Nature is You Art Project (2020)
This project was developed during the months of the lockdown in 2020. The online exhibition aims to explore the connection that we have with mother nature, and includes the work of many professional and amateur artists based in Scotland,
This art project started with the desire to generate a creative wave that could support us all through this time of change and transition. It wished to create a moment of reflection on the relationship that we have with the natural environment and invites us all to take responsibility for our world. To view the works of the artists involved please visit https://www.creativeflowart.com/online-exhibition
I AM AN ARTIST, I AM FREE (2019)
(Participatory artwork)
The event took place during the opening evening of the Creativeflow Arts & Invisible Caims studio in St. Margaret’s House. The audience was invited to express themselves creatively and paint/interact directly with a long white piece of paper placed on an easel. During the event, we also had sound healing performances and music that supported well the exploration of the artwork. It was interesting to notice that the creative invitation stirred up many things inside participants. Whether they did choose to actively interact with the piece or not, all had the chance to explore their relationship with the creative process. Below you can read the description label displayed on the evening.
The invitation is share your creativity with the world and to recognize that it is there. It was there when you were a child and it is there right now. During this experience, some resistance might come up. Whatever happens inside remember to smile, and to be kind with yourself.
This piece of art starts with you, with any line, colour, or shape you wish to include onto the paper. Notice how you feel when you hold the paintbrush within your hand. Observe yourself from a little distance, then observe yourself from within.
There is no right or wrong way to explore the paper in front of you. There is no need to have a subject in mind, or a vision. Allow the colours to call your attention, allow the hand to freely move across the paper. You can follow the drawing guidelines or do your own thing. You don’t need to remain within the lines. You are in charge!
Hands Through (2017)
Mixed Media – Photo Collage on MDF Board, Clear Acrylic Sheet, Glue, Acrylic Paint 10 x 12 cm (Original work 50 x 50 cm)
Participatory art project developed for Imago Mundi, an International art project http://www.imagomundiart.com/artworks/elisa-guietti-hands-through
We are all the same, we know that, but very often we forget the meaning behind this sentence. It is a simple but powerful principle, that if constantly applied to our lives could help us to develop and sustain a non-judgemental approach towards every human being.
The surface of the board has been completely covered by a collage of photos showing several marks of painted hands. People from different countries (Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, Japan) and life stories have been actively engaged in the process and had the chance to contribute to the creation of the piece. The participatory process wanted to generate a sense of possibility within the participants. It was a call to their creative side, and a chance to perceive themselves and the art world in a different way.
By looking at the hands’ marks, nobody would be able to guess the nationality of the participants, their background or social status. The audience will see only hands that belong to human beings, and will automatically feel some connection with them. That common ground should be the first thing that we see in a person, as all the rest has been often determined by the construct of the social and political reality.
Art needs to eat (2016)
Personal project included in the duo exhibition and site installation Crux. The exhibition wanted to discuss the impact that art can have on our society, and also analyse possible ways to overcome personal issues and generate a healing process within ourselves.
Art is a profession. It requires passion, skills, and commitment, like any other job. Creativity is an important source for the development of our society and it should always be rewarded…So why artists often struggle to survive? Why do they often need to have a second job in order to pay their bills? Why the image of the “starving artist” is still so deeply rooted in our minds that influence our actions and beliefs?
My work wants to question our society, our way of living and influencing our reality. It analyses the artist’s role and condition as a reflection of our cultural and personal identity.
The role of the artist in our society is changing, a new positive perception of the art world has arisen in recent years. However making a living with art is still, for many artists, quite a complex matter. The reasons can be different, but it is my opinion that the mind always plays an important role. It determines our actions and the attitude towards the possibility of any form of achievement. In other words, if we consider a certain thing impossible unless we change our mentality, it will be.
“Art can help us understand our humanity and the historical conditions we live in, but importantly draw us into thinking whether our reality needs to be changed. The Arts, as a catalyst of change, can be used as a medium of confronting personal, social or political issues through criticism of the world as it is and a vision of the world as it might be.”
The final artwork is a combination of collage and acrylic paint. The leaflets “Art needs to eat” have been used for the collage, expressing a sense of transformation through the creative process. The work, part of the Crux exhibition, was exhibited within the window display of an empty shop in a shopping centre. The exhibition was the result of a collaboration with the artist Nadiaki Der. Further collaborations include The Image Collective, writer Fern Marshall and art curator Ana Gonzalez Chouchino.
Mixed Media, Collage and Acrylic Paint on Canvas 135 x 100 cm
Time to Change Art Project (2015)
A few years ago, with the support of a great team of collaborators, I developed a project called Time to Change. The project was designed to analyse feelings and perceptions about the E
uropean Crisis, with the aim to show the cultural and social issues related to it. After creating a personal response to the topic, shown during an exhibition in Italy, I decided to invite other artists to do the same, and express their opinions about the situation through art. The main focus of the project was to generate awareness and understanding, and to spread a sense of action and possibility.
The project was in association with several Local and International partners and involved emergent and professional artists. During the Edinburgh exhibition, in partnership with the Tent Gallery, Syn Festival, Fotomovimiento, Cinema dal Basso, and Madre in Italy, the visitors had the chance to enjoy a very interesting range of works from Scottish and International artists as well as a great selection of short films from Italy, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Uk.
Several partners from Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Ireland have also shown an interest in hosting and sponsoring the exhibition. More information on the project can be found on www.timetochangeproject.altervista.org
Art for changes 