspective, this pandemic is a big test for everyone and everything, for the fragility of our relations, our state of mind, stability of the economy, etc.
Personally this situation has clearly proved to me how important my art is for my spiritual and emotional survival! It is the only thing right now that makes sense in this total madness.
It keeps me connected to my inner self, helps me deal with my emotions and express my thoughts, and keeps me mentally sane. Without it, I would feel really lost, sad and disconnected. It is also my link to the rest of the world, I communicate through it.
Now I know better what my priorities are and what really is worth, my family, my art, our shared experiences, the time we have together. Everything else is secondary, everything that is material became totally insignificant and irrelevant.
Q. What emotions are you experiencing and how is art helping you to embrace and reflect them. Is your art an escape?
A. Art is an enormous experimental field where freedom is basically limitless. That is such a comforting fact for me, especially now when I do not have any sort of freedom in my daily life. I am a free wild spirit and I generally hate to be locked and limited in my movements. I am always on the run and always planning some new little adventure. Since our freedom is limited I am grateful for the freedom that art gives me! Sometimes art is my escape but mostly it is my ‘weapon’ that helps me to process all that I think and feel. I would be so much more stressed if I didn’t have this creative side. I do feel fear and uncertainty about what tomorrow would bring. It is a level of consciousness I still have to deal with and explore through my creations… probably stage two in the period that is in front of us.
Q. How important is social media for you as an artist, especially during this time?
A. Social media and networking are crucial now, more than ever as everything we have right now is online! Currently, we’re witnessing a situation where we cannot meet in the artist’s studio/atelier, galleries, museums or a similar venue.
Our window in the world now is digital – it is a screen! Therefore I think an online presence is necessary, being present on a few platforms gives the artist a wider range of ‘signal’ and spreads their art and message further!
Sure it takes time to create, post and share the content and in the first place it shouldn’t even be the role of an artist, but times have changed.
With digitalization, everything became so fast-moving, interactive and ever-changing, so that artists do not have a choice, but to adapt and accept the situation the way it is! It’s not always easy to spend a couple of hours daily replying emails, arranging and sharing my content, often interacting with other people in the creative community.
But I am aware I cannot change this fact, I need to use it for my benefit as much as I can. That’s why I try to be very pragmatic, organize my day and work-schedule so that I can achieve everything as planned. I can’t say it works every time but I’m trying.
Q. What helps you to get through this challenging period? What do you look forward to when things return to normalcy?
A. I am certainly looking forward to being free again, to be able to go back to my studio where I can paint and create on a bigger scale, and most important, I can’t wait to be able to sell and ship my artworks again, as everything is completely blocked right now!
While regularly daydreaming about some future travels and happy adventures I hope very much that this pandemic in a few months will be just an ugly nightmare that we left behind…