Stephen Hannock – Intimate Landscapes of the Soul on Show at Wirth Galerie (October 1 – November 1)

With his new exhibition ‘Ophelia Rising’, the contemporary American painter digs into the magnetic and magmatic depths of his personal history to gift the viewer with pieces of art that are as sincere as vividly evocative.

By Tommaso Cartia

Stephen Hannock – Hogsmill River Oxbow, Flooded: For Bridget (MASS MoCA #281) 2018 Polished Mixed Media on Canvas 36″ x 60″ x 1.25″/ 91.4cm x 152.4cm x 3.2cm

My second time around at Wirth Galerie – the eclectic art salon space in NYC, sharply thought and designed by curator Sabrina Wirth – left me shaken and still shaking by the emotional intensity with which Stephen Hannock’s new works spoke to me, with the dazzling speed of a sudden thunderbolt.

Intimacy. I almost felt like I needed to come up with a new word for intimacy, maybe with a new world. As I stepped into the room and made eye contact with one of Stephen Hannock’s paintings, I knew immediately that I was stepping into a new world, a space lit up by a full spectrum of human emotions. I knew immediately that Mr. Hannock was telling me a story, and probably his own story, but more than that, he was telling us about our history, at the threshold of life and the mystery of the unknown. And I had no preconceptions about Hannock’s aesthetic, or the artistic reasons behind ‘Ophelia Rising’.

Stephen Hannock – Blue Water with Ophelia Rising (MASS MoCA #328) 2021 Polished Mixed Media on Canvas 23″ x 18.5″/ 58.4cm x 47cm

What I felt is that his Ophelia, notoriously depicted on the verge of drowning incapable of her own distress but still regally gracious in her own stillness, is somehow singing an ode to the beauty of a life lived to the fullest while she feels the swirling traction of the waters. A moment of suspension on the life’s stage, where gratitude and abandonment, ecstasy and grieving, have the same weight and dissolve one into the other whispering to us the secrets of death and rebirth.

Stephen Hannock’s pieces struck me as iconographies, fragments of moments where the timeline between present, past, and future is truly not alignable, but comes and goes in waves bringing sudden pieces of truths to the surface about to be submerged by the uproar of our subconsciousness.

It is later on during the presentation of the exhibition that I come to know that the ‘Ophelia Rising’ paintings are indeed intended as an ode to life, inspired by the life of Hannock’s late wife Bridget; by their family, by the emotional and physical places that Hannock’s traverses down the memory lane of emotions.

Stephen Hannock – Emerald Willow Waiting for Ophelia (MASS MoCA #282) 2018 9″ x 13.5″ / 22.9cm x 34.3cm

As stated by curator Sabrina Wirth: “the series centers around his wife Bridget, and the emotions the loss has inspired and evoked in Hannock’s artistic practice, the paintings in this exhibition are very much a celebration of life. When speaking about this body of work, Hannock enthusiastically describes it as depicting “a universal story”. The stories all come together in the final painting in the exhibition, “Hogsmill River Oxbow, Flooded: For Bridget”, a magnificent portrayal of the landscape where the Oxbow River bends, that includes written narrative woven in between the greenery, collages of both Chuck Close and Gregory Crewdson’s photographs, and then, on the far right, an image of his daughter Georgia seated on her mother’s memorial bench (appearing for the first time in his paintings) peering out dreamily into the horizon, onto the future, and into the next chapter.”

Sabrina Wirth & Stephen Hannock at the opening night of ‘Ophelia Rising’
Stephen Hannock – Lady of Shalott (MASS MoCA #278) 2018 Polished Mixed Media on Canvas 14.25″ x 11.25″ / 36.2cm x 28.6cm

The night of the opening was also graced by the presence of Jason Rosenfeld, Hannock’s long-lasting friend and estimator, Editor-at-Large of the Brooklyn Rail and co-curator of the exhibitions John Everett Millais (Tate Britain, Van Gogh Museum),  River Crossings (Olana and Cedar Grove, Hudson and Catskill, New York) and Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde (Tate Britain and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), among others. It was precisely the Pre-Raphaelites exhibition curated by Jason Rosenfeld a big inspiration behind ‘Ophelia Rising’: “Hannock was struck by the story of Shakespeare’s Ophelia – a popular theme among the Pre-Raphaelite artists,” states Sabrina Wirth, “the story of a young woman tragically arrested in her youth resonated with him, and even more so because the imagined location where John Everett Millais painted Ophelia was the Hogsmill River, reminiscent of the Oxbow River that is the subject in many of Hannock’s paintings. When he began composing his own Ophelia, Hannock felt as though he was “literally picking up where [Millais] left off.

