Interview: Magdalena Fasching
Luca Curci talks with Magdalena Fasching during the 10th Edition of CONTEMPORARY VENICE 2022, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Magdalena Fasching was born in Vienna in 1985. When she was 12 years old, she got her first painting material so she started with oil paintings. After school, where she always took part in creative projects, she studied at Wiener Kunstschule with a focus on multidisciplinary art. She became more fascinated with illustration and children’s books’ art. She also studied recreational/leisure pedagogue for combating the work with children and art. Now she’s working on her children’s books which she started to illustrate in preparation for publishing. She loves playing with colors and figures in which the viewer can decide by himself what he sees in them.

Luca Curci – What are you currently working on?
Magdalena Fasching – I’m used to working on several projects in parallel. Anyhow, I’m actually focused on two illustration projects. On the one hand, I took part in an illustration course where I started to illustrate “Alice in Wonderland.” On the other hand, I texted my first children’s book two years ago. Now I started the illustration for finally publishing.

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
MF – When I was ten years, I got my first special colors and painting equipment; so, I started to paint – this time with oil. For further occasions, I got colors and painting stuff. My collection grew as I loved trying to work with “new materials”. From 2008 to 2013 I attended the Vienna Art School. I chose the Interdisciplinary Class where I mostly worked conceptually. Simultaneously my interest in animation, illustration and drawing grew. So I started to teach myself in painting with various materials. That’s what I’m doing and loving most.

LC – How is your creative process?
MF – It depends on what I’m working on. Sometimes I have a concept and think about how to implement it with the most powerful expression. Based on that, I decide on a medium and implementation. The working process starts simultaneously. However, the concept arises in a process. It stepwise develops by doing.

LC – Are your artworks focused on a specific theme?
MF – Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on my surroundings and the topics I am influenced by in my day-to-day operations. A topic I have been working on for a very long time is the so-called inner world. The awareness of reality and appearance. The perception of inside and outside. And what role does I play in there? I try to implement this theme again and again by means of different materials.

LC – How is being an artist nowadays?
MF – I don’t have the comparison to decades ago. Anyhow, I think, it was similar. Today I love my job being an artist and I was ever told being an artist means being different. It means expressing your thoughts in an exhausting way getting feedback and interacting with people consuming your artwork is the best motivation. What helps today: we have the opportunity to present and show ourselves in a completely different way than we did twenty years ago. With the help of social media, we can not only communicate, we also experience a completely different way of input. The downside however is, that just about anyone can publish, share and present him- or herself. I sometimes have the impression these people only work for their News Feed. Everyone is a photographer, an artist, and a craftsman. In the fast pace of uploads, work loses value. I feel differently – even if I often thought about quitting and starting a “normal life” and becoming economically secure. Anyhow, then I realize: I can’t live without expressing my thoughts by producing my kind of art.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
MF – Partly yes, partly no. I have been working on the series “Panta Rhei” for a long time. Part of the pictures I have already shown on other occasions. The picture “Dragonflies” I have painted especially for the exhibition.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
MF – When I’m right, the theme of the exhibition was “Contemporary”. After my opinion a good theme to bring different types of art together. And not only the art itself, also the artists and the art-interested people.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
MF – Any kind of platform briding and discussing artists and consumers internationally is useful. The dialogue every time needs to keep going on.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
MF – I have not participated in such an exhibition so far and was very honored to be part of the exhibition. Very professional and especially helpful that you had a contact person who helped you with all your questions. Here a thank you to Amaride Ferrante.

LC – Would you suggest a collaboration with us? What do you think about our services?
MF – In any case, yes! Good and professional collaboration.