Exclusive Interview with Ivano Sabot

- Hello Dear Ivano Sabot. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Quarantine” affects your art?

Thank you for the time given to me. It is difficult to say at this time how or if the quarantine affected my art. We still are in the middle of this pandemic. I have a slow process of digesting events, interpreting them, and turning them into art. A dramatic and dividing event such as this one needs time to be processed. When I create, it is always on a topic from something already metabolized, understood and dissected. We still are in the middle of this pandemic, and I do not want to fall into the over abused quarantine diaries trend. 

- In these strange and unusual times, what do you find is the most challenging part about being an Artist? 

In the past months, measures taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus, such as social distancing and quarantines, have led to greater isolation. These measures forced me to spiral negative thoughts about this uncertain time, and it had an undeniable impact on my mental health. Being an artist, keeping up with my daily routine, and making art helped me to overcome anxiety. Now what I fear is that what today seems surreal, strange and unusual, will become everyday life. A traumatic event such as the pandemic requires a discussion, shared by individuals and the collective, capable of lasting over time, and not in an empty or rhetorical way. 

- Can you tell us more about your project “Hymns”? 

The project Hymns was born in Rome. During a conversation among friends, a dreamlike vision appeared to me. It was a face that emerged from the waters of the sea, and that vision remained with me and grew for days.No clue what that meant, but I had to translate it into an image. But it was not enough, a constant flow of images overlapped in my head. After a few pictures were made, I realized a project was born. I called it Hymns. At the beginning, it was just a simple visual language. A paper mask at the centre of the image, and a few significant objects around it. An attempt to criticize modern society with child-like eyes. After relocating to Prague at the end of 2015, I started weaving together masks, silhouettes, fabrics, and lights, intending to investigate, through surreal, and at times grotesque images, my vision of the world and the endless shades of life itself. Playing with sculptures and paintings, and experimenting with those new materials, pushed me to explore the environment, moving away from the bidimensional and flat perspective of my earlier images. Religion, human relations, and especially the vision of women in modern society became the theme of my work. I strongly believe in the need to build a society based on freedom, where the pursuit of happiness is the only purpose of existence. 

- Masks are a recurring pattern throughout your artworks. What does this image mean to you? Can you explain the symbolism behind your use of masks? 

“Man is least himself when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” This quotation of Oscar Wilde is a perfect fit to explain my work. From ancient times men have worn masks; they make it to acquire a new identity, for religious purposes, or for fun. At the dawn of history, masks were believed to have magical powers.The man who wore them could become something else, even a God. In the Greek theatre, just by wearing masks actors could turn themselves into anybody: kings, slaves, soldiers, or heroes. Masks ease telling the truth and revealing our true nature. Taking advantage of this freedom of expression, I played with different types of masks, at first a paper mache mask, but in real life, the masks are well hidden behind our face. Keeping that thought in mind, I started to create faces with clay, the ideal filter that man places between himself and others and characterizes every moment of our relationship and social interaction. Without the possibility of seeing more of us, our potential and various forms of expression boil down to one. 

- Can you give us a spoiler on what’s coming next for Ivano Sabot? 

Difficult to say. I am not much of a planner. I love when things happen in an unexpected way, like this experience with you. It enriches me, and it makes me want to grow more as an artist. 

http://marvelousartgallery.com/ 

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https://artmo.com/user/i.sabot/