The pre-Raphaelites believed in setting a scene for their subjects, resulting in paintings with a theatrical stage-like composition. Hannock’s Ophelia series plays off (or “riffs off” as Stephen likes to say) this theatrical sequence, starting with “Emerald Willow, Waiting for Ophelia” a painting representing the environment where she would eventually lay. Other iterations of Ophelia present her in the morning fog, in the middle of the Oxbow at early dawn, and finally with her rising- her final chapter is one of resurrection and celebration: Hannock gives her the opportunity to move on. In a previous interview, Hannock said: “The Oxbow has become sort of a metaphor of a stage for me. That’s just another link to the episodes of my stories. I recreated the Hogsmill river, I turned it into a little Oxbow, and there are a whole series of permutations with every show that I do.”

On show at Wirth Galerie till November 1ist, ‘Ophelia Rising’ feels like an invitation and an occasion, for us to rise above our life’s miseries, our sense of loss and dissolution, to celebrate the richness of the gift of life treasured in memories that suddenly re-emerge from the abysses of the past to light up a future for us.

To find out more about the exhibition & Wirth Galerie:

Website: www.wirthgalerie.com

Instagram: @wirthgalerie


What Do You Think An R.O.E. Is?

Our Business Strategist & Artistic Director, Daniela Pavan, digs deep into the core of Creative Point-On’s business philosophy. In business, ROE has a specific meaning: Return Of Equity, which is a measure of financial performance. It is calculated by dividing net income by shareholders’ equity. ROE is considered the index that measures a corporation’s profitability in relation to stockholders’ equity. But how does ROE apply to the art & business of storytelling?

By Daniela Pavan

Creative Point-On’s business lines gravitate all around one central concept: storytelling. So the question is, how can the ROE, the return of equity, be applied to a storytelling approach? Maybe interpreting the ROE from a different perspective. If we think about it in terms of Return of Emotions then we can more appropriately and efficiently find its application in the storytelling field. 

Since the dawn of time, we have tried to make a sense of our romance with the unknown by expressing it through stories, from primitive graffiti to songs, poems, movies, podcasts, blogs, posts, till the stories on Instagram.

Storytelling pushes the message in the gears of modern communication and global innovation. Behind every artist, entrepreneur, brand, product, or institution, there’s always a story. 

We live in a world where we are online almost 24/7, and at times we forget to value the importance of human relationships. Well, stories can help us stay emotionally connected to one another in the same way that they can help brands connect with their potential customers on an emotional level. Stories are indeed a powerful problem-solving tool. They build connections and transform perspectives. Through the conflicts and the challenges in a story, an audience can profoundly transform their point of view and become emotionally attached to the storyline material and to who narrates the story.

Stories emphasize emotional values. That’s why if a brand, a company, or a talent articulate their storytelling well, they can effectively grow an affectionate audience base, which can therefore turn leads into long-lasting customers.

Daniela Pavan

Also, stories emphasize emotional values. That’s why if a brand, a company, or a talent articulate their storytelling well, they can effectively grow an affectionate audience base, which can therefore turn leads into long-lasting customers. Storytelling is, by definition, a way of reaching an audience that taps into their emotions, provokes empathy, and resonates deeply with their own personal story.

Whatever emotion a particular story triggers, it ignites a gut feeling. As humans, we’re prone to listen to those emotions and they often become the basis through which we decide to spread the word, to engage with a brand, to buy. This is why storytelling generates not just a return on investment but also a return on emotion.

