Marilù Manzini (Modena, 1978) moves between decorative arts, writing, photography and design. The desire for (artistic) freedom inspired his first live performance – “Marilu in the cage” (2019) – where she had herself portrayed in a gilded cage in various iconic places in Milan. All of her works are illustrated on the site marilumanzini.com. From December 5th she will be among the protagonists of the contemporary female art exhibition Woman & Woman Renaissance organized by Paola Colombari Gallery as part of XMAS Maroncelli in Milan.
7 am
«I get up to give medicine to my heart disease dog, Ugo. He lives, together with 5 other dogs, with me and my husband in Milan. Between me and Ugo it was love at first sight; I had never wanted a dog before I fell in love with him 14 years ago. I’m also a little in bad shape and my health requires me to follow a very strict diet. On the other hand, since I’m no longer thin, everyone takes me much more seriously as an artist.”
10 am
«I live in a building with a gym and shared swimming pool and I take advantage of it to do sports three mornings a week. I’m not good at dance but I signed up for a tango course, because it is one of the ten things I absolutely want to know how to do in life. Dancing on Canvas, my latest performance at Central Station, combines my love for painting and dancing: I made couples dance on large white canvases after dipping their bare feet in fresh paint.”
Marilù Manzini (Modena, 1978) moves between decorative arts, writing, photography and design.
11.30am
«I have a light rice-based lunch and then I go “shopping”: in toy shops or 50 cent shops the objects “speak to me” and are transfigured into artistic images. The series of photographs Contaminated Superheroes was born from my forays into supermarkets. Post-pandemic, after seeing the queues at Pane Quotidiano (the Milan non-profit organization that feeds people in difficulty, ed.) grow dramatically, I flooded Piazza Affari with fake banknotes with the Money performance on the cost of living.”
Henry Cavill is among the protagonists of The Witcher series.
1.30pm
«I sit in my living room and meditate for at least two hours. I like to say that I go for a tour of the hyperuranium, where ideas live, and come back to earth to drink a coffee. I experience periods of fervent creativity and others that are more stingy with ideas, but I never sit idle. If I’m not painting, I go out to meet friends, or to visit exhibitions: I love observing other people’s art.”
4pm
I create all day – sculptures, design objects, paintings, treats – but I support myself by investing in real estate. I learned from my husband, who works in construction. I never wanted my art to become “work”. For a few months I have a “basement” on the Naviglio Grandenear where Alda Merini lived, which I would like to transform into a studio.”
Ugo is the dog who has lived with the artist for 14 years.
7pm
«Every evening I cook for my husband. My specialty is second courses, I make an exceptional rabbit stew, but I bless the ready meals from the supermarket who at least once a week save my dinner. During the weekend my husband Francesco, a true chef, is in the kitchen!”.
8.30pm
«There are no sleeping pills that work, I remain an insomniac! I go to bed early, and watch an episode of a TV series: it’s time for Just like that but also for The Witcher or Fantasy in general. Then at night I get up and start writing compulsively, or watch a film. I try to go back to sleep. Or I reread the correspondence with the foreign suppliers of my first film as director – The Black Notebook of Love based on one of my novels – which is about to be released in Korea…”.
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