Federico Rolla

“For some time, I have been striving to step up my sculptural work by working on a larger-than-human-scale project. I intend to produce a body of works that can be inhabited, climbed on, or walked through; monumental sculptures to be contemplated from all sorts of perspectives. BCAC sparked this motivation and opened itself as an ideal setting for this chapter in my career. When presenting my project to Steve Hardy, he reacted very enthusiastically and was supportive months before work began. So, expectations were quite promising from the start. But what I was to find at my arrival surpassed all foreseeable notions. The fantastic metal studio, the stunning mountain backdrop scenery, and the fabulous living facilities were everything a resident artist would aspire to have access to. But the human element —the conscious support and attentive disposition towards making the artists’ work as fluid and genuine as possible —is, truthfully, the distinctive facet at BCAC. The team as a whole is working for and with the artists in every detail. Bill and Tony, with whom I spent hours planning and executing logistical maneuvers for the placement of my piece, became dear friends, bonding on a personal level, which was as important and profound as everything else. I also got to share the studio with David Marquez, a talented sculptor with whom I immediately connected on an artistic and human level and who I can now call a good friend. My days at BCAC unfolded as if outside the logic of time and space; everything was rhythmically coordinated and yet refreshingly spontaneous. I had planned my work quite rigorously before getting there, so I guess that allowed me to finish my piece quickly, which in turn let me produce two small pieces with the remaining time. On the whole, these have been among the happiest and most challenging days of my artistic career so far.”