Public Republic

Interview by Petya Hristova with the Italian artists Degal and Chiara Mazzocchi

Self-portrait Rumore Bianco

Degal and Chiara Mazzocchi: “Rumore Bianco has no past and no future other than a present that can’t be captured, almost as if it didn’t exist. It’s white. White because the corresponding electromagnetic radiation would be perceived as white light by the human eye. Pure Light.”

I am very impressed by your photos and installations. How did you meet and start working together?

Chiara: – On April 14th, 2010, I received an email from a certain ‘Degal’, talking about a project that he wanted to make over the concept of fragility: a series of photographic portraits of several people from different ages and ethnicities in the intimity of their bathtub holding on to a buoy. He told me that he heard nice things about my photographic works, so I accepted and we met the next day. From that day, Rumore Bianco was born.

“Fragility project” by Rumore Bianco

Would you like to tell us more about yourselves? When did you find your artistic vocation?

Chiara: – It began within me; as a child it was more like a fairytale concept: I used to spend a lot of time with my dad while he was painting and taking pictures, when it began to flow in my blood as a virus. I have no idea of what happened, but my life and art have always been the same thing.

Degal: – It has always been a necessity; I have never considered it as something external from me. For me, it is an investigation medium. A suspended crib in the cosmos which induces revelative dreams through listening to signs.

What’s the symbolic meaning of “Rumore Bianco”?

Scientifically speaking, white noise is a particular kind of noise characterized by the absence of a time period; it is a totally random signal. No information on its development on any time lapse can give any idea on the value it will assume in the following instant. Rumore Bianco, for example, can be found in nature in sea waves. Rumore Bianco has no past and no future other than a present that can’t be captured, almost as if it didn’t exist. It’s white. White because the corresponding electromagnetic radiation would be perceived as white light by the human eye. Pure Light.

You have taken great self-portraits. How do you feel in front of and behind the camera?

Chiara: – In front and behind the lens I feel exactly the same. I feel that I have the chance to look at myself. Even when I’m taking pictures of Degal I’m looking at myself. Looking at myself makes me feel present. Presence is an exciting transitional place.

Degal: – Ditto.

Your last project is called “Synergies in Space”. How do you strike on the idea for these four handed works?

Degal: – The four handed paintings came up by chance, they were a random event. In this case, what we are doing does not represent a project, rather than something that manifests itself only when we are -Listening-. Such works reveal figures and elements that are found rather than searched, which leap out as a listening revelation (“listening” process) from white color. Through the randomness of the white spots being set with a roller and made visible by a spatula, the authors become spectators of stories which are produced on their own. The red line traces the synergy between shapes and vibrations in space, breaking the boundaries of the medium.

“Synergies in the space” by Rumore Bianco

Why Berlin? Do you have your favorite place there where you get inspired?

Berlin came by itself. It was a common wish. We decided to leave Italy due to the lack of artistic and cultural sensitivity from our political class. We have found Berlin fantastic instead; it is very stimulating for us. The art scene can be strongly felt and it nurtures our dreams. We still don’t know if our future will be in Berlin or some other place, but being here so far has been healthy for us, it’s a continuous source for inspiration.

Do you like other types of art? Do you have favorite books, favorite music genre?

Chiara: – I love dance, music, movies, phylosophy. Also being a dancer makes my opinion over music quite eclectic. I like to listen to what makes my soul move. I don’t read much, It’s a matter of lazyness.

Degal: – Music has been the first art medium with which I began to interact. The truth is that such thing is the same for everyone but I am personally referring myself to a piano that I used to have in my house as a kid. That instrument threw me into the art-making process. Anyway, I like to listen to anything relating to world history or anything holding the same holyness. My favorite book “Letter to an unknown” by John Cage. I don’t have any particular favorite music genres.

What do you know about Bulgaria? Came across any kind of Bulgarian culture?

No. Up until today we haven’t unfortunately had any contacts with exponents or elements of Bulgarian culture.

What are your future professional plans?

“Rumorebianco” is our project. By saying this we mean that “we are the performance” and that the resulting artistic product is in fact the -recording- of a living tension.
How would you describe your art in one word?

“Timeless”.

Photos: Rumore Bianco

Rumore Bianco (white noise) is a feeling art, born in April 2010 from the meeting of two Italian artists: Degal and Chiara Mazzocchi.
The languages that they use are the physical body installations and visual arts.

CONTACTS
www.rumorebianco.net
www.myspace.com/synergiesinthespace
www.chiaramazzocchi.com
info@rumorebianco.net