Cristina Cerminara & Valentina Matiradonna, Racconti da una Terrazza

You can watch Cristina and Valentina’s video here.

When lockdown started in Rome I was stuck in my small flat right in the city centre, in the ancient district of Borgo near the Vatican. I decided that although I had very little space I had to keep on working, drawing, creating collages and using my handmade art objects.

In the beginning it was extremely difficult because of the fears oppressing us all, the feeling we, my loved ones far away, and so many people were all in danger, the terrible news of so many people dying each day made it almost impossible to concentrate on creating new artworks.

But then suddenly something happened: I realized me and other neighbors were lucky because we had the possibility of using our building large rooftop terrace with an amazing view toward St. Peter’s Dome as we live in the ancient district of Borgo in Rome.

Moreover I discovered one of my neighbours, Valentina Martiradonna, is a talented photographer and we started a collaboration, that is still going on, with an interesting new project involving also video makers.

We begun to create assemblages, site-specific projects, videos, installations, collages, sculptures and drawings using our rooftop as a backdrop and we realized soon we were feeling a great joy in what we created.

Our rooftop became our atelier but also the way we could find relief and freedom from the lockdown situation.

It was and it is an important life lesson to realize how much your spirit can create ways to “escape” from oppressive and freedom limiting situations.

Moreover we felt really lucky a new friendship and artistic collaboration is born: Valentina Martiradonna talented photographer and me Cristina Cerminara multidisciplinary artist are now constantly working together to keep on creating for a project we named originally “Racconti da una Terrazza” on instagram #raccontidaunaterrazza.

Now we decided our project must become a work in progress involving more and more people that feel the desire of participating, we are now thinking to a way of letting people become a part of our tale.

It’s a way of celebrating the moment lockdowns will at last finish in the entire world and people will be able again to move freely again, hopefully realizing how lucky we can be to live in this planet and learn to really love it.

Valentina Martiradonna’s photos not yet printed (prints will be around 40×30 cm) of Cristina Cerminara’s Sculptures, assemblage, drawings, objects.

Cristina Cerminara and Valentina Martiradonna

Instagram: @cristina_cerminara and @valenonvale

Cristina Cerminara web site: www.cristina cerminara.com

Facebook: Cristina Cerminara Art Works

and Valentina Martiradonna

Cristina Cerminara

I’m a drawer, painter and multimedia artist based in Rome were I was born in 1960.

After many years studying and working abroad I now live in Rome where I concentrate my research on drawing techniques, site specific installation, digital collage based on drawings and paintings. I attended the Art Academy of Florence and Rome where I graduated in Graphics and Painting in 1990. I lived many years in Great Britain and Germany where I organized my first personal exhibitions. Among the most important solo exhibition I participated:

“Sehnsucht – Frammenti dell’Essere” – Spazio Gattomerlino Gallery – Rome 2017 “De Obsessione – Bond Age” – Massenzio Arte Gallery – Rome 2009 “Eros&Tattoo” – Fondazione Menna – Rome 2008

“Strange Creatures” – La Camera Verde – Rome 2007 “La Scelta” – La Camera Verde – Rome 2004 “Avatar” –

Odradek Bookstore – Rome 2002
“Blue” – Galerie Maas. Cologne – Germany 1993

In the year 2003 I collaborated with the BBC Lion Television to the production of the documentary “Mediterranean Tales” with interviews about my artistic work and the work of her father the sculptor Gabriele Cerminara.

Among the most important group exhibitions I participated to:

“NoPlace4” Santo Stefano di Magra. La Spezia. Italy – 2018

“Kommensienachhause”. Cologne – Germany -2018

“Kommensienachhause”. Cologne – Germany – 2017

“L’arte come risorsa” – Creative Room Art Gallery – Rome -2013 “Watt Film” – Piane di Bronzo Tuscania – 2012

“11 Settembre 2010” – Piane di Bronzo – Tuscania

“XI Premio Internazionale” – Massenzio Arte – I.S.A. Rome – 2008

“80+10=90 anni per l’arte” – Studio Morbiducci – Rome 2005”

“Una Rosa non è una Rosa” – La Camera Verde – Rome – 2005

“Sguardo di donna”-Spazio Immagine. Orvieto – 2003

“Red Light District – Images of Desire” – Galerie Y-Burg – Amsterdam

1998 “Escatologica” – Galleria Spaziotemporaneo . Milano – Palazzo Comunale. Siena – Galleria Peccolo – Livorno. 1997

“Invito alla Quadriennale” – Palazzo delle Esposizioni – Rome 1996

“Orizzonte Plurale” – Museo della Carta – Fabriano – 1995

“L’Oggetto dell’ Immaginario” – Comune di Rieti – 1992

Publications:

Edizioni La Camera Verde:

Collana: “Il fotogramma d’argento”: “La Scelta” 2004

Collana “Locandina d’artista”: “Jeu d’œuf pour violer les solutions régulières il faudrait bien naître”2008

“Strange Creatures” – Cristina Cerminara – 2008

Edizioni Polidoro Editore:

Illustration for the first edition of Hermann Melville “John Marr and other sailors”