For more info about our Branded Storytelling, Urban Storytelling & Talent Storytelling Services CLICK HERE

Mauro Porcini – “Creativity Is The Answer”

On the occasion of the launch event of the first book by Mauro Porcini – SVP & Chief Design Officer of Pepsico – our editor in chief Tommaso Cartia had the chance to converse with the entrepreneur sharing precious tips for the creatives and the innovators of tomorrow. The event was wonderfully hosted by journalist Francesca Di Matteo, Founder & CEO of the Our Voices broadcast and StrategicA Communication at the enchanting Pinko Boutique in Soho. Special attendees at the event were Mr. Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in NY, and the Director of ITA – Italian Trade Agency – Mr. Antonino Laspina

By Tommaso Cartia

Mauro Porcini
Journalist Francesca Di Matteo in conversation with Mauro Porcini during the book launch event at Pinko Boutique in NYC. Photo by Francesca Magnani

“This day for us is about rebirth,” exclaimed with pride and emotion Francesca Di Matteo presenting StrategicA Communication’s very first in-person event after one and a half-year of pandemic. And it was, truly, a day filled with trepidation, also for me getting dressed and happily ready to experience again the aliveness of a community getting together to share ideas and perspectives for the future, shaking hands and exchange those vivid glances, thirsty for life, and those smiles, that could reassure you, that perhaps, the worst has been left behind. Not even the violent tropical storm that flooded the NYC’s subway on that day, intimidated or tamed the urgency to be together of the more than 100 guests who bravely traversed Manhattan to be present at the event. And the occasion to listen to Mr. Porcini talk about creativity, innovation, and the future of our business models, was certainly, unmissable, for everybody and particularly for us of Creative Point-On who have been “starting up” our business venture not too long before the pandemic hit. How many times, during this still time of our lives and our economy, have we thought about the concept of starting up, of starting over, how many times during this interminably long year have we stumbled and started all over again?

Mauro Porcini
Mauro Porcini’s book; “L’ETÀ DELL’ECCELLENZA (THE ERA OF EXCELLENCE)”. Photo by Francesca Magnani

“Creativity Is The Answer,” that’s the first thing that catches my attention when I’m introduced to Mauro Porcini for our interview, a sentence written in cubital, sparkling letters on his sweater. A sentence that resonates, profoundly, with the philosophy of our company. During the pandemic, Creative Point-On produced a web series entitled #CreativityWillSaveUs, an initiative born to support the artists’ community during the lockdown, and “creative” is the fundament of our name and business identity. It really feels like this encounter with Mr. Porcini should have happened somehow, sometime, and I’m very happy that it happened now, now that we all need, more than ever, to start-up and think about creative ways to take our next steps into the future.

“We need to be students of life and students for life”

Mauro Porcini
Consul General of Italy
Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in NY, takes the stage to congratulate Mauro Porcini. Photo by Francesca Magnani.

I’ve never met Mr. Porcini in person, although of course I’ve been knowing him by his exceptional professional journey and I’ve been fascinated by his entrepreneurial story and rise to success. I think that any upcoming entrepreneur who is serious about his/her career today should study Mauro Porcini, and I’m confident that his book: “L’ETÀ DELL’ECCELLENZA – THE ERA OF EXCELLENCE”; will be that trusted companion in the development of any contemporary enterprise. I have a feeling that it will serve the same purpose to the future generations that Steve Job’s book served to Mauro Porcini when he was an upcoming entrepreneur himself.

What struck me about Mr. Porcini when we started talking was his kindness, his politeness, his flowing rhythm in responding to my questions, his poised elegance and those vivid eyes, thirsty for life, and that smile that can reassure you that, perhaps, the worst has been left behind.

Full house at the Pinko Boutique during the event. Photo by Francesca Magnani.

“One should always feel curious and receptive, 24 hours a day.” Tells me, Mauro, when I ask him what kind of tips would he give to young entrepreneurs. “We need to understand the shades of trends and how they change. Some macro trends have been gone on for quite a while, the pandemic has accelerated them. For example, the health & wellness field, or the personability of brands, digitalization, sustainability, and many more. We need to understand this acceleration and what could be the unique point of view. Often the unique point of view is offered by technology. For example, in our field, food & beverage, we are now utilizing wearable technology that monitors your body and gives you tips on what you should eat or to make your beverages personable, based on your taste, but also your emotions and physiology.”

But technology per se is not sufficient, and it shouldn’t and it can’t be disjoint from the human factor: “This is what my book talks about. You can’t just commission a market research or go online and read stuff on social media or blogs, you need to be there, “on the road”, you need to be present and understand what it is happening. To rely just on the A.I. without the human factor and our ability to interpret and decode what we read in the data, it’s a limit.”

