INTERVIEW with Chenglin Li
Carmela Loiacono talks with Chenglin Li who took part in the International Art Exhibition NEW HORIZONS – Authenticity, Resilience and Renewal in Matera, at Casa Cava, from March 21 to 27, 2026.

Carmela Loiacono – In “Algorithmic Genome”, identity is constructed through generative principles such as rhythm, mutation, and entropy, creating a system that continuously evolves. How do you perceive this shifting balance between human intention and algorithmic autonomy, and where do you locate yourself within this process?
Chenglin Li – In Algorithmic Genome, I do not perceive the relationship between human intention and algorithmic autonomy as a fixed boundary, but rather as a living threshold—fluid, unstable, and never entirely resolved. The system is initiated through a set of conditions, rules, sensitivities, latent rhythms, yet once activated, it unfolds into behaviours that exceed precise anticipation.
My role is not to prescribe form, but to cultivate the conditions from which form may emerge. I establish an initial logic, then remain within the process as both observer and participant, attentive to its deviations, its mutations, its quiet assertions of independence. Authorship, in this sense, is neither relinquished nor imposed; it is negotiated. I situate myself within a field of attunement, where intention and emergence coexist in a sustained, productive tension.

Carmela Loiacono – Your work suggests that the real risk is not the replacement of the artist, but the unconscious assimilation of computational logic. 
How can artists remain aware and authentic while working within systems that subtly shape perception, imagination, and aesthetic language?
Chenglin Li – The risk, as I understand it, lies not in replacement, but in absorption—in the gradual internalisation of computational logic as an unexamined aesthetic instinct. These systems do not merely generate images; they recalibrate perception itself: how we see, anticipate, and recognise form.
To remain authentic is to resist this silent drift towards automated thought. It demands a sustained awareness of the systems we engage with; their architectures, their limitations, and their embedded biases. Authenticity arises through friction: through the acts of editing, interrupting, and interrogating outputs, rather than passively accepting them as resolved.
In this regard, awareness is not external to practice; it constitutes the practice. It is an ongoing reflection on how perception is constructed, and a deliberate effort to reassert authorship within that construction.

Carmela Loiacono – By using AI as a “cognitive engine” to generate the structure of the artwork, you create a tension between collaboration and influence. Do you see this relationship as a form of co-authorship, or rather as a space of resistance where the artist must actively reclaim agency?
Chenglin Li – I would not describe this relationship as co-authorship in the traditional sense, as the system does not possess intention; it produces variation rather than meaning. What it offers is a field of possibilities: a proliferation of forms that require selection, framing, and interpretation.
Rather than a space of resistance, I understand this as a process of calibration. The artist must remain actively engaged, guiding, filtering, and reshaping what emerges, so that the work does not collapse into mere output. Agency is not reclaimed through opposition, but sustained through attention.
It is within this continuous act of calibration, between control and surrender, precision and openness, that the work attains its coherence.

Carmela Loiacono – Within the context of NEW HORIZONS, your work reflects on transformation as an inevitable condition. Looking ahead, how do you envision the future of artistic identity in an AI-driven world, and what role can artists play in redefining what it means to remain human?
Chenglin Li – In an AI-driven landscape, artistic identity may gradually detach from medium and instead become rooted in modes of thinking, in how one constructs systems, orchestrates processes, and frames experience. As tools become increasingly ubiquitous, distinction will no longer reside in their use, but in how perception itself is shaped.
Within this context, the artist assumes the role of a navigator of complexity, capable of revealing the latent structures embedded within technological systems, exposing their assumptions, and proposing alternative modes of engagement.
To remain human is not to resist technology, but to remain present within it, to preserve intentionality, sensitivity, and critical awareness. It is to continue shaping meaning within an environment that increasingly automates form, and to insist that behind every system there persists the possibility of reflection, of choice, of consciousness.

INTERVIEW with Christopher B Fowler
Carmela Loiacono talks with Christopher B. Fowler who took part in the International Art Exhibition NEW HORIZONS – Authenticity, Resilience and Renewal in Matera, at Casa Cava, from March 21 to 27, 2026.

