We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cynthia Penna a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cynthia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The installation of artworks by Laddie John Dill (american icon artist of Light and Space Californian movement) at MANN Archaeological Museum in Napoli , Italy. The artworks made of long tiny glass tubes inflated with neon or argon gas were installed close to ancient gigantic sculptures of Pompei and Herculanum present in the Museum, to start a dialog between old times and contemporary time. Once Dill’s art pieces were light up they projected their multicolors on the white marble of the sculptures making them revive as they were originally created by Greek and Roman people. A gigantic installation made of local sands, gravel and neon lights was realized at the monumental entrance of the museum so that at night it made the whole atmosphere around turning in a pinky color shade.
We had to face hard moments to make the installation because we had to hire big trucks for the transportation of thousands of pounds of earth and sands inside the museum without making any damage, any dirt and any noise to not disturb visitors who wanted to admire the sculptures!! It was incredibly astonishing and also a bit surreal to look at the big truck and the wheelbarrow transporting sands in an unreal silence of the halls!!!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am the art director of the Cultural Institution named ART1307 based in Napoli and Los Angeles. Founded in Naples in 2007, ART1307 is a cultural institution whose mission is to promote the visual arts on an international level. It is a matter of an essentially cultural purpose, and within this context the association has strived to establish international exchanges with other cultural institutions abroad in order to offer artists and the public a much vaster and more varied scenario of contemporary art.
The artists who have been invited to exhibit with ART1307 have been chosen mostly for the quality and talent manifested by their works. and the deep level of their research in art field.
The association has chosen artists of all age groups, even if special attention has been dedicated to young emergent ones, but the most important aim has been to give the public an opportunity to experience the new creative expressions of contemporary art and the great variety of materials with which many artists choose to measure swords.
ART1307 is a sort of “place” of research,
In this context conferences and meetings with the artist have been organized on a regular basis, also at schools.
Over the years ART1307 has established relations with American cultural institutions as LA Artcore, LAAA and the West Hollywood Public Library in Los Angeles, with the Lancaster Museum of Art and History in California, with the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles; in France with the Festival des Alpilles in Provence; in Japan with the Metropolitan Museum of Tokyo just to mention a few locations where prestigious exchange exhibitions of Italian and foreign artists have been held.
In Italy with the Superintendency of Cultural Heritage of Naples, the PAN Palazzo delle Arti Naples, the Pio Monte della Misericordia, the MANN Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Royal Palace of Caserta. and the Royal Palace of Portici home of the University of Napoli .
In 17 years of activity we have promoted a considerable amount of events because a single credo determines and directs our actions: Art is the only remedy and the only salvation for a world where living is worthwhile.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal and mission is to improve art as much as possible in a world, such as our contemporary world, that is full of brutality and violence because I profoundly believe that art can elevate people’s conscience. Culture and art are the highest manifestations of human capacity to built something good for the entire world: they can help people to correctly behave, they can help humanity to grow peacefully; in terms of economics and practical things, Art can create new jobs and can create new manufacturing skills. We have taken art into schools offering the possibility to students to relate directly with big artists; we organize constantly conferences of artists and above all workshops in which students of any age can create something new under the supervision of older artists. This push creativity of each single person to come out and this is also a way to give people a reason to overcome difficulties and be resilient in their life.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think that society has to enhance the level of general culture that in the last 40 years has gone irreversibly down. Society has to change urgently this dangerous trend starting from a stronger education in schools. Schools have to increase the time dedicated to Art teaching, history and literature. Plus the single governments small or big they are have to develop art residencies for artists on each territory of their competence: free travels for some artists abroad, free art residency abroad and develop international artist exchanges. Til now those things have been realized by private patrons with private money, but it is time that the governments start to develop this practical aspects of the art world finalized to increase culture. Public money can convey in supporting the artists by creating area of some cities which are devoted to the arts; area that are provided with apartments and/or lofts to live and work in free of charge.
Plus also many annual scholarships can be dedicated to the arts in Universities and other public schools.
In my opinion this is the way to develop, support and enhance culture and creativity in a Country.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.art1307.com; www.cynthiapenna.com
• Instagram: istituzione_culturale_art1307
• Facebook: cynthia penna
• Twitter: @cynthiasim42971

Image Credits
cynthia penna renato penna