“To rely just on the A.I. without the human factor and our ability to interpret and decode what we read in the data, it’s a limit.”

Mauro Porcini

And for Mauro Porcini, “Creativity Is The Answer” to this decoding. “If you don’t work on yourself, on your education, on your training, if you don’t nurture your natural talent you will not get anywhere. In my book, I talk about the inventor of the IQ test who says that people who have been properly educated, formed, who study a lot, can even increase and surpass the ones who have a hereditary IQ higher than them.”

Mauro Porcini
Mauro Porcini signing a copy of his first book. Photo by Francesca Magnani.

A native of Gallarate, a city and comune of Alto Milanese, close to Milan, Mauro Porcini has a strong humanistic and classical formation, which is the quintessential and most distinctive trait of the Italian Renaissance culture. That educational foundation has been for Porcini an inexhaustible resource of inspiration but also a model, a way of living, a modus operandi.

Mauro Porcini
Mauro Porcini with Francesca Di Matteo outside the Pinko Boutique in Soho NYC. Photo by Francesca Magnani.

“We need to be students of life and students for life,” is, in fact, the motto that he coined and it is one of the fil rouges of the book: “We need to be students of our life and the life around us, we need to analyze the past and attempt to decipher the present. Curiosity, humility, and kindness are the keys to be truly successful.”

These are some of the traits of the so-called “unicorns”, a term with which Porcini metaphorically identifies the innovators of tomorrow. “Many make the mistake to think that once they achieved some sort of success, they know everything and they are done learning. I see this as a sign of weakness, because you fear that if you don’t prove to yourself and the people around you that you know everything, you lose credibility. On the contrary, I believe that strong people, who have great confidence in themselves, are not afraid to ask things, to a collaborator, to a child, to the people in the streets. When you start asking questions nurturing your knowledge every day, your business will naturally grow stronger. We should be, indeed, students, for life.”

Waiting for Mauro Porcini’s book to be soon released in English, entrepreneurs of all ages will now have in their hands another essential book to treasure in their “students for life and students of life library” to co-create all together this new era of excellence.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, But It Will Be Likable?

By Pramila Baisya

An essay covering how revolution looks in a social media era and discovering the adverse harm specifically when it comes to understanding infographics.

Graphic by Caitlin Du

 

When you’re scrolling through Instagram and you see new human rights issues beginning to trend through a steady stream of infographics, do you as a consumer ever stop to wonder why? This week all hands are on deck regarding #FreePalestine and #FreeSheikhJarrah, despite the oppression of Palestinian people going back decades. Before this, last week India’s oxygen shortage amid their second wave was trending, before that protests in Colombia, before that Black Lives Matter and the list goes on. Let’s not forget that U.S. troops still have a presence in Afghanistan (which was an unnecessary war). 

The point I want to highlight is all of these struggles are connected to one another, and it is critical to assess the connections of oppression between them and actively question the imbalances of power.

The point I want to highlight is all of these struggles are connected to one another, and it is critical to assess the connections of oppression between them and actively question the imbalances of power. They are not separate from one another, and should never be discarded as “last week’s news”. If something such as the oppression of Palestinian people stops trending on Instagram and Twitter, that does not mean the conflict or the trauma of people ends there.  More than that people’s lives and the varying degrees of oppression are not trending topics to be consumed. A platform like Instagram has a tendency to conjure the creation of infographics, to sum up very nuanced lives of people into square posts and illustrations. These infographics dehumanize the people it claims to support, making their struggles into concepts. 

Via: Instagram @mariebeech

I have written about infographics and the harm they cause in the past but am looking to shift gears with this piece to assess what it means to support a “trending cause”. When you re-share an infographic to share your solidarity with a marginalized or oppressed group, not only is Instagram capitalizing off your data with this, but it brings attention to you the user instead of the bigger picture which is the people at risk. Why on these platforms do we as users feel a need to express solidarity and empathy, when we should have empathy regardless if we engage on a platform or not? Why is there an urge to express support of a certain group only when it trends and more importantly who are we doing it for? For example, by expressing solidarity for Palestine, or Black Lives Matter through infographics, you are bringing the attention to yourself for validation from your peers who are not of that marginalized group. The sharing and resharing of these don’t help the individuals going through their respective struggles. 

