2020 what a crazy year! - How does it feel for Filippo Ioco in Spain
Within our interview series due to this so special year 2020 we recently talked with Filippo Ioco. He lives in Barcelona (Spains) were he owns an art gallery and works on several creative projects. Filippo is also creative mastermind of breast cancer awareness campaigns & events and WB Academy Instructor.
How does Filippo experience the year 2020?
2020 - how did you as an artist in Spain experience the time in spring when Corona reached Europe?
2020 has definitely been a mixed bag of emotions, challenges, and self-discovery. While parts of the world and Madrid were being bombarded with COVID, Barcelona was business as usual for a couple of weeks, and eventually, the virus made its way into Barcelona and we went into lockdown. Two days before the lockdown I flew to Gibraltar to judge their Bodypainting competition and on the day of my return, Gibraltar went into lockdown. Living in a city, during the confinement I was very fortunate to have a patio and Rosie. I have always worked from home so in many ways, nothing really had changed for me. I still had my grocery store, bakery outings, and walks with Rosie. I would say that my freedom to go out at any time was missing and my trips to the art store. Fortunately, I had enough materials to continue producing art for my agents during the entire confinement as some worked from home and others deemed essential,
as for the Gallery being closed, I was getting government assistants.
Before I left for Gibraltar, I started working on two bodypainting projects, a "Salted Carmel Rootbeer Float", and a "Caramel Vanilla Float" I painted one of the models before I left and was to continue with the second model and project elements on my return. With everything closed down, I was forced to order my elements from the internet. Eventually, I completed the Salted Carmel Rootbeer Float and have yet to finish the "Caramel Vanilla Float".
Does the global pandemic also affect your art or does your art help you to deal with it?
Thankfully during and after the confinement, I have been producing art. I also took part in a worldwide COVID-19 documentary where
I documented my day to day routines during this period. Creating my art did help me tremendously, emotionally, and spiritually.
Is there something that you take with you from 2020 into a new "normality"?
I believe that 2020 in modern times has definitely been a year of loss and reflection for humanity, like no other year before it. 2020 has taught me to cherish what I have and what I have achieved in life. It also forced me to think of and consider what is important to me. It has definitely been a year of self-reflection and self-awareness. As we near the end, I find myself in a weird state of mind where I am constantly confused, questioning my every move, happy/sad, and dealing with motivation and anxiety attacks. I can only hope that this will go away soon with the rest of 2020.
How was it for you not being allowed to organize your charity project regarding breast cancer awareness?
I was very much looking forward to the PINK-London2020 and the LGBTI Erotica exhibition in the gallery but like the entire entertainment & artistic industry coming to a halt. Not being able to organize both events has been very sad and discouraging. I only hope that 2021 will have a better outcome for us all.
Dear Filippo - thank you very much for the insight you gave us!
We look forward to seeing you again in 2021 at one of the WBA events or the 24th World Bodypainting Festival in Klagenfurt (AT)!
More about Filippo: http://www.iocobodyart.com or www.filippoioco.com (also on Instagram)
