Nanda Vigo & so on…

Bruna Roccasalva: This exhibition explores various fields of Nanda Vigo’s production, from her debut up to her most recent works, through a limited yet representative selection of pieces from to the various series of works she produced throughout her life: from her Chronotopes in the 1960s – a starting point for the ongoing experimentation that would define her artistic journey – to the mirrors of the 1970s and the Light Tree of the ’80s. These offer examples of her countless variations, showing how her research into light and space was to change over time, right up to a 2000s work such as And so on, which provides the title for the exhibition that showcases the eclecticism of a woman capable of coupling rational thinking and esotericism, a rigorous and rationalist approach with an exuberant and almost baroque one. It is hard to pigeonhole someone like Nanda Vigo, given her extraordinary talent, intertwining art, design and architecture, which embodies an idea of total art, connecting these various disciplines without any sense of hierarchy.
Valeria, you had the pleasure of knowing Nanda personally, and you have the privilege of living in contact with her creations during your daily life. In your opinion, what were the most revolutionary and pioneering aspects of her approach to art and design? Who is Nanda Vigo to you?

Valeria Napoleone: I had the pleasure of knowing Nanda personally and I understood the source of her magic and spiritual work, and I also have the privilege of enjoying and benefitting from her holistic vision in my everyday life.The versatility and experimentation of her work, in dialogue with both rigour and playfulness, make her work a timeless experience, radical and avant-garde even to this day; fresh and innovating thanks to the unfettered use of various materials and in her approach straddling practical usage and pure beauty. Not only are her works magnetic and seductive, perhaps their most fascinating aspects. Their intention to enchant those who inhabit them and observe them is real and palpable. Just as the goal of creating and offering total sensations and immersions. Nanda’s works engage with the viewer through mirrors, lights, shapes, materials and shadows. Baroque and minimalistic, joyful and severe, they offer a true rainbow of sensations. Living with such artworks enhances daily life. It is extraordinary to see their functionality surrender to the beauty and humour of such objects. The heart of her work asks: “What is art? What is design?” She leaves the discourse open, shunning all hierarchies and frameworks. Nanda’s artworks are explorations and adventures into life and spirituality, and they show an interest in esotericism and a holistic vision of life, design and art, where everything is connected in a universal relationship. Indeed, a deep belief in the power of mysticism and spirituality in her work, and in art and design in general, may be sensed.