Cantonale artists on their work – Muzi

I am currently focusing on human perception of other animals and their behaviour in relation to the environment, as well as the dynamics of coexistence between different species. My research explores how different species coexist, influence each other, and leave both physical and conceptual traces in the space and time in which they live. Through my work, I aim to tell stories of love, conflict, and suffering, encouraging reflection on our relationship with “the other” and how we observe and perceive ourselves and other life forms.

As far as my artistic practice is concerned, I do not perceive space as a limitation, but rather as a series of inhabited dimensions, different ecosystems that interact, coexist and write history. Every place preserves visible and invisible traces, signs of past and present presences. This makes it a source of inspiration and a unique stage that changes depending on the viewer’s perspective and experience. These dimensions, in turn, become laboratories of perception and reflection, where the connections between people and environments reveal themselves in surprising ways. I do not try to overcome them. I immerse myself in the experience of the human body, which is so rich in possibilities and sometimes so obstructive. Fortunately, we live in a country that, although it imposes certain restrictions, still offers great freedom of movement and expression: we are privileged. Perhaps the only real restriction, which is nevertheless surmountable, is the difficulty of surviving as an artist and turning this passion into a sustainable career. But I accept this difficulty as part of my practice. That is my decision, that is who I am, and I am convinced that with love for what you do and with sacrifice, anything is possible. Sacrifice becomes an integral part of my experience and my artistic development. And it broadens my view of work and the world.

I prefer mixed media and the use of different materials. I am fascinated by their origins and the stories they tell, the paradoxes they contain and the diverse uses that arise from them. I regard materials as carriers of narratives, and as an artist I can reinterpret or transform them. Each material opens up new technical and expressive possibilities. Wax, for example, immediately brings bees to mind; in my work Dominio dei rospi, it is paraffin, a man-made petroleum derivative, that invites viewers to question what they are seeing. The material becomes an integral part of the work, and the combination of materials creates unique dialogues. Sometimes they blend harmoniously, sometimes they seem to fight each other, hovering between fullness and emptiness. I often work with materials and scraps that I find outside, whether on the street, in second-hand shops or in other contexts. Recently, I even created a work using the fur of my dog Daisy, which I collect when brushing her.

MUZI (born in 1995, lives and works in Biel)