Carlo Lucidi - Interview

.aesthetic talk
Carlo Lucidi
*Artistic Narratives

written + interview Amanda Mortenson

Carlo Lucidi, renowned curator and artist, continues to bridge contemporary creativity with timeless narratives.

His latest project, Dipingo fiori per non farli morire (I paint flowers so they will not die), celebrates the 70th anniversary of Frida Kahlo’s passing through an extraordinary exhibition of contemporary jewelry.

Opened on November 30, 2024, at Sala Santa Rita in Rome, the showcase features over 300 pieces by 80 international artists. These works, crafted from diverse materials such as gold, ceramics, and recycled metals, reflect themes of resilience, identity, and feminine creativity—key elements of Kahlo’s enduring legacy.

crown
Hanna Katarina Alexandra

necklace
Mercedes Castro Corbat

Amanda Mortenson
Carlo, with “I Paint Flowers So They Will Not Die,” you've curated an all-female lineup of artists in tribute to Frida Kahlo. What drew you to explore femininity and resilience through the medium of contemporary jewelry?

Carlo Lucidi
That's an important question, and I like starting to talk about my project from this perspective. First, a premise about contemporary jewelry: it’s a highly current form of communication and expression, with dynamics all its own, both connected to and distinct from fashion and art. The fact that it’s such a unique phenomenon makes it less subject to market forces and trends, granting it an inherent freedom and openness to engage with the challenges present in both the art world and the world at large.

That said, my desire to promote it and convey its artistic and poetic essence has often come up against the difficulty of making it accessible, of sparking curiosity in potential collectors, art lovers, and the simply intrigued.

Frida Kahlo is an iconic artist, and this year, with the seventy-year anniversary of her passing, I felt a strong urge to delve into the process of narrating her story. Her reflections on impermanence, suffering, and community have always struck and fascinated me deeply. Given her inspirational role in today’s world, it felt necessary to honor her legacy by dedicating this exhibition to female voices. That’s why the open call was exclusively for women and non-binary artists. Of course, this was not without controversy, but life is made of difficult choices. In being misunderstood for these decisions, I felt, in some way, once again in tune with Frida Kahlo.

The pieces on display feel like vessels for stories beyond adornment—a raw, intimate language of survival and beauty. How do you think jewelry can capture these layers in ways traditional art forms might not?

The lack of a strong and structured market behind it is the real struggle of contemporary jewelry. It’s often seen by the visual arts world as a simple, inadequate attempt, by the fine jewelry market as a 'crude' use of rough techniques, and by the fashion world as a curious but ultimately minor accessory, something small and difficult to define commercially, and impossible to brand for the big names. Yet, this inadequacy is precisely contemporary jewelry’s greatest strength: a field where exploration happens without rules, free from trends, and as the result of genuine, personal research that doesn’t only exist on an expressive level. That’s true of all art forms. In contemporary jewelry, though, the research also considers wearability—whether it’s possible, practical, or even comfortable for everyday use. The act of creating a piece while imagining it as an artwork frames not just the object itself, but also the act of wearing it as part of the design. It invites the audience not just as observers, but as wearers, or at least as people who wonder what wearing it would feel like. Is it possible? Adequate? Comfortable? This specificity, when applied to themes as powerful as survival and beauty, draws the audience into the same questions raised during creation, placing them in a much more active role compared to most other art forms.

“Frida Kahlo is an iconic artist, and this year, with the seventy-year anniversary of her passing, I felt a strong urge to delve into the process of narrating her story.”

Carlo Lucidi speaks with Amanda Mortenson
LE MILE .Digital

Carlo Lucidi
wearing brooch Anu Kirkinen

brooch
Anu Kirkinen

necklace
Slawa Tchorzewska

Frida Kahlo’s presence looms large in this exhibit. If she could walk through your gallery today, what do you hope she’d feel or recognize in these works?

Frida would see so many women asserting themselves in the art world, building communities, and facing the same questions she grappled with in her own work. She would see her face, her themes, her flowers, the monkeys, the birds, but most importantly, she would recognize through the eyes (or perhaps the hands) of the artists present what she achieved in her life: transforming her suffering into true wonder. I’d hope she would recognize herself in the interpretations these artists have made of her, but even if she didn’t, I would love to hear her dialogue with them. The exchange of human experience would be priceless.

The exhibition touches on the transformative power of art. In a world constantly changing, how do you see the role of contemporary jewelry evolving as a medium for cultural and personal expression?

I believe that personal and cultural expression is crucial, ethically and politically, especially when the world around us seems driven by forces of homogenization, simplifying rather than enriching. Contemporary jewelry, because of its heterogeneity, its transformative nature, and its ability to embody the artist’s expression on the wearer’s body, is a powerful way to resist without weapons. To show one’s individuality is always to enrich the other with questions and the possibility of exchange. In a world as fast-paced as ours, where first impressions seem to matter more than ever, the ability to make a statement through something worn on the body is simply brilliant.

“The act of creating a piece while imagining it as an artwork frames not just the object itself, but also the act of wearing it as part of the design.”