When you re-share an infographic to share your solidarity with a marginalized or oppressed group, not only is Instagram capitalizing off your data with this, but it brings attention to you the user instead of the bigger picture which is the people at risk.

The problem with social media as yet another tool is that it doesn’t enforce the difficult conversations and bias that we need to address if change truly wants to happen. With infographics on Instagram, the research for people tends to stop there. What fails to happen is understanding individual stories or generational stories, ones that don’t need research of fact to corroborate their experiences. The word “info-graphic” itself indicates that all it will do is present information as if only facts surrounding the conflicts are all we need to know. While these info-graphics are accessible, easy to read, and save you time on gathering information, they cannot be an end all be all to understanding very complex topics. All conflicts may be painted as black and white, that does not mean the effects on people’s lives are black and white. 

Via: Instagram @soyouwanttotalkabout

What fails to happen is understanding individual stories or generational stories, ones that don’t need research or fact to corroborate their experiences.

Furthermore, depending on the page you are on a lot of these infographics take a neutral stance, as if removing themselves from the issues altogether. While information needs to be presented accurately, factually that does not mean it has to be presented robotically. Removing empathy from the issue at hand is dangerous because it created a disconnect from the user liking it to the people who are oppressed and marginalized. These infographics are a good start if you need basic facts on a particular topic. However, they will not lead the revolution. The real changes happen outside of a social media platform through mutual aid groups, and mass protests, things that the media would never show. The Revolution will not be televised is a song and spoken word poem by Gil Scott Heron that covers how as individuals we would never see the real revolution if we’re glued to our television. His lyrics still stand true, making me wonder how if the revolution will not be televised why would it likable.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

About Pramila Baisya

Pramila Baisya
Pramila Baisya

Pramila Baisya is a 3rd Year Writing student at The New School. She is an editor for the school’s Her Campus Chapter, and interned at Bowery Poetry Club. She currently contributes to Street Art United States. She is also a freelance photographer skilled in Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. 

“Hi there I’m Prim! Your friendly neighborhood writer, photographer, and overall film connoisseur! Come along on this journey, I don’t know where it will lead! Enough said I hate writing about myself, enjoy my work!”

Check her writing portfolio: https://pramilabaisya.journoportfolio.com

Fotography website: https://www.primsfotography.com/

“There Is No Blue Without Yellow.”

By Caitlin Du

Within the creatives’ mind. Visual Artist & Graphic Designer Caitlin Du animates the color symbolism and business philosophy of Creative Point-On in this suggestive comic inspired by the genius of Vincent Van Gogh and the meaning of the solar plexus and throat chakras. Featuring our founders, Business Strategist & Artistic Director Daniela Pavan and our Editor in Chief & Media Expert Tommaso Cartia. Ready, Set, Imagine!

Caitlin Du
Comic by Caitlin Du featuring our co-founders Daniela Pavan & Tommaso Cartia.

About Caitlin Du

Caitlin Du
Caitlin Du

Caitlin Du is a visual artist specializing in illustrations and comics. Caitlin was born and raised in Beijing, China. In 2018, her work was exhibited in the Metamorphosis Charity Exhibition in the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in the 798 art district. Caitlin arrived in New York City in 2019 to study illustration at Parsons School of Design. During her time in the US, her art has been featured on the 12th Street Journal and the Collaborative Clarinet in Concert Exhibition between Mannes School of Music, New York Youth Symphony and Parsons School of Design.

Artist Statement

“I work across mediums and specialize in illustration and comics. My work consists of many symbologies, inspired by the hazy style of the Chinese misty poetries. The subject of my art is usually myself, ranging from my stories, my emotions, to my identity and my culture.”

Follow her: www.caitlindu.com

Wirth Galerie Opens in NY. A Cosmopolitan ‘Art’ in the Heart of Manhattan.

Curator, artist, writer, and collector Sabrina Wirth infuses her worldly sensibility in this intimate salon-style gallery that challenges the COVID times opening new bright horizons for the art market.

