Cover_Elena Vavaro. Senza titolo, 2016
An empty frame, symbolising the imaginary power of art. Bright orange, emphasising the modernity of expressive power. And the internet, as a collector of interests and a vehicle of global dispersion. It seems almost easy to link these three vectors in the name of art, but that is not always the case. Behind Nartist, start-up designed to give modern meaning to current artistic expression, lies the typical Made In Italy story- one of those entrepreneurial occurrences where business intuition is tightly bound to beauty for pleasure’s sake, a concept so deeply rooted in Italian DNA. A project that lives on the web, but is rooted in culture, amplifying social connotations; in fact, a digital art gallery, where collectors are directly in touch with young creatives, getting to know them and buying their artwork. The idea is that of Francesco Nicastri, who has spent his career in business consultancy, a côte artistic who couldn’t remain subservient, who has a strong sensibility for organizational models that support social and cultural activities. Nicastri is joined by Enzo Cannaviello, long-time gallerist specializing in contemporary art and former president of the National Association of Contemporary Modern Art Galleries, and Luca Borriello, Research Director of Inward, Observatory on Creativity. The fourth side of this hypothetical art frame is the Doimo Group, manufacturing partner specialized in the creation of furniture, with whom they have exclusively patented a system of customisable canvas furniture pieces outfitted with frames which allow artwork to be inserted and interchanged, thus catering to clients’ preferences. To best understand this project, MANINTOWN met its creator, Francesco Nicastri.
When and how was the idea of Nartist born?
NARTIST is a project that I like to define as ambitious and even revolutionary, because it comes from my way of feeling and living life. The first intuition was born in the workshop of an artist in Puglia, following a question that I have been asking myself for many years: often I wondered if it was reality that creates thought or thought that creates reality. In the end I managed to understand that it is thought that creates reality. Unfortunately, the speed at which we live our daily lives does not allow us time to stop and listen to ourselves, and in this way, we end up limiting our own thoughts and actions, instead replicating mental constructs and expected behaviours. If, on the other hand, we could stop from time to time, we would be able to perceive the creative spark that exists in each of us. It is the key ingredient needed in order to truly enrich our lives with new stimuli, and it opens us up to new possibilities, giving value to our uniqueness. In this respect, taking interest in art is the most direct way to create our own reality.
Why did you feel the need to design this platform? What need does it fulfil?
I embarked on this journey inspired by emotion, in order to design a project model that stimulates and spreads creativity and brings value to human relationships and consumer experience by means of interaction and exchange of ideas.
How was the partnership with Doimo born?
The Doimo Group impressed me with its manufacturing history and the strength of its brand, and in addition it has always demonstrated itself to be a pioneer in both the geographic exploration of new markets as well as investing in know-how and technology in a range of finished furniture products. Even when approached with the potential offered by this project, they were able to grasp its profound implications and hence the cultural, social and industrial opportunities right away.
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