What is the best thing that I love about my work?

What I love most about my work is the tangible possibility of uniting artistic research with social transformation. Each project becomes a field of experimentation where visual, technological, and bodily languages intersect and contaminate one another, giving rise to new forms of awareness.

I love creating artistic and performative devices that allow people to recognize themselves, to share their stories, and to imagine alternatives. Working with artificial intelligence, photography, performance, and writing means building bridges—between past and future, human and digital, personal experience and collective memory. It’s a job that constantly challenges me, teaching me to evolve alongside my creations.

What is my idea of happiness?

Happiness, for me, is being fully aligned with what I do and who I am. It’s waking up with the desire to create, knowing that my work holds meaning beyond myself. It’s being surrounded by beauty, sincerity, and freedom—to be a woman, an artist, a human being. But it’s also broader: I can’t feel truly happy knowing that nature is being destroyed, animals suffer, or people are oppressed. My happiness is tied to collective well-being and justice.

What is my greatest fear?

My greatest fear is collective apathy—an emotional numbness toward the suffering of others. In an era of speed and consumption, I fear that art might lose its critical function and its ability to awaken deep awareness. On a personal level, I’m afraid of losing my inner voice—the one that guides my creative choices. Without it, I would lose myself.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

I deplore my tendency to demand too much from myself. Hyper-productivity and a need for control can be crushing, making it hard to allow rest or accept mistakes. I’m highly emotional and anxious—I experience everything intensely. It’s both a strength and a challenge. Over time, I’ve learned to take care of this side of myself through meditation, physical activity, and open conversations with loved ones.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire?

I deeply admire those who carry forward coherent, courageous, and reality-rooted artistic practices. I’m inspired by collectives like Forensic Architecture, the visual activism of Ai Weiwei, and by women artists who work far from the spotlight—in schools, on the margins, and within vulnerable communities—using art as a means of listening and transformation. For me, art is inherently political, and that’s where I turn to find role models and allies.

A key figure in my journey has been Ottavio Rosati, my mentor in cinema, psychoanalysis, and artistic research within the psychoanalytic field.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

I find it exhausting to constantly have to justify the value of art—especially in Italy, where its transformative potential is often unrecognized. Bureaucracy, lack of structural funding, and institutional indifference steal time and energy from creation. And yet, I persist—because even the smallest project can spark change.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

One of the happiest moments in my career was during the performance “Io sono puro amore” in Geneva. I experienced a deep connection between my personal journey, the ritual of the artistic gesture, and public participation. It became a shared act of healing—a bridge between intimacy and community.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

I would learn to slow down, to let go of the need to constantly produce, and to welcome unpredictability without anxiety. I wish to dwell more peacefully in the creative void, to trust the process, and to accept that waiting, silence, and stillness are also part of making art.

What is my greatest achievement in work?

My greatest professional achievement is having built an autonomous artistic and curatorial practice that blends artificial intelligence, photography, pedagogy, activism, and poetry. My project The Artists Are Present – Proposte di Pace per il Futuro embodies this: a participatory device combining performance, play, technology, and creative diplomacy to promote peace dialogues in schools and public spaces. Another major milestone is the creation and direction of my magazine 100 Photography Art Mag and Book, which amplifies emerging voices and fosters critical reflection on contemporary art at the intersection of technology and society.

Where would I most like to live?

I would love to live in a studio-home immersed in the nature of the Maremma region, while also having a base in a cultural capital like London (which I currently have) or Valencia. I need both rootedness and international connections, both stillness and creative exchange.

What is my most treasured possession?

My archives—photographs, notes, drawings, analog and digital materials—are my most treasured possession. I love revisiting and reworking them, allowing them to live anew. They are my visual diary, my memory, and a constant wellspring of inspiration.

What is my most marked characteristic?

Hybridization. I am an artist, performer, curator, and programmer. I don’t recognize disciplinary, geographical, or political boundaries—I see them as challenges to be overcome for human evolution.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?

