N:CO

Nico, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. You’re part of the Water Me exhibition–could you start by telling me what the theme of water means to you as an artist?

When I think about water, I go straight to my childhood. I grew up between the mountains and Lake Como– the Mediterranean Sea has always been a part of my life. Water has always felt like a place where I could just jump in and forget everything–the sound is different, the light is different, it’s full of life. You float and your thoughts drift freely. So for me, water brings forth themes of darkness, introspection, and light. It holds sentiment and memory, but also this incredible sense of freedom.

Your piece in the exhibition is a collaboration with Adriano. What was it like working together?

It was really fun. I’d met Adriano a few months earlier in Naples, with the curator of the exhibition, Pia. We were chatting about upcoming projects and thought–why not try something together for this exhibition?

Was this your first artistic collaboration?

Yes–it’s my first proper one. I actually come from a background in physics, so this entire experience–exhibiting, collaborating–is quite new for me. It’s been a learning process, but a very rewarding one.

What were your impressions of the ZIRKA Space when installing the work?

I’ve known about this space for about a year, so I was familiar with how it’s changed. For this piece, I really wanted to hang it–to have it suspended in space. I built a structure for it, which brought me in a bit of an industrial, construction-site feeling.

Let’s talk about the work itself. It has two sides–what do they represent?

I made this piece during a time when I was thinking a lot about society. I grew up in nature, so I feel very connected to animals, ecosystems– but I also see what we’re doing to the world. That awareness made me angry.

There was this moment where I felt isolated, powerless. Society is often structured to make you feel alone. I remembered this technique from childhood–where you fold a painted page in half and get a symmetrical image. That’s how the two figures emerged: mirrored forms made in one motion.

One side became a coral reef–vibrant, full of life and color. I designed the other side during a moment of rage in the studio. I removed the color by scraping it off.

This work is about duality, and about accepting who we are–our traumas, fear, and limitations. From there, we begin to change. This hope is important to me.

How did you approach light in this piece?

I always think about light. I included mirrors and reflective materials because I like that the viewer’s position changes what they see. One side of the piece is opaque, the other reflective– it creates a duality that responds to movement, time of day, and perspective. The evolution is really important to my work.