Carmela Loiacono – In the works “A Splash of Red”, “Feel the Wind Blow II”, “Along the Towpath VI”, and “Redbud”, the tree does not appear as a simple element of the landscape, but as an autonomous, almost human presence, capable of resisting and transforming over time.
How did this vision of the tree as a symbol of silent resilience and persistent identity emerge, and what does this subject represent in your artistic journey?
Christopher B Fowler – On my website (www.christopherbfowler-photographer.com) I have three quotes that have particularly resonated with me: 
The first is from Dylan Thomas who said that art is about telling the truth.  The second is from Georgia O’Keeffe who said that what appeals to us about mountains and rocks and trees is not that they’re mountains and rocks and trees but rather the lines, planes, textures, etc., they present to us.  And the third is from Joseph Campbell who said it’s the task of the artist to reveal the radiance behind the physical reality.  
The short answer, as per the Georgia O’Keeffe quote, is that trees have the characteristics that people are–and I am–drawn to.
There have always been trees around me.  My father was a schoolteacher and I grew up on the campus of the school, which sat on 300 acres of land much of which was wooded.  There was even a modest arboretum.  I was climbing trees even as a small child.  (Memorably, I fell from the top of a full-sized fir tree at the age of four, or or five at the most–memorably particularly for my mother, who saw the whole thing from the kitchen window–though I remained uninjured). The school had long lunch hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I would often spend the time before classes resumed walking around the arboretum and sitting in the shade of the trees. 
One of my Dad’s assignments every year was organizing and running a film festival and, one year, he screened a short film by the filmmaker Donald Fox (“Omega”) that included the image of a tall tree, shot from below, arching with the wind—an image I’ve never forgotten and one which undergirds my sense of trees’ resilience. 
Trees as metaphors also came into my consciousness at some point thereafter—something attached to the earth but reaching up towards the sky, while at the same time, reaching, equally, down into the darkness of the earth.  They may not finally be anthropomorphic models of us, but they are certainly evocative of the same drives and desires that we have.

Carmela Loiacono – You have described your creative process as one in which images often “find” you. How does this moment of recognition unfold, and how do you translate a perceived experience into a photograph that preserves that same intensity? 
Christopher B Fowler – I’m afraid It truly has been that I’m just caught by something I see and then photograph it.  I’ve since come to recognize, at least provisionally, that it is likely the interplay of the abstract elements, as per Georgia O’Keeffe above, that gets my attention. I should add there have also been times when I was composing a shot I thought I’d wanted, when, out of the corner of my eye or the edge of the viewfinder, I spotted something additional, the inclusion of which was, then, what truly made the picture.

Carmela Loiacono – Your photographs seem to reveal something beyond the visible, transforming everyday elements into meaningful experiences. How do you work to make this deeper, almost invisible dimension perceptible within the image?
Christopher B Fowler – The distinction between ”depiction” and ”art”, as I see it, is that the latter involves not just conveying the image of the subject but the experience of it. 
I’ve heard it said of the painter Constable that he thought, if he painted things carefully enough, he would reveal the hand of God. 
Certainly one other aspect of when I’m looking through the lens I feel a sense of connection to… something (the radiance behind the day to day reality, as per Joseph Campbell quote above?). It’s part of the experience to be conveyed to the viewer. 
As regards my creative process, the task is to become clear, in what I’m seeing, as to what exactly it is that is catching my attention, then compose the image to include what is supporting it and disinclude, or at least minimize, what is distracting or detracting from it.

Carmela Loiacono – Looking ahead, what new horizons do you feel drawn to explore in your photographic practice? Will you continue developing this research on nature as presence, or are you envisioning new visual and conceptual directions?
Christopher B Fowler – At the moment, I’m not feeling led to go off in any new directions stylistically.  What is evolving are the subjects I’m discovering I can apply it to—and the range of subjects I move between now seems, itself, pretty broad, as the attached images show. 
I remember talking to an abstract-art painter who said she periodically went back and forth between figurative and abstract work.  Moving back and forth amongst the various subjects that I’m drawn to, as well as to new ones that catch my eye, is probably the more likely trajectory I’ll be following.
But we’ll see…

INTERVIEW with Ekaterina Zaznova
Carmela Loiacono talks with Ekaterina Zaznova who took part in the International Art Exhibition NEW HORIZONS – Authenticity, Resilience and Renewal in Matera, at Casa Cava, from March 21 to 27, 2026.

