Giovanni Coda Reflects on 35 Years of Art and Activism in New Interview

Giovanni Coda, a multidisciplinary artist from Cagliari (born 1964), discusses his 35-year career in an interview coinciding with his retrospective "AS IT IS. Giovanni Coda Solo Exhibition" at Ex Convento dei Cappuccini in Quartu Sant'Elena, running until June 29, 2026. Coda, who works across film, photography, video art, and installation, emphasizes his commitment to memory and human rights. He recounts starting in 1990 with a borrowed VHS-C camera for a video installation at Teatro dell'Arco, and his choice to remain independent rather than pursue mainstream cinema in Rome. His "gender violence trilogy" includes "Il Rosa Nudo," "Bullied to Death," and "La Sposa nel Vento." During the 2020 lockdown, he co-founded the collective NostraSanctissima with Carla Pisu, transforming everyday objects into sacral still lifes. Coda has directed the V-Art film festival for 31 years. In 2023, he took over The Social Gallery, a space he describes as a cultural outpost for independent visual art. His current project is a documentary on Gianni Dettori, a transformative performer from Cagliari, titled "Kasteddu Free Night." Coda cites his triptych of a beggar in Sathkira, Bangladesh, as the heart of his photographic work, and "Il Rosa Nudo" as his most profound film, which won the Film For Peace Award at a Gothenburg festival.