In Grosseto, the Cultural Center Le Clarisse is the most inspiring place. It hosts exhibitions, talks, and educational programs that connect contemporary art with the local community—a living hub where culture becomes a tool for participation and regeneration.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?

Trattoria del Dopo Lavoro, near the Grosseto station, is my favorite. Managed by Beppe and his family, it’s a warm, genuine place with great food, fair prices, and a homely atmosphere. It resists the standardization of taste.

What books influenced my life and how?

Books are my best friends, mentors, companions, and lifeboats. Children of the Arbat taught me that historical truth is never absolute—it’s always layered with voices and perspectives. Rodari’s stories nourished my imagination; Calvino shaped my worldview. Poetry—from Leopardi to Michelangelo Bonitatibus, Walt Whitman to Emily Dickinson—speaks most intimately to my inner world.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?

I would listen to “Lucky Man” by The Verve, a song that has accompanied me often. It encapsulates a sense of awareness and gratitude for all that I’ve experienced and created. The line “I’m a lucky man, the power’s in my hands” reminds me that, despite everything, I’ve had the chance to shape my path.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

Sherman, Goldin, Frida: though real, their imaginative impact makes them mythic. Their lives and images are archetypes of vulnerability turned into power. They used their bodies and stories as tools of aesthetic, social, and personal revolution. They are my muses—my mirrors.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?

The women in my workshops who dared to tell their stories; educators who keep believing in culture and change; truly nonconformist people; unknown artists who persist; those who, with no fame or success, strive each day to better the world in silence.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime?

Big Fish by Tim Burton—one of my all-time favorites. It’s poetic, tender, and visionary. It explores the power of storytelling, fantasy, love, and the parent-child bond. It teaches us how imagination can shape reality and legacy.

What role do stories play in my life and work?

Stories are the invisible thread in everything I do. They are often the beginning—and sometimes the end. Each person, object, and gesture carries a story. I work with images, but each image is a story to listen to, honor, and creatively return to the world.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ mean to me?

They mean I can choose every day how to tell who I am, what I’ve lived, and what I desire. It’s an act of deep responsibility, freedom, and care. We are what we choose to say—and not say—about ourselves. Our narrative reflects our limitations, complexes, beliefs, or our ability to overcome, transform, and release them.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?

Those who believed in my projects when they seemed impossible. Those who walked with me through crises and dreams. Those who supported me without expecting anything in return—helping me stay aligned with purpose and direction.

Which people or companies would I like to work with?

Ars Electronica, ZKM, MIT Media Lab, Guggenheim Foundation, Serpentine Galleries, Centre Pompidou, MAXXI Rome, Tate Modern, Fondazione Prada, and UNESCO education and culture programs. These are places and entities where vision and care meet—and where I’d love to contribute.

What project am I looking forward to work on?

I’m excited about expanding VaRu, my artistic avatar developed with the Italian company Questit. It’s a tool for ethical and intercultural dialogue, especially in education. I’m also preparing exhibitions in Dubai, Berlin, and New York—visual
journeys through memory, body, and imagination.

Where can you see me or my work?

My work is visible on http://www.vanessa-rusci.com, http://www.vanessa-rusci-arte.com, and on Instagram. I exhibit in festivals, galleries, museums, schools, and public projects. I bring art wherever transformation is needed—beyond market logic.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

Passion is the current that flows through my life and practice. It drives me to evolve, to be brave, to renew myself. As long as there is desire, a question, a wound to explore— I’ll continue to create.

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?

I’d love to hear from migrant, intergenerational, neurodivergent artists. I suggest: Michela Griffo, Silvia Giambrone, Dora García, Silvia Bottiroli, Maryam Tafakory, Alessandra Ferrini, Bouchra Khalili, Sonia Boyce, Valentina Medda, and Elisa Strinna.

How can you contact me?
You can email me at info@vanessarusci.com or connect via my websites:
http://www.vanessa-rusci-arte.com
http://www.vanessarusci.com
Book
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