Carmela Loiacono – Your watercolor “Through the Fear” uses floral forms to symbolize distinct fears and inner obstacles. How did the process of translating these emotions into tangible botanical imagery help you explore your own personal resilience?
Ekaterina Zaznova – My watercolor “Through the Fear” is a deeply personal work for me, as it reflects three fundamental fears that almost everyone encounters in life: the fear of the unknown, the fear of judgment, and the fear of failure.
As a creative person, I am very familiar with these fears myself. I came to art not immediately, but after making a radical life change in my early 30s.
Through this process, I realized that my fears were not obstacles, but in fact became the most powerful points of my growth. Translating these emotions into botanical forms allowed me to gently observe and transform them, turning something invisible into something tangible and meaningful.

Carmela Loiacono – The delicate chains and golden keys in your composition act as both constraints and opportunities. How do these elements reflect your understanding of vulnerability as a transformative and empowering force?
Ekaterina Zaznova – There is a phrase that has always guided me in life: “There are always at least six ways out of even the most difficult situation.” 
The keys in my work symbolize these possible exits from fear. However, even when we have access to these “keys,” we are not always internally strong enough to use them – and that is where vulnerability exists.
At the same time, I believe that true strength is born именно through vulnerability and the act of overcoming it. In this sense, the chains and keys represent both limitation and potential – a moment of choice where transformation becomes possible.

Carmela Loiacono – Watercolor is a medium known for its unpredictability and fluidity. How does the inherent nature of this medium influence the balance between control and surrender in your artistic practice?
Ekaterina Zaznova – Watercolor is a unique and complex medium, often considered one of the most challenging in visual art due to its unpredictability.
For me, the balance between control and surrender depends on the intention of the work. There are moments when precision and structure are required, and others when I intentionally allow the medium to flow freely.
This dialogue between control and release is essential – it brings a sense of lightness, movement, and authenticity to the piece. In a way, working with watercolor becomes a reflection of life itself: learning when to guide and when to let go. 

Carmela Loiacono – As you continue your artistic journey, how do you envision evolving the “Flower Talismans” series or exploring new directions in your work that engage with authenticity, courage, and renewal?
Ekaterina Zaznova – The “Flower Talismans” series is a very significant part of my artistic journey. It marked the beginning of my exploration into my own identity and inner world, as well as the development of my authorial technique combining watercolor and alcohol.
This series is deeply connected to themes of self-discovery, courage, and transformation. Moving forward, I see it evolving into more complex narratives – expanding both visually and conceptually.
At the same time, I am interested in exploring new directions that continue to engage with authenticity and emotional depth, while pushing the boundaries of the medium and my own artistic language.

INTERVIEW with Zyneck
Carmela Loiacono talks with Zyneck who takes part in the International Art Exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected works: “Blue Indonesienne” and “Tenues de Soirée” presented during the exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition in Matera. 
Zyneck – Nothing in my childhood predestined me for art. But my
curiosity, my encounters and friends, and works of art (exhibitions, books, museums) led me to it naturally.
Since then, I have lived art every day.
The dreamlike, symbolic, unexpected world is my field of creation, expression, and freedom.
Professionally and personally, I happily immerse myself in it.
I hold a doctorate in art and communication.
After experimenting with different techniques, I have been developing Sand Art, works made from sand, for more than twenty years.
I am a member of the French Association of Sand Artists.
Discovering an Indonesian beach, I see a round pebble emerge… it inspires me to quickly sketch a character. I take photos, change the colors on the computer… it becomes “Indonesian Blue Head” (printed on acrylic, 60X80). Similarly, while walking along the shores of the Bassin d’Arcachon, I see streaks formed in the sand by the receding water. Two women in “evening dress” impose themselves (60X80 aluminum plate).
So I look for elements in nature that, in a given context, invite me to create, to make the invisible visible.
It is a meditative act and one of self-discovery.
I exhibit this ephemeral dialogue with nature by immortalizing it on Dibond aluminum or acrylic.
Some may see it as a poetic and political work of respect for Nature, which is already Art in itself.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Zyneck – My usual creative process for Sand Art draws on my own experiences—we only ever talk about ourselves—and my curiosity as a researcher. I contextualize the subject, explore it from different angles, and push it to its limits until it becomes as stripped down and readable as possible (videos illustrate the process for other themed exhibitions; see Zyneck YouTube).
Sand Art is an original work with a distinct style. It belongs to the realm of contemporary art and is intended to be free and independent.
When it comes to influence, I have no preconceptions. All art forms are reflections of different eras and cultures and embody tradition and/or modernity.
My influences have evolved over time, with my travels.
I would mention Vlaminck, colorist, fauvist, Georges Mathieu, expressive gesture, Chagall, dreamlike and poetic, Cocteau, refined drawings, along with Picasso, Dali, Matisse…
Primitive arts for sculptors, and engraved and mysterious signs on stones, petroglyphs, Indian kolams painted on the ground with colored flour or sand, Asian calligraphy for mastery of line…

