Her works give a sense of relief from everyday life

Valentina Loffredo is an Italian visual artist, currently based in Hong Kong. Her work, based mostly on photography and extending to installations and 3D rendering is characterised by a minimal and graphic aesthetic and a general sense of humour that hides deeper levels of research. An interest in the ways form and content of what surrounds us are mirrored in one another, altering our perception of reality, drives her art practice. Her projects have been exhibited internationally, auctioned at Sotheby’s, featured in “Personal Structures”, collateral event of the 57th Venice Art Biennale and in group exhibitions and art fairs. 

How have you evolved as an artist in the past 2 years?

During this duration, the name of the game has been contamination (among media and among markets). On the creative and artistic side, I have worked on my first multimedia project, Nosy, themed on the global issue of privacy in the digital era. For the first time, I worked on a very contemporary issue and with all kind of media: photography, 3D rendering, sculpture, installation, animation and even a video game. I feel my art practice grew a lot thanks to this experimental approach with new media. In terms of my career, the lockdown gave me the opportunity to connect with more people online and grow relationships all over the world. This has led me into digital art and the NFT world on one side, and to expand my traditional collectors base on the other – my art is now collected by many international art lovers and I’ve confirmed a new gallery representation in Los Angeles.

Can you share some of your recent revelations of creating art in the digital space and how do think the trend of NFTs in art will continue to transpire going forward?

To me NFTs are simply a tool that have opened up a big market for digital creations; this is a market with its own culture, communities and timing, that sometimes goes even beyond the scope of art, and getting into that can be overwhelming. On the creative side, the opportunity to sell digital creations makes space for multimedia; animations, sounds and other creative tools, that have always been available to us. However, because most artists cannot afford to work on art that isn’t sellable, this is a real revolution that empowers us and expands our opportunities. I am really excited at the thought that my kids can consider making art not only as an incredible creative outlet but also as a means to make a good living. I am positive and confident in the future of NFTs and digital art. Things will change and might slow down and settle (which has its benefits for at times it goes too fast) but in the long run, I don’t see the demands dissipating.

What continues to inspire your creations?

I am inspired by the disconnect between our expectations and reality. Anything that is different than I expected, that contradicts itself or holds a multitude of ideas within itself, be it in the concept or in the shape, attracts my attention and works as an input for future projects. This is one of the reasons I use humour in my art. Humour shares with art the gift to challenge ourselves to see different sides of the same story, enabling us to imagine the world in different ways and see opportunities where we might have otherwise overlooked. I am also inspired by beauty, designs and contemporary issues – it’s that mix of elements and factors that propel all of my creations.