Interview: Federico Verdiani
Luca Curci talks with Federico Verdiani during the 17th edition of CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2025 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Federico is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Florence. His pictorial research focuses on matter and sensation rather than image: for him, painting means building surfaces and structures, giving shape to perceptions and inner states. Between “dreams and discipline”, Federico combines creative freedom and rigor, exploring through his project “Rebirthing Eye” a new perspective on reality, one that goes beyond appearances. In his works, action painting and abstract expressionism merge into a gestural and material language made of contrasts, where bold colors are softened by a harmonious white veil, a symbol of balance.

Luca Curci – Which subject are you working on?
Federico Verdiani – Rebirthing Eyes is my dedication. My manifesto. It speaks of the power of art as a tool for introspection, liberation, and connection. It is an invitation to break free from stereotypes, the artworks do not impose a meaning, but rather open a space where the viewer can interact, interpret, and rediscover their own perceptions. Dedicated to my daughter, Olimpia. The theme of Nature, seen from different perspectives, characterizes works defined by multiple volumes. Nature is extended both to what surrounds us in our universe and to human nature itself. In this case, human nature seeks to break free from established patterns, it hides a profound sense of freedom, even when enclosed within symmetries and pre-existing beliefs. It is like the moment we are able to admit our fall or failure, in that very moment, we can do anything; we are free. The concept of nature, of perfection, is already intrinsic art, it is the human vision that makes it perceivable or not as such. A different vision for each individual represents a true emotional visual rebirth, transcending superficiality. Just as in art, in life too there are moments of transformation that, though they may bring instability, introduce new ideas and visions and contribute to progress. This concept emphasizes how change can be essential.

LC – How did you get to your current artistic practice?
FV – By experimenting and observing, I am deeply drawn to the sense of sight, focusing on detail, which in many circumstances reveals itself before the whole. My journey began outside the purely artistic world, as a designer, I had the opportunity to develop this concept through the final product, which often had to reflect the standards imposed by the market. Art, however, has the power to subvert this mechanism, allowing room for complete freedom of expression. Yet, it is not exempt from the market, from criticism, or from the inevitable encounter with the world that surrounds it. For this reason, some of my works tend to recall tangible aspects, acting as a common thread that connects them to familiar, everyday objects within the collective imagination. An example of this combination is undoubtedly the piece Swatch 1990.

LC – Among the several techniques you use, which one do you prefer to practice and which are most compelling for you?
FV – Rooted in the expressive energy of Abstract Expressionism and the vivid immediacy of Action Painting, I am deeply drawn to experimentation – yet I believe it must remain grounded in one’s own identity. My canvases are based on a search for chromatic harmony, using strong, tactile materials combined with acrylic paint. They involve resins and plaster, which interact with the canvas through the use of spatulas, metal strips, and, finally, the traditional brush. This body of work is conceived as a dynamic exploration of the human spirit, constantly evolving through color, form, and movement.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
FV – My artistic style has changed over the years, as I believe is inevitable for anyone who lives art authentically. I like to think of this change not as a break, but as a continuous evolution, a natural process that accompanies both personal and creative growth. What I find most stimulating is not asking myself if I am changing, because change is certain, but rather how I can remain true to myself through every transformation, present and future. Awareness of what I do is a key element for me: it helps me improve and pursue a visual language that is increasingly clear and universal. After all, communication, in whatever form it takes, lies at the heart of every understanding between people, of every work that resonates, of every object capable of evoking emotion. Looking to the future, what I aspire to achieve is an ever cleaner, stronger, and more convincing visual simplicity. Paradoxically, it is precisely simplicity and coherence that make a work powerful, direct, and incisive. I hope to draw ever closer to this ideal.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
FV – The themes I explore revolve around nature, sunsets, the sea, the landscape, subjects that have always been deeply connected to the tradition of classical art. In them, I find a starting point, a thread that links what we see and know with what remains mysterious and invisible. These elements fascinate me because they contain an inner strength, something we can sense but may never fully understand. My work arises from the desire to reinterpret these subjects through a metaphysical, abstract, and geometric lens. I am interested in the deconstruction of reality, in the vision, perception, and imagination of something that exists, though not necessarily in the way we are used to seeing it. It is within this process that I find emotion and meaning: in transforming the real into a visual language that suggests rather than describes.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
FV – “Sumer Price” is, once again, a work inspired by the sea. Its title is a statement about value – and how that value is perceived. It is my first artwork in which the starting price itself becomes an integral part of the artistic concept. A lost sea dissolves into a cosmic abstraction, fluorescent and radiant: an immersion into the inner dimension of the ocean, far from conventional visual habits. It is an introspective journey into the soul of the sea, where form and value merge into a unique sensory and conceptual experience. The Nature n.3–5 series explores the dialogue between nature and human interiority, between order and freedom, between form and what transcends it. Each work becomes a fragment of this ongoing process of metamorphosis, where symmetry and harmony are not cages but starting points from which to break free. Swatch 1990, part of the Time Icons collection-installation, celebrates the heritage and aesthetics of Swatch watches, reinterpreting them as artistic elements within a pictorial composition. Each piece contains original watches, rare, collectible, or iconic, embedded within a wooden composition where acrylics, resins, and mixed materials interact with the concept of time, transforming it from function into idea. The watch, symbol of the passing of time, is stripped of its everyday utility to become a metaphor for memory, identity, and culture. The interaction between materials and timepieces creates a visual narrative that unites design, nostalgia, and contemporaneity.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
FV – I believe that ItsLiquid Group offers artists a valuable opportunity for dialogue and growth. Coming into contact with such open and international realities means expanding one’s creative horizons. I am happy to be part of this experience and to share my vision within a context that embraces experimentation and expressive freedom. I consider this experience a chance for personal and artistic growth, a way to place my research within a broader dialogue between languages and cultures. I am enthusiastic to be part of a group that celebrates the plurality of visions and the power of change.