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Zyneck – Art has always evolved in terms of its techniques, themes, and periods. There are fashions, “classics,” precursors, schools, dissidents, and quarrels.
Artists, through their sensitivity and character, innovate and disrupt… this is art reborn.
Today, we are in the midst of a digital revolution. AI is invading all sectors. Robotized, hybrid works are emerging. Works of art and museums are digitized, they can be seen all over the world, and this can spark interest.
Art also circulates on social media, algorithms target and guide us…let’s keep our free will.
Is there really an exchange or just information between the people involved?
Do specialists have a say?
Isn’t there a trivialization of creation?
Nothing can replace the emotion felt when viewing an authentic work of art.
We see singers emerge, become popular, and disappear just as quickly. We live in a consumerist and disposable society, reflecting the times we live in.
Faced with a constant flood of information, too much information kills information and leads to
addiction… Let’s keep a level head and stay on topic.
There are positives and negatives everywhere.
Art, painting in particular, has been criticized, dismissed as old-fashioned, rejected, but it has resisted and new painters are appearing, relying on social media for visibility. This must already be being studied?
Similarly, in the media, the print press has been
turned upside down but is adapting, digitizing, archiving, and holding its own.
Its professionals and specialists know how to take the necessary step back, write, and cover topics in depth.
There is room for the immediacy demanded by those in a hurry and the analysis, expertise, and even philosophy of professionals.
We are using different and complementary tools and approaches to question and open up the debate.
It is up to each of us to continually articulate tradition and modernity, openness, plurality, and diversity…

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Zyneck – The artist creates for himself, but also to be seen, known, and recognized. He expresses his resilience symbolically. He presents his creations from exhibition to exhibition, from project to project, and progresses. So, I love meeting and sharing with artists and
foreign collaborators, stepping outside my comfort zone, exploring and discovering the unexpected. I love being surprised by a new place, a different theme, artists of all kinds.
After my exhibitions in Matera and Oria, where I exhibited my sand art plates, I began reworking my future pieces without knowing where it would take me.
As part of my diverse activities, in December I will once again be participating in an exhibition with Latin American and French artists evoking the resistant Pachamama.
In April, I will organize the annual exhibition of my studio and guests…
a studio that this year will be even more open to outside artists
and diversity.
My new solo exhibitions are taking shape after wonderful encounters, such as this year in Italy and yesterday in South Korea, Spain, and Greece. It is an investment and a commitment.
Resolutely optimistic and open, other projects will come along. My contacts are multiplying and can open doors to new exchanges and projects.

Carmela Loiacono – We had the pleasure to meet in person in Matera, during the opening of the exhibition, did you enjoy cooperating with me? Did you like to stay in Matera?
Zyneck – Meeting Carmela was a wonderful experience. We talked at length before the exhibition in Matera, in an unusual venue where contemporary art has a different place than in galleries.
Organizing exhibitions is a heavy burden for a young woman. You have to innovate, question yourself, and doubt yourself in order to gradually gain experience in the field in a complex and difficult art world.
I strongly encourage Carmela. It’s a daily job to increase her visibility, create encounters, make contacts with the local press and tourist information, be present on the internet, be active on social media, etc. I’m speaking from my experience as an amateur. I am ready to exhibit again with Carmela in her new projects.
At one point, the question arose of exhibiting in Bari. Why not? It is a large city with other means of communication and surely various unusual venues to explore for future exhibitions.
Why not? To be continued!

