Interviewer: Mahmoud Mansi
Edited by: Hadeer Salah El Din
1-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What does art mean to you?
Valentina Merra: Art is everything for me. Art is oxygen; it is life for my soul. Since childhood, art has always been present in every occasion or event. Luckily, my family has helped me pursue a career as an artist since I was 12 years old.
2- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How do you make money out of art?
Valentina Merra: Art marketing is complex and it became more difficult, but do not despair. Earning money with art is not impossible, but it is currently trying to find new channels of communication, good publicity and a good message to send to everyone.
Personally at the base of my work, I try to introduce children and youth to new visions of art communication. I believe that this step is crucial for future generations as it expands art marketing and visual art communication.
3- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What are the challenges that face you in your career as an artist in Italy?
Valentina Merra: In Italy, we have so many important galleries, museums, and foundations that deal with culture and cultural centers. They are places that can give visibility to the artist.
The challenge, that an artist has to face every day, is that they have to believe in dreams. Each of us in life has a purpose to be achieved, a goal. A career as an artist in Italy is neither easy, nor difficult; there are a number of open calls for artists which can open the door to significant opportunities.
4- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How did you manage to make yourself an international artist and travel around?
Valentina Merra: Life gives us many opportunities that we must seize. I have always dreamt of traveling with my job all over the world. When I see a call for artists or receive an invitation from relevant bodies or festivals or other artists or managers or exhibit symposiums, I am always honored to be able to live a new adventure, maybe in another continent.
5- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You have made over 40 art exhibitions, what do exhibitions add to you?
Valentina Merra: I’ve participated in more than 40 exhibitions across Italy and other countries. The exhibition is important for an artist; it is a medium that allows you to showcase artwork to a wider audience. The visibility that an event gives to an artist is essential. There are many factors that can facilitate public relations and pave the way for new meetings with important dealers or industry professionals in important cultural centers. My experience teaches me that each event brings with it a new audience and new public relations.
6- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: An artist needs a lot of self-branding to be more recognized, how do you brand yourself?
Valentina Merra: In artistic and creative environments, to transmit a particular image and to network environment where you want to get ahead, you need to manage international relations, which automatically allow you to create a certain image to display. This becomes the most important thing when you live in a fast-paced society. We must also be able to leave a good impression about ourselves and our works. An impression that, of course, is consistent with our goals.
7- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You have been interviewed several times, and many articles were written about you, and this is very supportive for an artist to be recognized by the media. What are your tips for other artists who wish to get media support?
Valentina Merra: My advice for future generations of artists is to build relationships starting from the local media, during small galleries exhibitions or events or even when they are a student at the academies of fine arts or arts faculties. The importance media support and visibility in the media are essential to start your career as an artist.
8- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: As noticed, you have a lot of certificates in your field as an artist. Do you think each artist should have a powerful academic background? How did these certificates benefit you?
Valentina Merra: Having an academic background has benefited my work since I was 12. I studied arts at the Institute of Art of Cerignola. Then, I attended The Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia, where I obtained a degree in Painting and a Master’s degree in Graphic Design.
To study at art institutes or academic centers, in my opinion, is important because you have the opportunity to study subjects and learn techniques and new visual communication languages through workshops of important artists. There is much to learn and to do. An artist will never cease to implement new techniques and languages. Moreover, doing research is important for an artist.
9- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Do you advice that painting would be a course for employees in organizations? How can such a course affect the employees and the objectives of the organization?
Valentina Merra: A painting course allows you to focus your energies during work, then to express moods and feelings through the brush strokes on the canvas. I do not live only off painting; however, I have used painting to channel my knowledge in illustration for illustrated books. A course in painting or art therapy could be of help to the employee. Every day we live hectic lives without stopping; work-home-work. Sometimes the only pause that is allowed in our lives is during small vacations. Imagine remaining seated to think, but we cannot send our stress and our feelings about the family. With the help of color, maybe, we can channel our stress and paint it. The canvas that we will have in front of us is our mood.
10- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Did you ever think about having a full-time job? Why?
Valentina Merra: This year, I have taken up a position as an Assistant Lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia, Italy, for Computer Graphic with students of departments Graphic Design, Fashion, Painting and New Technology of Art. My days are full of commitments and work on new projects. Maybe one day, out of stability or being tired of seeing the world, I would stay firm with a job in a city and travel only for my artwork.
11- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You have worked with children a lot, what is your advice to instructors who work with children?
Valentina Merra: Since 2012, I have taken up pedagogical and art therapy studies and how this field of art lies in different arctic disciplines can be of help in difficult situations. In a context such as the world of childhood, a lot of patience and good will are needed. It is a fairly difficult area that opens your eyes to new job opportunities. My advice is to love your job and the children; if you have chosen a job that is children-centered, try to focus your energies on helping children and facilitating things for them. Today we see numerous events that speak of death, war, famine and violent events that disturb the lives of our children who very often are victims.
I admire the instructors and all the employees of associations and non-governmental organizations that live in close contact with those children without a homeland, victims of wars, or refugees in lands far from their cultures. I think that the work of these instructors, nurses, and doctors who help these children is critical to their little lives. I hope one day to be able to contribute with my project of art therapy and help young children who live far away from their land, or children suffering from diseases like cancer, leukemia, heart, and respiratory diseases, and give them a smile.
12- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What is your opinion about unemployment in Italy? What are your suggestions to solve it?
Valentina Merra: Real unemployment in Italy is as much of those countries affected by the crisis. Currently, it seems that there is a recovery but I think you have to wait quite a few years. My suggestion is to try to work with incentives which are allocated by the European Union and the Italian Government. Try not to create bureaucratic barriers and form training groups that are able to fulfill the demands of the labor market. Finally, I add that in everything we do we have to believe in our work, then establish the objectives and achieve the purpose that each of us has set.
13- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: When you traveled to Egypt and worked there for a while, what was your opinion regarding its business environment? What advice do you have for Egyptian business people?
Valentina Merra: I worked with some groups of artists who work in Egypt; I had beautiful experiences. I would advise business people to speed up the tempo and response when planning a project. The wait for a response or a work project organization is a bureaucratic problem that plagues almost everywhere. Speed up the waiting times! Currently, there is a new project in Egypt and there will be news soon.
HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Thank you so much Ms. Valentina for this interview and for your efforts with developing the children, and for your unique art pieces.
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