To what extent also for women engaged in artistic careers, is there still the legacy according to which women would be entitled to work for the care of the family and the home?

“This is a partially outdated concept, at least in our latitudes. Already in my case, in the family where I grew up, the daughters and sons had the same duties, and the choices both of study and work were not conditioned by their sex. Today this clear distinction between a woman who is only a housewife and a man who works seems even more anachronistic to me. Fortunately, the new generations do not recognize themselves in these distinctions: in art schools many girls undertake paths with profit, recognized and supported by their families and companions, at least as much as their male colleagues. In the field in which I work, I must say that the situation appears comforting. Out of five art museums in Mendrisiotto, three are currently directed by women. The percentage rises among conservatives and scientific collaborators: the presence of qualified and well-recognized female figures is the majority in this area ».

What were the difficulties you encountered, precisely as a woman, to win the trust of your male colleagues?

“As a woman, I have not encountered any particular difficulties in confronting myself and winning the trust of my male colleagues. I have always felt like equals ».

In your opinion, which interventions should be promoted to publicly promote artists who are still practically 'invisible' today?

«The theme is broad and does not concern only the artists. Considering the Ticino reality, it should be noted that today it is very difficult to be able to exhibit one's works. The predominant role should be the associative one. There are few private galleries in our area. An important role is played by public museums that deal with contemporary art. My hope is that new recruits will be further promoted. However, I believe it is important to form a group, to join companies: I am thinking, for example, of VISARTE or, for graphics, of the Friends of the Atelier Calcografico of Novazzano ».

In your case, what were the reasons that led you to take the path of artistic research?

«I didn't have a particular artistic predisposition. Instead, it was almost natural for me to undertake literary studies, living as a child in contact with books, papers, paintings ».

What do you think is the function of art today and, in particular, what can be the contribution of women artists?

«Art is, like any form of expression, a mirror of the time and place in which it was born. Reductive to try to identify, especially today, a single function: each artist communicates a message through his creations, which is up to his audience to receive. As far as I am concerned, I believe that on a social level art can play an important role in stimulating reflections on the major issues we are confronted with, from humanitarian to climate crises, to give examples. But this is only one of its "functions". The artists can certainly bring their own unique experience by helping to focus attention on issues such as the recognition of fundamental human rights for women which unfortunately in a large part of the world is still only a mirage ».

Do you think it useful to be able to set up a kind of solidarity association or community that is able to finance the needs of those artists who are not part of that little one that has succeeded in being successful on the contemporary artist scene?

«I don't think it necessary to distinguish oneself in a purely or exclusively female association. Inclusion is the prerogative of both sexes and joining forces for a common goal can only benefit everyone ".

Why does the exhibition dedicated to Renato Ballerini represent an important point of arrival in the critical analysis of this artist's work?

«Ballerini was one of the protagonists of Ticino cultural life in the early twentieth century. Today his name is known only to insiders, above all for a series of reasons determined by the painter himself (who in the last years of his life has increasingly isolated himself) and by the changes in taste in the field of the arts. The idea of ​​an exhibition was born from the meeting with Frederik Poort, great-grandson and custodian of the painter's estate; the review, however, does not want to be only an exhibition dedicated to the works preserved in the family, but wishes to return the most complete image of Ballerini, looking for other testimonies present in the area. It therefore represents an opportunity to retrace the salient stages of his journey through a selection of paintings also from museums and private collections. The exhibition will range from early liberty-style works to the first portraits, self-portraits and landscapes executed in Ticino, up to the artist's happiest season, that of Magic Realism, with works that document Ballerini's interest in what was happening in nearby Milan. ".