Costanza Gastaldi Selected for Prestigious Chinese Residency, Discusses Artistic Process

Italian photographer Costanza Gastaldi has been selected for a one-month residency at the International Guyan Painting Village in Zhejiang Province, China, starting in October. The residency, supported by local institutions and the French agency Art Confidentiel, will provide a personal studio, a translator, and a cultural mediator, fostering dialogue with local masters in celadon ceramics, stone sculpture, and traditional forging. Gastaldi, who was chosen from over 600 applicants (only ten artists were selected, three international), views this as a significant recognition of her artistic journey. In an interview with Andrea Savino for Collezione da Tiffany, she discusses her creative process, emphasizing that details in her photographs serve as clues for multiple readings. She identifies her series 'In the MOOD FOR LOVE' (2025), created during research in southern China, as a turning point, where she explored the tension between sacred and profane, as seen in works like 'Icona Impermeabile'. Gastaldi also addresses the democratization of photography, arguing that technology does not make an author; instead, vision and inner urgency define value. She calls for curators and gallerists to defend quality over quantity. Looking ahead, she plans to continue exploring universal themes and creating images that evoke emotion, especially in an era of AI, and hopes her works remain open spaces for diverse interpretations.