By Tommaso Cartia

Sabrina Wirth with Artist Gabriel Ortega, the protagonist of the first exhibition at Wirth Galerie. June 3rd, 2021

A childhood dream come true thanks to that resilience that is forged in true passion – Wirth Galerie is an art oasis in the heart of New York that welcomes you into the marvelous life’s journey and the imaginary of its curator, Sabrina Wirth, a life-long New Yorker who had the chance to travel the world since she was a little kid and spent 6 years of her life in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

On June 3rd, as New York slowly remerges from the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 emergency, Sabrina opened the doors to a selected group of art lovers to give the world the first taste of this enchanting space inspired by the intimate “art salons” from the days of Peggy Guggenheim“Wirth Galerie is a collaborative space for the positive exchange of ideas and for connecting people through art and design from around the world. When creative minds come together, anything is possible”. Stated Sabrina Wirth introducing the gallery. And that atmosphere was certainly palpable during the opening event that presented the “Superheroes” series by Colombian artist Gabriel Ortega.

Gabriel Ortega
Superheros in Istanbul 2017 Acrylic paint, gold foil, canvas 32.5” x 32.5”. By Gabirel Ortega

Gabriel Ortega’s pieces were truly the perfect opening to identify the DNA of Wirth Galerie, with their unique blend of Western and Eastern culture, an art that audaciously displaces iconographies to construct new surprising narratives. “Ortega’s work combines painting with sculpture, making each piece a little scenario in which superheroes entrusted to any mission or presented as cult figures stand out.” States Sabrina Wirth presenting the exhibition. “His technique has an impeccable finishing touch with polished outlines and surfaces of pure color, influences by the ligne Claire (Claire line) comic style. The use of Tintin, the main character in the work of Ortega, is intended to show the iconic connotations of the character: moral values, and an unwavering determination to complete a mission. So, when Tintin embodies embodies a superhero or a Saint, it is intended to indicate that the mission is in good hands.”

Adventurous, bold and, inquisitive, Sabrina’s approach to the art market is fresh and yet nostalgic of the way pioneer collectors like Peggy Guggenheim changed the game and the history of modern art collectors with their bohemian, fearless aesthetic, and that innate flair for talent that turned niche artists into global phenomena.

Although just opened, Wirth Galerie has a lot on its plate already: “Next I will be exhibiting the work by Stephen Hannock and there will be film screenings at the gallery and then an exhibition of Mohamed Yakub‘s photographs inspired by Calatrava’s Oculus.” Tells us Sabrina.

Sabrina’s electrifying enthusiasm as she toasted to the realization of her dream, her warm smile, and her sparkling eyes leaned towards the future of her artistic enterprise, is what NYC and the world need right now to never stop believing that yes, creativity will and can save us as we co-create, all together, our Imaginarium of tomorrow, not a new normal… but a new exceptional like Wirth Galerie promises to be. 

More About Sabrina Wirth & Wirth Galerie

Sabrina Wirth
Sabrina Wirth posing at Wirth Galerie

Before considering myself a “lifelong New Yorker”, I spent the first 6 years of my life in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, surrounded by art and artists everywhere. It is no wonder I absorbed this love for art, which has become a passion and obsession: it was a major part of my childhood. I have been since deeply fascinated by the art market, and the psychology behind art, value creation, and the stories that make up this world. At Williams College, I developed my knowledge of the history and practice of art, and later studied the business side with a Masters from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. My first business, upon graduating, was an art advisory company, Helac & Wirth, later Wirth Art Advisory, with which I curated exhibitions in multiple non-traditional (and under-utilized) spaces within New York City, a pioneering concept back in 2009. I have worked as the first Chief Curator for the art startup IndieWalls, upon recommendation from a former SIA mentor, and have written about art exhibitions and profiled artists in the following publications: The Art Newspaper, Cultured Magazine, The Economist, Musée Magazine, ArtObserved, and Bal Harbour Magazine among others. I am a curator, artist, writer, and collector. Combining my experiences, along with my continued interest in seeing how the art world is evolving, I would like to share my world with you.

For more info check: www.wirthgalerie.com

Thirsty for more creativity? Sabrina Wirth is also the host and guiding voice of our #CreativityWillSaveUs Podcast series! Check it here below and ready, set, imagine!

Me & You, A Sunday Morning Of February 2021

Open this poem/love letter from our Editor in Chief Tommaso Cartia sent to all the lovers out there celebrating this St. Valentine’s Day 2021 in all of its love’s forms.

