Interview with: Aurora Villa
August 2025
Aurora Villa narrates a series of stories whose common thread is a line. Everyday life appears as a fulcrum from which to scrutinize the physical object in all its multiple manifestations. These elements take on a prominent, sometimes even altered, role, as they are placed in a context that diverges from their original context. The fascination with marginality and rejection is highlighted through their past experiences, which serve as a starting point for exploration. The work manifests itself in a form of extra-mediality, studied during the production of the work. A conservation process will be followed that will see some works mutate or disappear completely, dictated by the structure of the support.
Welcome Aurora, first tell us about your background and why you chose to pursue this career.
Do you remember the first artwork that stirred something inside you?
Since I was a child, I've always had a strong inclination for art. I remember spending hours drawing and modeling, an experience that gave me a sense of completeness and connection with the world.
This love of creativity pushed me to undertake a more structured educational path, which led me to art schools. I continued my studies until I earned a master's degree in painting. Each step of this journey has had a profound impact on my vision and
artistic research, fueling the desire to continue exploring and expressing myself through painting.
The work that first struck me, although initially negatively, was Kazimir Malevich's “Black Square on White Ground”. I first encountered this painting in high school, but it didn't make any sense to me.The first time it had a strong impact on me was during
my final exam. Afterwards it continued to appear as a reference point at various moments in my personal and artistic life. It inspired many of my first real artworks.Over time, that initial indifference transformed into a profound love, so
much so that it led me to tattoo it on my body.
Your practice is developed around different mediums, a multidisciplinary approach. Tell us about your practice.
My practice is rooted in a multidisciplinary approach, as I work across different mediums to explore ideas from multiple perspectives.
For me, each medium offers its own language and possibilities. Sometimes a concept needs the intimacy of drawing, other times the spatial experience of installation, or the immediacy of performance or photography.
I see these shifts not as separate practices but as interconnected ways of deepening the same research. By moving between mediums, I can adapt my expression to the content, and create dialogues that go beyond the limits of a single discipline.
What inspires you? Where do the ideas come from? How do you develop your projects?
Inspiration often comes from everyday observations and personal experiences. I tend to notice small details, gestures or atmospheres that spark a question in me, and that question becomes the seed of a project. From there, I move into a phase of
research and experimentation, where I test different mediums and materials to see which one can best carry the idea. My projects often evolve through this process of trial, dialogue and transformation, until the concept finds its most authentic form.
What projects do you plan to work on this year?
This year, my projects will continue to be rooted in my personal experiences, which are the foundation of my research.
I am aiming to realize as many exhibitions as possible, both in Italy and internationally, in order to broaden my artistic curriculum. I am also looking for residencies that can provide new inspiration from the places and cultures of the countries where I will go to work.
Currently, I am focusing on textile art, from wool sculptures to tufted rugs, and I am excited to experiment with sculptural materials in order to make my works more dynamic and multidimensional.
Through these explorations, I hope to expand the ways my practice engages with space and audience.
Can you define the word "art" according to your personal view?
For me, Art is a language, capable of expressing emotions, memories, and questions that often cannot be fully articulated otherwise.
It invites reflection, opens dialogue, and can transform the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
In my practice, I explore personal experiences and memories, translating them into tangible forms through a multidisciplinary approach. From textile works to experimental sculptural materials. I aim to create pieces that are both intimate and dynamic, capable of engaging viewers in a sensory and emotional dialogue. The choice of material and form is never arbitrary; it is always deeply connected to the concept I wish to convey.
I see art as a continuous exploration of the relationship between inner life and shared reality. Each project is an attempt to transform personal narratives into collective experiences, allowing viewers to encounter not just an object, but an idea, a feeling, or a space for reflection. In this sense, art becomes both a mirror and a lens: it reflects personal truths while also expanding perception, offering new ways to experience the familiar and the unknown.
We are at the end of this short interview, would you like to add something about your artistic research?
How did you find the collaboration with our gallery?
I will certainly delve deeper into topics that I have covered in the past, trying to develop them in a different way to present a different vision. I thank the gallery, which I discovered through social media, which allowed me to become part of this team for this exhibition.