Interview: Svetlana Konegen
Luca Curci talks with Svetlana Konegen during BODIES+CITIES SKIN and FRAGMENTED IDENTITIES, first and second appointments of BORDERS ART FAIR 2021, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

Svetlana Konegen was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). In 1979 she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts “Repin”. Later she also graduated in Classic Philology (ancient Greek, Latin, Greek and English) at Philological Department of State University in Leningrad, specializing herself in the Balcanic Institute in Moscow.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Svetlana Konegen – I was born in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, From my childhood I was dreaming to be an artist, that’s why I was graduated from the secondary school of Academia of Art of Russia. Later I was graduated from Leningrad University as a specialist in ancient greek and roman. Since that moment started my big love for the history of these cultures. But later I was for a long time journalist, literary critic and mainly TV moderator.

LC- What are you currently working on?
SK – I think that the most important aim for me is to fall in love with something important for me. It could be Italian culture, for example in Venezia and its mystery, or on other most creative experiences in contemporary art. You can see that I’m quite mad and very often I can change my cultural interests.

LC – What is your creative process like?
SK – As you can see from my photo in the exhibition, I’m now exploring the hidden part of the “subconscious” and the connection between different representations of the world in which we live.

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
SK – Sometimes my creative process is like a delirium of a mad person. Any delirium of a mad artist is an instinctive process.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
SK – I hate it.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the festival?
SK – I think that the theme of this festival is very deep and at the same time share a lot of problems which are very important for this contemporary ill world.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the festival or as a part of preexisting works?
SK – I made this series “Mani e Lettere” during the total blackout when all the world was in deep depression and me also.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
SK – I was invited for the first time to your event and I was surprised that not only the organization was good but I also met intelligent people and this not often happens.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
SK – Of course, I hope to cooperate with ITSLIQUID in future.