Carlo Lucidi speaks with Amanda Mortenson
LE MILE .Digital

"I Paint Flowers So They Will Not Die"
Location: Sala Santa Rita, Rome
Dates: November 30 – December 4, 2024
More info: culture.roma.it

Over 80 women and non-binary artists from around the world present more than 300 pieces of contemporary jewelry in homage to Frida Kahlo. Organized by the Associazione Metamorfosi and curated by Carlo Lucidi, the exhibition delves into themes of strength, resilience, and feminine identity. Each piece weaves personal expression with Kahlo's reflections on impermanence and renewal. Free admission.

Ginny on Frederick - Interview

Tiny Galleries
REJIG: Ginny on Fred
Ginny on Frederick, London

written Tagen Donovan

Traditional gallery settings have become even more unattainable than ever before. In its place is a burgeoning mecca of alternative-everyday spaces, seamlessly forging art integration into daily life, while expanding outreach and accessibility within its locale.

As we navigate the transition beyond the homogenised landscape of white walls, high ceilings and intimidating invigilators, a newly emerged resistance movement is taking a stance.

This movement spurs a community-based approach to showcasing art. In the last decade, artists and curators have hit the ground running in developing environments that situate themselves in active, working establishments ranging from supermarkets, pubs, salons - and even public toilets.

Presenting art in unconventional spaces is nothing new. Gallerist Gavin Brown notoriously staged his first exhibition in obscure locations such as his Upper West Side apartment. The exhibitions were then displayed in office cubicles in Manhattan and in a room at the Chelsea Hotel. In 1974, the curator Harald Szeemann created a small exhibition about his grandfather, who was a hairdresser, in his apartment in Bern. And for a brief time during the 1980s, Hans Ulrich Obrist ran a gallery in his kitchen, inviting artists such as Fischli and Weiss to show their work there.

Ginny on Frederick Gallery
seen by Stephen James

exhibition
Emily Pope, Poison Pen

Ginny on Frederick Gallery
seen by Stephen James

exhibition
Eva Gold, The Last Cowboys

Adapting to change is an innate quality within art communities, and it’s often where innovation occurs. 2023 has seen the entire world adapt after COVID-19 engulfed our lives for three years. Leaving in its wake the aftermath of an economic downturn onset by the transition of Brexit and the emergence of a war in Eastern Europe. As we weathered through a temporal loop, the once 24/7 energy of the cultural industry evaporated. However, hope rose from the ashes.

Unified by a sense of urgency to reinvigorate the artistic landscape and ultimately interrupt the migration of cultural practices to the internet, a rebirth pioneered by a DIY spirit would see the championing of philanthropic initiatives with a deep sense of community unfold. Amid this defining moment, independent galleries were once again able to flourish - albeit with a twist of unconventionality.

The audacity to stray from convention is radical in itself. As independent galleries populate non-traditional spaces, an overdue revision of principles has gripped cities across the globe. Navigating the landscape unbound by formal institutional structures Recent adversity has created space for the underrepresented and in turn, this has steered the contemporary art world into fresh territory far removed from stale bureaucracy. In this exciting leap, contemporary gallerists are afforded shape-shifting ability as they re- establish the core nurture between the artist, curator and audience.

Freddie Powell, a London-based gallerist has embraced this newly developed approach. Following his graduation in 2016 from the Rhode Island School of Design, Powell's first curatorial venture came to fruition in the form of a medieval- themed motel in Massachusetts. Unknowingly paving the way for future liaisons in non-traditional locales. While in New York's LES, Freddie frequented shop-turned-gallery spaces such as Derosia, JTT and Chapter. Engineering an artistic sensibility inspired by such galleries. Powell later returned to London with the intention of creating a similar environment that embraced curatorial challenges. In 2020, Powell reached a pivotal moment in his career.

Ginny on Frederick Gallery
seen by Stephen James

exhibition
Eva Gold, The Last Cowboys

Ginny on Frederick Gallery
seen by Stephen James

exhibition Racheal Crowther, Qualified to Care

Ginny on Frederick Gallery
seen by Stephen James
exterior view

This was when the opportunity arose to repurpose a site adjacent to a disused Hackney railway arch on Frederick Terrace. In the unforeseen advent of COVID-19, the space shuttered due to mandatory restrictions. Lockdown provided an abundance of time to think, and the occasional jaunt out of the house. Stumbling across a vacant sandwich shop with signage above the doorway still intact: ‘Sunset Sandwich Bar II: Hot & Cold Food to Take Away’. This would be a defining moment for Powell. He knew then and there that this pocket-sized space would be the making of Ginny on Frederick. Kicking off his first show with Jack O'Brien in September 2021.

Offering a sense of promise and support remains the core principle of Ginny on Frederick. With less elbow room for young artists to thrive due to art council cuts and an industry largely run on nepotistic connections, the door of opportunity remains small for most. Powell has recognised this issue and has devised a programme that offers a platform for early- career artists to showcase experimental bodies of work, all while operating in a prime London location, a move simply unheard of in today's runnings of bluechip galleries. In bridging the gap for a new wave of practitioners to organically build up their trade, it’s safe to say that alongside Powell and his contemporaries - a renewed sense of hope has emerged within the underground art scene. Formulating a collective ecosystem that works on symbiosis rather than competition. Powell's mentorship provides value to artists outside of monetary promise. By co-creating environments beyond the mega-gallery trap, Ginny on Frederick ensures longevity in an ever-changing landscape.

follow gallery @ginnyonfrederick