Federico Clapis, contemporary artist from Milan, Italy. New Race, 2019. Photo © F. Clapis
1.Tell us what you do and your beginnings.
When I was about twenty, I discovered art as an instrument to explore hidden parts of myself. A long period of experimentation began from that time. I made my first small sculpture at 10: an accumulation of toys on a marble slab unconsciously marked the beginning of something.
2.What are your favorite museums in the world? Why?
Right now I’m discovering a new museum universe, it is virtual reality museums that host digital art, a real immersive experience! This suggests a future that is less and less physical but more and more experiential. I am sure this will not replace traditional museums but I think it can be interesting to explore this new dimension.
3.How important are social networks in your business? And which platform do you prefer and why.
The use of social media is completely focused on my artistic production. I can say that my art has found its expression since 2017 when on Instagram I started constantly inviting users to share their feelings and reflections in the comments in my posts. In this way, their contribution becomes an extension of my work.
4.What are your future projects?
There will be an exhibition in Milan in June 2021 (date to be defined) with the collaboration of the Bianchi Zardin Gallery where my iconic works, which represent the relationship between humans and technologies, will be contextualized in an abandoned environment.
As artifacts discovered in the future, my works will represent a diary of our times. In the meantime, I have been working on crypto art since February: I have abandoned three NFTs (digital works) and I am working on the next one.
5.To create greater engagement among museums, artists and professionals, do you have any advice for cultural projects such as #MuseumWeek?
In this period I feel quite disconnected from the physical world due to the restrictions that have closed all museums in Italy. However, at the same time, I developed the idea of creating digital projects that could represent traditional museums through VR, therefore navigable in immersive experiences with direct interactions with artists and institutions.
Interview by Fabio Pariante, journalist – Twitter
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Federico Clapis on social networks: Instagram – Twitter
Federico Clapis (Milan, 1987) is a contemporary Italian artist. He has developed his career in a unique way, opening new itineraries and horizons in the art world. For years, Clapis has been working “undercover” producing viral videos on social networks and accumulating millions of followers and views. In September 2015, at the height of the media popularity, he decided to move away from pure entertainment and converted his online presence into a tool for the dissemination of his artistic works hitherto kept hidden.
Ten years ago, he began a long inner journey to explore the most intimate conditions of the human soul, living in an ashram in India and continuing his research in the West through various existential paths. Clapis lives his art as a materialization of his experiences, and as a medium of introspection to share with his followers. Technology, a recurring theme in his most famous artworks, is a metaphor for the contemporary in order to explore the human condition.
The artist invites the online public daily to write and share on social media what the work has aroused in them, considering the act an integral part of the artistic intention. Sculptures, installations and video art become the vehicle of a more profound adventure, discovering a shared interiority of artist and user. Federico Clapis lives and works in Milan.