St. Valentine's Day


Me & You, A Sunday Morning of February 2021

It is not a Holiday
Until Billie caresses this Sunday
With the sweet roughness
Of her “Body & Soul”
Outside the window
Winter solmizates 
A snow’s symphony
A concert of ice and lights
Embracing and salvific.
The world is violently shaking
Sneezing blood, death, and confusion
We are prisoners of our hugging desire
But today you are with me
“Body & Soul”
Suspended 
In this house of red brick walls
Warming and fragrant
Like freshly baked bread
A house full of music and future
Of candles lit up to our dreams.
We are a reassuring parcel
To be opened next Christmas 
A lovers’ music box
That plays this fragmented present
With new harmonies
Audacious, adventurous, experimental.
Visions of us getting out of the house
Unmasked 
Hand in hand 
To go embrace of little wriggles of happiness
Our friends tonight at dinner.
A connection of loving sense 
Some wine, some laughs
Some singing, some foolishness
A melting of bodies, voices, sensations
A glimpse into eternity 
And then the present, the ordinary
The dreams of the trip we plan for next summer
More dreams

“I can’t wait to go to her concert…”
“…she is great, though she’ll never be like Billie…”
“promise we’ll see each other next week, good night!”

Later the love, me and you at home
The love
Unmasked
And the tomorrow gets trepidant with trivialities 
Once again 
The necessity of living as much as possible
Before nothing will be, again, impossible.
Me and you, Billie Holiday, and a Sunday morning of February 2021
Outside the window
The pandemic is sour
Flaking down
Even more violently than this snow’s tempest
But it will subside, will melt, and settle
Flash up once again and for all 
And be swollen by the darkness of time.
It will leave us dry, rested, rejuvenated 
Full of love for the days ahead.

Me, you, Billie Holiday, and a Sunday morning of February 2022.

It will be so, beautiful. 

Tommaso Cartia


The Courage to Be a Woman at the 2nd Edition of the Women’s Leadership International Summit.

An interview with French Human Rights Artist and Academic Guila-Clara Kessous – one of the UNESCO’s Artists for Peace – hosting the 2nd Edition of the International Women’s Leadership. Protagonists of the panel are personalities of the caliber of Actress Eva Longoria; Authors Eve Ensler; Metin Arditi; and David Foenkinos, among others.

This article was first published in French on Luxe Infinity Lifestyle Magazine.

Guila-Clara Kessous is Ambassador for Peace, UNESCO Artist for Peace, and Rising Talent 2020 of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. She will host prestigious speakers at the second edition of the International Women’s Leadership Summit on December 8 and 9, a 100% digital event. She will be joined by personalities such as Eve Ensler, famous author of the “Vagina Monologues”.

2nd Women's Leadership International Summit

Other panels will also be with famous personalities like authors such as Metin Arditi (UNESCO ambassador and Giono prize) and David Foenkinos (Renaudot prize), who will give a masculine vision to women empowerment. These live encounters will be opened to the general public who will discover more than ten panels on vast subjects such as digital, audacity, Generation Z, intercultural dialogue, with notably President of UN Women France and activist Frédérique Bedos. In this context, the opening night will be dedicated to host famous actress Eva Longoria in order to get some funding to the Global Gift Foundation.

World League for the Right to Happiness

This prestigious foundation is doing an amazing work to help women empowerment and you can already register here to attend this very special event https://www.globalgiftfoundation.org. In Spanish: https://www.globalgiftfoundation.org/es/paz-interior/. The project is realized in partnership with the World League for the Right to Happiness.

Enjoy, here below, an interview with Guila-Clara Kessous, speaking about the initiative.

Why this international summit on women’s leadership? 

Guila-Clara Kessous / UNESCO’S ARTIS FOR PEACE

GCK – This summit is a moment of sharing reflection on the place of women and her capacity of action in the society. This conference aims to give the floor to speakers on the theme of women’s leadership, that is to say the ability for women to create follow-up, enthusiasm and to endorse a notion of power. An actress like Eva Longoria or an entrepreneur like Arielle Kitio have in common that they do not avoid from accepting the responsibility of being seen as a woman of power and create a male and female followership from this strength.

Why choosing a personality like Eva Longoria to open the entire summit linked to the Global Gift Foundation on the topic: “Finding inner strength”?

