What is the best thing that I love about my work? Mainly the act of creating. When ideas take shape and become something concrete, tangible.
What is my idea of perfect happiness? I think happiness is closely linked to lightness. As the Italian writer Italo Calvino says: “take life lightly, for lightness is not superficiality, but a gliding over things from above, without letting things weigh on your heart”.
What is my greatest fear? All those fears that keep you in a comfort zone and little by little eat you. “fear eats the soul”.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Perfectionism, I’m obsessed with perfectionism. To be completely honest, there aren’t things that I totally deplore in myself: it depends on where they manifest themselves. For instance the obsession with perfection makes my life worse but – at the same time – makes my job better…
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I really admire Fay Toogood, for many reasons actually: everything she does is transversal, she is multi-faceted but she always maintains a distinctive trait. And I love her aesthetic: so primitive,
ancestral and contemporary at the same time.
What is my greatest extravagance? I sing, especially at home on the sofa, for an imaginary audience.
On what occasion would I lie? On this occasion? No, I’m just kidding…I lie rarely, I prefer to omit.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? I would like to deal only the creative part, which is what I like best. However, doing set-ups, I also have to deal with logistics, production, budget. These things are less fun.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Whenever a project is contaminated by interesting people and ideas (and budget, of course). I believe this answer is also valid for the question about the idea of perfect happiness.
If I could, what would I change about myself? I tend to be a workaholic person. I should work on that.
What is my greatest achievement in work? I am very happy when I get appreciation from people I admire and when my works are published by important magazines / blogs. It means that I am doing well.
Where would I most like to live? I like the city where I live. Milan has been reborn in recent years, there is an interesting atmosphere, full of contaminations. But it could be New York or Berlin. However I understood that I need the dualism between full and empty to feel good. I really like cities but I need also the countryside, the slow pace, nature, genuineness. These things rebalance me.
What is my most treasured possession? My family and my friends. But I wouldn’t talk about possession, they could get angry. I would talk about richness.
What is my most marked characteristic? sense of irony
What is my most inspirational location, in my city? There is not just one place: palaces, courtyards, contemporary art galleries. Everything in Milan has a story to tell, it is enough to walk and look around.
What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? I like going to drink and eat where the atmosphere is intimate and where the character of the owner becomes the soul of the place. I like places that have an un-massified soul.
What books influenced my life and how? Many in different ways. Chromophobia by David Batchelor taught me to question, everything always. Arco d’amore by Andrea De Carlo marked the end of my romantic idea of love. Norwegian wood. Tokyo blues by
Haruki Murakami and Ossi di seppia by Eugenio Montale taught me how melancholy can be poetic. And so on..
Who are my favorite writers? Random: Eugenio Montale, Haruki Murakami, Nick Hornby, Daniel Pennac, Pablo Neruda, Christophe Isherwood, Wystan Hugh Auden, Banana Yoshimoto, Niccolò Ammaniti. (I’m sure I’m forgetting someone).
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Teardrop by Massive Attack.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? The lead character in Fleabag (she is never addressed by a name).
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Those who smile, those who are sincere and brave. Anyone who does a job driven by philanthropy.
Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? Just one? no, I can’t. I will mention five: This Must Be the Place by Paolo Sorrentino, Django Unchained by
Quentin Tarantino, The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson, The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, Dogville by Lars von Trier.
What role plays art in my life and work? A central role. It is my main source of inspiration. Art constantly shakes me.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? I’m so lucky that I couldn’t name just one.
Whom would I like to work with in 2020? In the specific case of my work I think it is very important to work with people that share the same vision, and have a similar sensitivity. We deal with visual, creating sensations using images so it is essential that
there is an aesthetic affinity to make sure that the final work has a strong identity.
Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2020? People who want to experiment by breaking the rules. People who enrich my vision and give me new,
broader points of view.
What project, in 2020, am I looking forward to work on? A few. I’d like to do something closer to art world.
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Put my heart and soul in everything I do.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Sara Ricciardi and Lia Di Gregorio. Both are very charismatic creatives.
How can you contact me?
By mail
elisabetta.bongiorni@gmail.com
Instagram account
https://www.instagram.com/elisabettabongiorni/
Bēhance account
https://www.behance.net/elisabettabongiorni