America pays homage to Italian art. That’s what is happening these days in New York with the event ‘Art Exchange: America & Italy,’ a major exhibition designed to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Carlo Rambaldi, a great figure of cinema awarded three times with an Oscar for the special effects of E.T., Alien and King Kong. Behind it all is the Rambaldi Promotions association, with exhibition curators Daniela Rambaldi and Tess Howsam srtistic director of Culture Lab LIC.
An exhibition featuring pictorial, sculptural and other works by 71 Italian and 23 American artists. Among the featured artists is Irene Veschi, an Italian artist born in Terni on Jan. 21, 1972. The Umbrian artist, who lives and works in Terni, is distinguished by her use of the medical X-ray plate as the support for her works, which always highlight the heart. Irene Veschi is an artist capable of conveying, through her works and personality, an extraordinary positive and creative energy. Her own story shows that, with determination and perseverance, it is possible to realize one’s dreams and carry out a project successfully.
The Italian artist told us at TheNewyorker, from her origins to her arrival in New York.
Irene, when did you realize you had this great talent, this remarkable artistic vein?Since I was a child, I felt strongly the call of art. I was just four years old and I was already enjoying transforming myself, putting on makeup, inventing little shows-it was my way of communicating, of existing. It was always inside me, something innate. I grew up with this certainty and a firm will: to create. I chose art as my life companion, giving up everything else. For those who are artists, art is a living presence, almost a child: it needs care, attention, to be supported and protected, even in the most difficult moments. I did not limit myself to painting or sculpture: I explored film, set design, any form of expression in which I could give voice to my vision. It is an intense journey, full of challenges, but absolutely necessary for those who, like me, cannot help but create.
We imagine, however, that it was not easy for you to embark on a life as a true artist.As a girl, I held a few odd jobs, but I clearly felt that they were not for me. It was as if time spent working for others was being taken away from me, stolen from my true vocation.I invested my whole life in one goal: art. And today, at the age of 53, I can proudly say that I have made it. When I was in my 20s, I used to see my friends building “safer” lives for themselves: stable employment, a car, a routine. I only had my dreams, but they were worth more to me than any permanent contract. I made my own way, step by step, without support. I went through a long apprenticeship, with little money and many sacrifices, but with absolute determination. In the beginning, I had nothing but the unwavering will to live from art. My life has always been projected toward one goal: to take my art to the highest possible level. Today, those same friends who once looked at my choices with perplexity are amazed when they see that I can earn, by selling some of my works, as much as they can in a whole month of work. But what they see today is only the fruit of years of sowing on soil that, at first, was dry and hard to cultivate.
Just talking about your works, how did the idea of using the medical X-ray plate and hearts that are your hallmark come about?I am a deeply spiritual person and I believe, with my whole self, that nothing happens by chance. Every encounter, every event, every sign has meaning, even when we do not immediately understand it. During a trip to Madrid, I had an experience that radically changed my artistic path. In a moment of inner recollection, I asked questions, made wishes, asked for answers. And those answers came, although not in the way I expected.A short time later, I stood in front of a medical x-ray. In that instant I felt clearly that that was the answer I had sought. I understood, almost instinctively, that my art had to be born from there, from that material charged with humanity, fragility and memory. Since then, each of my works comes to life on an X-ray plate. It has become my language, my channel of communication with something that I feel belongs to another dimension. Each plate tells a story beyond the visible, beyond the body, beyond time. There is always, in each one, a deep connection with the invisible, with what goes “beyond.”
What about the heart?At a certain point in my journey, I began to see the shape of the heart everywhere. It was as if it was calling to me, as if it was constantly appearing to remind me of something essential. The heart is a universal symbol; it belongs to all of us. It is a powerful message, simple and profound: a message of love, empathy, human connection. From that moment, the heart became the protagonist of my artistic research. I have painted more than 600 of them, each unique, vibrant, made on media that I have carried with me for years: medical plates. Materials that encapsulate stories of fragility, of care, of life. And on these transparent and delicate surfaces, my hearts take shape.One of my hearts even made it to the big screen, within the short film C’hai 5, starring Gabriel Garko and Maria Grazia Cucinotta, dedicated to the theme of transplants and donation. The film was presented at the Black Tulip Festival in Rome, and it was on that occasion that I met both actors. I remember Garko’s enthusiasm: my hearts touched him so much that today he owns three of them.
You are now in New York. Can we say it’s another dream come true?Yes, absolutely. It was a goal I had been carrying inside me for a long time, and today I can say that I have achieved it. I have always wanted to bring my hearts to New York, to make them live in the streets, among the people, in one of the most iconic and dynamic cities in the world. I wanted New Yorkers to know me for who I am: an artist who comes from Terni, the city of Valentine’s Day, the city of love. The artist of hearts.For me it is not just an art project, it is a statement. I have scattered my hearts all over the city, attached them everywhere, as signs of presence, as silent but strong messages. I want them to be my hallmark, my way of saying, “I am here,” with my art, with my language. This for me is much more than an exhibition: it is a gesture of love to the world.
Can we say that this is just the beginning of your journey to New York and the United States?Absolutely. For me, New York represents an open door to the world, a starting point, not a finish line. It is a city that welcomes, that amplifies, that challenges you but that can also give back so much. And I feel I still have a lot to say, to create, to share. I am already moving to return next year with a new exhibition, even more intense, even more full of hearts and meaning. I want my message of love to reach everywhere, to touch people, to leave a mark. New York is immense, incredible, but my gaze looks beyond: I want to take my hearts to Miami as well, to Los Angeles, to all those cities where art can still excite, speak, unite. I do not set myself any limits, because art – like love – has no boundaries. And my dream is just that: to get my hearts to every corner of the world.
The article Irene Veschi, the heart artist who brought love from Terni to New York comes from TheNewyorker.