GCK – Eva Longoria is an example to follow in terms of women’s leadership. She accepts her femininity together with endorsing political views and creating followership on very important causes. Having her introducing the entire summit is the chance for women today to understand that you do not have to “play it like a man” to be successful in your leadership. She will reveal the secret to resist in those uncertain times and finding inner peace. Those elements will be precious for the rest of the summit, to have those advice in mind to be more efficiently talking about an intellectual approach once you find calm within yourself… The Global Gift Foundation was chosen for its amazing work helping women and children to find resilience. Beginning with this event was a beautiful message of hope.

For you, is there a difference between women’s and men’s leadership? If so, what would it be?

GCK – It is very difficult to make the difference between what comes from birth  and what comes from education between men and women. Today, “leadership” remains an unconscious collective representation linked to the power of the alpha male. This refers to this “first man”, the man who is a pioneer in all fields, to the point of having a predominance over women since he was the first human being on earth through the biblical figure of Adam. As a result, the “first man in the world”, “the first man on the moon”, has invaded our imagination to the point of having immediately in mind when we speak of “progress” or even “humanism”, this naked man’s body with four arms and four legs in a circle annotated by Leonardo da Vinci. Of course, its feminine equivalent by the famous painter, remains wisely with arms crossed and showing only an upper body. For me, there is no difference in the leadership made by men and women. The Mona Lisa could have been a leader, but she remains a “mysterious woman”… The Vitruvian Man, is stunning by the masculine power of strength and energy that comes from the drawing. 

Leonardo Da Vinci
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and The Vitruvian Man

 In your opinion, is it necessary to steer away from stereotypes in 2021?

GCK – It is absolutely necessary to steer away from stereotypes in 2021 and fight them with all our strength. This starts with an education of respect for women and stop treating them as beings who must serve or define themselves only in relation to motherhood. Strengthening the girls’ self-confidence with early exposure to, among other things, team sports, strategic games and daring to let them speak more in public remains a basis for positive education. In the business world, it is also through the education of women AND men that this mental switch is taking place. Programs such as Eve from Danone, EllesVMH, among others, are there to help women to break the glass ceiling, to dare to run for positions of high responsibility without fear of not finding a balance between personal and professional life. There is still a lot to be done, especially now in times of COVID, with domestic violence that still puts women back to a level of victims. 

Personally, how would you describe your leadership, and how does it manifest itself?

GCK – I describe myself as an “artivist”, which means that I use my art to bring my action to the world. My work as an educator, a coach or an activist are all linked to my approach to drama. As art is not simply here to “create Beauty” as a “Mona Lisa” representation would do, but on the contrary, to help human leadership taking distance with our action. Today, I have the chance to help many leaders to give them the strength to be able to strengthen the embodiment of their character to give them all the depth of an authentic leadership, where vulnerability becomes revealing of powerful management. This is deeply linked to the body, in the posture, the non-verbal…

What actions have you personally implemented to achieve greater participation of women?

GCK – I have been a spokesperson for several founding texts of women’s emancipation through readings that I have recorded such as “I am Malala” by Malala Yousfzai or “A memory, a monologue, a rant, a prayer” under the direction of Eve Ensler. I am a facilitator of several programs of “Women Empowerment” in several Nasdaq companies and I often do conferences on the issue of women’s leadership. Training and coaching-in are also part of my solidarity action for beaten women through organizations such as the “Maison des Femmes” in France for example, or through UNESCO. Not to mention partnership actions to help young girls access education.

What would you like to tell the new generations (men and women), children and young adults on these subjects?

GCK – Not to be afraid…It is fear that creates this sense of empowerment in others. It’s very difficult for a woman not to be afraid: to be a “bad” daughter, a “bad” mother, a “bad” wife, a “bad” girl…With this injunction of “being good” that remains in the minds of women and girls. Today, what I want to say, especially to women, is not to be afraid of not being “good”, since the question is not to be good or bad, but simply to “be” themselves. It’s time to stop being afraid of not looking smart and speak up, that’s why participating in this second international summit on women’s leadership is so important.

To register to the summit click here: www.cil.events

To know more about Guila-Clara Kessous and her many accomplishments, enjoy here below our interview with the artist for our web series #CreativityWilLSaveUs Phase 2, When Venues Close, Windows Open. A Vision into the Future.