INTERVIEW with Leo Hainzl
Carmela Loiacono talks with Leo Hainzl who takes part in the International Art Exhibition CREACTION in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected artwork: “Colane” presented during the exhibition CREACTION in Matera.
Leo Hainzl – My name is Leo Hainzl, born 1968 in Austria. I received my artistic training at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna from 1994 to 1999. Since 2000, I have participated in numerous group exhibitions in Asia, Europe, and the USA. Over the past 25 years, my approach to life and work has changed. I am particularly interested in the media of painting, drawing and hybrid methods. A selection of images deals with the following topics: short-lived content in a changing society of values, the question of human meaning in a changing reality through upbringing, education and competition. In my series of works, an abstract implementation is synonymous with individual and social development tendencies. Visual art is intended to deal with tensions and fractures in society. In psychoanalysis, Eros and Thanatos refer to the power of life and the death drive. “Colane” consists of a medium blue background with five loops and lighter traces above them, which are overlaid by orange zones with pale pink circles.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Leo Hainzl – Since 2021, my work has mostly begun after researching international calls for thematic exhibitions. In the studio, I first develop motifs experimentally, focusing on improving quality. I usually rework details until I’m satisfied. The artists of Italian Mannerism (16th century) created astonishing paintings. I also write texts myself, which provide a content basis for my analogue and digital works. 

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Leo Hainzl – Every day, I’m confronted with many interesting posts from artists. Since I work in the field myself, I usually respond positively to the content. Personally, I’ve decided to only publish a photo with a short statement for selected exhibitions sometimes. In my case, it evokes more personal interaction with others.

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Leo Hainzl  – I would like to continue participating in exhibition projects with artists worldwide. The global presence of my work is important in the general competition with others. This requires a lot of time and concentration to implement. For me there is no work-life balance. I can only pursue one project after another by making sacrifices.

Nic Galloro participated in two International Art Exhibitions:
1) NATURAL FLOW – Exploring water’s essence in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia, from March 01 to 22, 2025 with his sculptures: “Filling Up” and “Reap What’s Sown”.

2) NATURAL FLOW – The 2nd Edition 2026 in Lecce at MUST – Museo Storico della Città di Lecce, from July 03 to 18, 2026 with his sculpture: “Pull Tab Fish .625 “.

INTERVIEW with Nic Galloro concerning the International Art Exhibition NATURAL FLOW – Exploring water’s essence in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected sculptures: “Filling Up” and “Reap What’s Sown” you exhibited during the exhibition NATURAL FLOW – Exploring water’s essence. 
Nic Galloro – My name is Dominic Galloro.  I go by Nic Galloro as an artist name.  I am a sculptor but also a life-long environmentalist. I am intrigued with the idea of using reclaimed materials to make artwork.  Within that refuse, I recognize the design qualities intended for an industrial, practical function and can be manipulated; taken our context, they become sculptural elements. A narrative dialogue emerges from these arrangements. 
Two particular artworks: Reap What Sewn and Filling Up express the sentiment that I wish to convey in my art. They both take the form of wall-mounted fish.  Reap… is a comment on how manufactured human waste can find its way into living organisms.  The title is a biblical reference about cause and effect. The other work shows the stomach of a fish completely full of the disposed waste.  It is an exaggeration, but I wanted to emphasize the sense of excess waste in the environment.  Both works were presented in Natural Flow, an exhibition of works with a similar theme in March 2025.  Dr. Carmela Loiacono was kind enough to extend an invitation to exhibit these works at the Cultural Hypogeum Lega Navale Matera, Italia. She showed an in-depth understanding of the work and was most helpful with the logistics to make it all happen – a true pleasure.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Nic Galloro – For me, the creative process is used to make visual statements.  Art objects appeal to a different part of the brain. There is a lasting vision that may have a longer life than words.
Influence for me comes from the work of Robert Rauschenberg because he used non-traditional elements in his art. Christo Javachef taught me not to accept obstacles and limitations (I had the pleasure of working on his Surrounded Islands project). In Baltimore, MD is a museum dedicated to Visionary Art. It is a vast collection of artwork created by people with no formal training. The commonality is having a deep desire to create art. 
I share that sentiment.

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Nic Galloro – Yes, social media is a good way to expose artwork to a wide audience. The world has shrunk with the advent of technology.

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Nic Galloro – Currently I am refining a proposal for a three meter tall heron to be installed on the Seine river near Paris. Though only a sketch was required, I decided to build it regardless. It was challenging and exciting working in a larger size than I am accustomed to and using materials foreign to my experience.

Carmela Loiacono – We had the pleasure to meet in person in Matera, during the opening of the exhibition, did you enjoy cooperating with me? Did you like to stay in Matera? 
Nic Galloro – The date of the exhibition was fortunate because we had intended to visit the city before I became aware of the show. Accommodations were arranged directly across the street from the museum so attending the opening was easy.  After the event we spent a few enjoyable days in the ancient city.