I have discovered the vibrant Art of carlos in my first trip to Rome and was excited to interview the artists behind the most colourful murals around the city. Carlos Atoche was born at Lima, Perù in 1984 and lives in Rome since 2003. His art is a truly unique and eclectic mix of different styles and media and he playfully creates stunning artwork whether it is a mural or a linography print.
1. What is art for you?
What it is I don’t know, even if I ask to myself every day. Art is certainly an excellent therapy for those who practice it and consequently for those who admire it. First of all, I think it helps to awaken consciences and remind us about our magical essence: it facilitates us to discover the invisible behind the object’s mirage. For the artist it can become the inexhaustible need to grant the mystery.
2. How would you describe your style?
I think that the style is the result of a long series of experiments to reach, someway, a certain maturity. In my case, I still feel my research in constant change. Many artists seek a style and cling to formulas that reassure them. Many times though, this mechanism can become a limit. As in intrapersonal relationships, the relationship with painting must always be renewed, through experimentation.
3. What things inspire you?
The present, that is, encounters, nature, daily life: its difficulties and its consequent overshoots. The past, that is, the great minds and the great civilizations of antiquity, which have shaped the world in which we live today. Finally, the future, that is, the lifelong hope and the irrepressible desire to realize our dreams.
4. How would you describe the artistic scene in Rome?
the artistic scene in Rome, I must say, is not the most contemporary. The Roman conservative society is reflected in the art. In the exhibitions, the languages of painting and sculpture prevail. This also explains the late boom of street art in the capital.
Years ago, I lived a period of 6 months in Berlin. I noticed that unlike Rome, in Berlin it was more frequent to meet exhibitions of more contemporary languages such as installation, video art, performance, etc. The most active contemporary art in Rome is definitely street art.
Oil on canvas
250 x 215
5. What art festivals, galleries or museums recommend for an art lover who visits Rome?
surely the eternal city offers an infinity of permanent exhibitions in the museums that house masterpieces of Italian and European painting, such as the Vatican Museums, the Barberini Gallery or the Villa Borghese Museum. Among the most interesting underground festivals I could mention “Crack”, festival of illustration, which gathers artists from all over the world and takes place inside an ancient military fortress of 1800. The festival takes place during the summer, frequently in the month of July.
