Dedicata al mondo dell’arte WUF è pensata come un dispositivo contemporaneo di connessione tra giornalisti e protagonisti dello scenario artistico e ha debuttato con uno speciale appuntamento e due intense giornate di attività martedì 11 e mercoledì 12 giugno 2024. La nuova organizzazione WUF (We Understand the Future) è dedicata a connettere voci creative e valorizzare progetti artistici emergenti attraverso un approccio guidato dall’arte e dalla tecnologia. L’edizione inaugurale prende vita con un evento esclusivo per la stampa realizzato negli spazi dell’iconico Bar Rouge, con la partnership di ArtsLife e de La Lettura de Il Corriere della Sera.
La parola ai protagonisti: ANDREA BONACETO
One element that for me is very important is that we should humanize technology, not dehumanize humans through technology.
Welcome. Andrea, can you present your work, please?
Thank you, everyone. I’m Andrea, an artist. I’ve been in the digital art space since the early days, and now I’m experimenting with both digital and physical art. I use technology in my works as a means to express the human soul to some extent and, of course, to express myself.
Okay, and can you speak about the works you’re working on now?
I’m working on a few projects. The first one is around physical works. I’m taking snapshots of my life in my own language, and you can see them here. They are like the building blocks of who I am. These are my letters, my language, my alphabet. It’s the way I express myself. I like to connect that with words because I think it’s important to have cross-pollination between different art forms like narrative, poetry, visual art, and music. I think it’s all part of the same thing.
And what you see here in the back is a major project I’m working on called Untitled. We presented it in New York a few months ago. I’ll try to explain it in simple terms. You should think about Untitled as a way to connect with people. I express my own language through my works, my physical works, and I’m asking people to express their own language. Interact with this installation. The colored part here at the center is an interactive screen that you can touch, draw on, write on, do whatever you want. All interactions with the installation are recorded by the AI we built as part of this project, which standardizes the new language. It’s like a glue that brings together all the different subjectivities of people and tries to deliver a harmonious message and language.
We plan to go all over the world, interacting with people from different cities and backgrounds, to see how technology can bring people together, allow them to find common ground, and create a brand new language because, in the end, art is a brand new language.
Do you think this is very important for the future of humankind, finding new ways to communicate? Can art help in this direction?
I think it’s very important to find new ways to communicate. As you can see, given what’s happening around the world, it’s crucial for human beings to interact positively with each other. Art means many things, but for me, art is a tool to interact with people. Personally, I went through two phases: first, art was an introspective exercise, almost therapeutic, helping me solve my own issues. Then, the second phase was using that energy to reveal myself to others, encouraging them to reveal themselves to me. When that happens, you create something unique and authentic, and people engage with it.
How can new technologies like artificial intelligence help in this? What is your relationship with new technologies?
New technologies are very important. AI and blockchain are reshaping the world beyond art. We are at the cusp of a new paradigm. AI is developing so quickly—it’s crazy. The first time I used AI in a work was in 2021 with my work with Sophia, and it has evolved so much since then. It’s a technology changing our lives and, as a result, impacting art as well.
One important point for me is that we should humanize technology, not dehumanize humans through technology. For me, technology is a tool to explain or attempt to explain the human soul and bring people closer together. It’s not just something to process data and deliver a good-looking output. I care whether people can connect with it in a subconscious way.
For example, an artist that gives me that feeling is Mark Rothko. When you see his works, at least for me, there’s something true in them.
Your works are very impactful on an aesthetic level. What is your relationship with aesthetics?
That’s an interesting question. I think my works are impactful in an unconscious way. It’s not about being responsible for who you are. When you strip away the ego, what comes out is authentic and uncontrollable. For instance, certain colors, characters, and words appear repeatedly in my work. They are impactful because they are a part of me. They are a building block of my being.
Do you think the aesthetic aspect of a work can affect its reception in the market?
For sure, the aesthetic aspect has an impact because we are human beings and we use visual elements to navigate life. But for me, the decorative element of a work is not important. I care about the conceptual dimension and the connection with a deeper philosophical message. My works are like doors; you can appreciate them on the surface or go deeper to explore the many layers within.
What is your relationship with the art market?
The art market is important because it brings certain works inside or outside the history of art. It would be nice to say the market doesn’t matter, but it would be false. There are many unknown artists who are no less artists than I am and often better than me. But there is also art recognized by the market that isn’t true art—it’s just a well-packaged product. The intersection between authentic art and market-recognized art is where you find works that go down in art history. Artists like Rothko, Kandinsky, and Matisse lived in that intersection.
What is the space of freedom between artistic creation, research, and the market? Can the market influence artistic freedom?
Ideally, the market shouldn’t influence artistic freedom, but in reality, it does. There are two phases in every artist’s life: one before people care about what you do and one after. The challenge is to remain true to yourself during that transition. If you stay aware, you can remain coherent with yourself and maintain the freedom to create authentically.
What is your relationship with utopia, given the connections between your work and your philosophy about art and the art market?
I’m a realistic utopian. I bring reality and utopia together. The goal of art for me is to seek objective truth, though as an individual, I can’t achieve that alone. By bringing people into my works and allowing them to interact authentically, we can collectively reveal elements of truth. It’s about shooting for ambitious goals while being aware of limitations, continually pushing forward.
What is the necessity of art for you? You had another path in finance, so why did you choose art?
For me, art is a natural inclination, an unavoidable part of who I am. I tried many times to stop doing it, but it always came back. It wasn’t a conscious decision but rather a necessity to express myself.
How has the place where you started doing art influenced your choices?
The environment is fundamental. My connection with certain places, smells, light, and other subtle elements define who I am and what I do. An artist is a product of their experiences and environment. This interplay shapes their work, which is ultimately a self-portrait.
How do these elements go inside your work?
My work is an autobiography, a self-portrait. Even when I portray others, it’s still about how I see them. Everything I do reflects a part of me. Even Untitled brings together my interactions with people throughout my life, creating a collective language.
What if all the people you met in your life engaged with you authentically? That’s a utopian vision of my work, aiming for genuine interactions.
What are the biggest challenges for your work in the future?
I already feel privileged and lucky to have achieved more than I expected. The challenge is to remain coherent with myself and continue bringing my vision clearly and awarely. External challenges exist, but the focus is on maintaining the state of mind that allows me to create.
Is there an aspect of your work we haven’t mentioned that is important to you?
There are many, but we have to stop at some point.
