Lockdown

Italy, March 2020: we are prisoners in our own houses, but the imagination flies towards escapist scenarios. I painted this artwork in order to express my discomfort and sense of helplessness with regard to the current health emergency situation in a way that would not harm those who were with me to “serve” the quarantine in a confined space . Being on the fifth floor of a building surrounded by other high-rise buildings on all sides, it was neither a source of inspiration nor a relief to be able to look out the window: on the contrary it contributed to increasing the feeling of claustrophobia and lack of air. So I imagined an alternative place, where – although I was always locked up – it seems that the outside world is penetrating the narrow and hostile internal space: the blinding light that comes from the window on the left, the sand that floods the floor and the colors of a sunset sky that stretches on the bare walls indicate that Nature has taken possession of the space, so close as the crow flies and yet so far from our concrete architectural cage. The elements on the right side of the painting are tools for trainings and competitions of surflifesaving, which is the sport I usually practice and which – like all athletes – I was missing a lot. The idea of rescue seemed particularly suitable for that moment of great difficulty. With this painting I also wanted to express the ensemble of sadness, regret, shame and sorrow that hurt me, because before starting my artistic studies I had obtained a degree in Nursing – despite never having practiced afterwards.