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Inside the Studio: Alessandra Bisi
Stepping into the world of Alessandra Bisi means entering a realm where colors, textures, and cultural narratives intertwine seamlessly. A Milan-based artist with a profound academic foundation from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Bisi’s artistic journey transcends conventional boundaries. Her work, rooted in abstraction, explores the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, often integrating painting with digital media, collage, and conceptual installations.
Her extensive travels across Asia, Africa, and America have enriched her artistic vision, shaping projects like Mondo Sì, which critiques globalization’s impact on urban landscapes, and Geo Alto, which merges traditional watercolor with aerial perspectives inspired by drone technology. Through her work, Bisi challenges viewers to rethink their surroundings, uncover hidden patterns, and engage in deeper emotional and intellectual discourse.
In this Inside the Studio interview, she takes us through her inspirations, creative processes, and thoughts on navigating the contemporary art world.
Read on to learn more in an exclusive interview with Alessandra Bisi :
1. Your artistic education includes studies at the Hayech Art School and the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. How have these experiences shaped your approach to abstract art?
My traditional education, both at the Art High School and the Academy of Fine Arts, was fundamental for me. Through training that starts with drawing and progresses to expressive means like painting, one learns composition, spatial organization, and an awareness of how various expressive languages can achieve a creative goal. I believe that painting and all other artistic media form a unified field. My approach to abstraction developed naturally when I realized that painting does not necessarily need to represent reality—it can exist as a self-contained process, evolving and manifesting itself independently.
2. During the 1980s and 1990s, you traveled across Asia, Africa, and America to study different cultures. How did these journeys influence your artistic perspective and work?
During these years, I traveled a lot—not specifically to study different cultures, but rather to immerse myself in real experiences. For an artist, I think there is a delicate balance between formal study and the willingness to be impressed by direct encounters with the world. That’s what I sought to do—observing, exploring, and absorbing the essence of the places I visited. Instead of focusing on deep academic research on these cultures, I chose to experience them firsthand. The landscapes I encountered had a strong impact on my color choices and the geometric structures I explored in my work.
3. Your project Mondo Sì, initiated in 2017, reflects on the homogenization of urban landscapes due to globalization. What inspired this project, and how has it evolved over time?
I came up with Mondo Sì in 2016 and officially began working on it in 2017. In essence, the project started with an observation: urban landscapes of different, distant cities were increasingly resembling each other due to globalization. However, the project is conceptually much more complex. Before visiting each city, I spent time erasing my preconceived notions about it. I gathered fabrics, colors, and objects that reflected my imagined vision of the place before actually being there. Once I arrived, I immersed myself in the city, exploring both famous and hidden spots, collecting everyday objects from the streets—labels, bottle caps, ropes—items I found identical in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Milan, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Logos of global brands appeared uniformly in neighborhoods, airports, and metro stations. These collected objects, embedded in large painted or unpainted fabric surfaces, served as a testament to the visual flattening brought about by globalization. At the same time, I sought to highlight each city's uniqueness. For instance, in my work dedicated to Madrid, I included a small area referencing Goya’s rooms, which I believe still influence the spirit and colors of the city. In my work on Ho Chi Minh City, I incorporated an antique, hand-printed fabric—part of a rare and disappearing craft.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I was unable to complete the final stages of this project in Tokyo and New York. Mondo Sì has since expanded into collections like Mondo Sì Acid Flowers (2018), where I depicted the disappearance of wildflowers and the rise of artificially bright, standardized greenhouse flowers. Another related project, Mondo Sì Red List, used traditional portraiture to highlight endangered animal species.
4. In Nessun Potere, you combine traditional painting with short films to critique contemporary social issues. What challenges and rewards have you encountered in integrating multiple media in this project?
In Nessun Potere (2011), I deliberately used two different media. As I’ve mentioned before, I reject the idea that different artistic techniques should be strictly separated. Digital media is just as noble as any other artistic language, and I use technology when it offers expressive possibilities that painting alone cannot achieve.
This project explores whether, in today's world, we could still effectively communicate messages using an ancient painting technique. The answer, in my case, was no—completing just three wooden panels for this work took me nearly two years. The accompanying short films create a dialogue with the paintings, telling the story of a contemporary individual whose experiences reflect the symbolic imagery in the triptych. The contrast in the perception of time—both in the execution of the paintings and in the storytelling—was a central theme.
5. Your work often explores the relationship between color and space to convey emotions and inner experiences. Can you describe your creative process and how you approach mixed techniques such as collage and digital art?
When I work on socially engaged themes, I strive for clarity and accessibility, which is why I embrace different media without limitations. However, when I create abstract paintings, I rely more on instinct. I choose colors with an awareness of the emotional responses they evoke. Abstract painting is not self-referential—it connects with viewers through emotion and feeling.
When I use mixed techniques like collage, I follow the same principles. Digital art, for me, is not simply an imitation of traditional painting but a separate and powerful medium. Many artists misuse digital tools to mimic painting, which I believe undermines the true potential of digital expression. I integrate digital elements only when they allow me to achieve results that would be impossible with paint alone.
6. Your project Geo Alto transforms watercolor paintings through digital manipulation, inspired by modern drone technology. What led you to explore this intersection between traditional and digital media?
In Geo Alto, I used digital tools because they provided the most suitable means of expression. The project focuses on how modern technology allows us to see the world from new perspectives—especially from great heights. Drones and satellite imagery reveal landscapes as abstract compositions of geometric forms, and I found that digital manipulation was the best way to capture this concept.
7. You have exhibited internationally since 1995. Could you share some pivotal moments or exhibitions that significantly impacted your career?
I have exhibited my work for many years. One of my key exhibitions was a solo show at Cinema Anteo in Milan (1997), where I explored cinema as a visual language. I also collaborated with Studio Pestalozzi in Milan and exhibited with the Manfredi Foundation across Italy. My work has been shown in Austria, Poland, and the United States, among other places.
However, I prefer to speak about my growth rather than my career. Over the years, I have organized exhibitions in my own large studio in Milan, which for a time operated as the World Basement Gallery. My artistic journey has been shaped more by conviction and vision than by market trends.
8. Given the challenges of self-promotion in the Italian art market, what innovative strategies have you adopted to gain visibility and reach your audience?
I’m grateful for this interview because it allows me to express my thoughts on the current state of the Italian art market. Contemporary art is almost invisible today. The only artists who receive exposure are either famous or paying for visibility. Many galleries no longer invest in promoting an artist’s work—they expect the artist to finance everything themselves.
This means that only those who can afford to pay—whether retired, hobbyists, or individuals with secondary incomes—are able to exhibit. Professional artists who rely solely on their art struggle to find space. The situation has worsened over the past two decades, with declining public interest and disengagement from collectors.
To maintain visibility, I use social media and my self-built website to showcase and sell my work. I refuse to pay for artificial promotion but have still managed to sell pieces internationally. I believe the market has hit rock bottom, and the best strategy for an artist today is to have no strategy—just the courage to say no and stay true to their vision. If we persist, I believe we will see a new Renaissance in the art world within the next decade.
9. How has digital technology influenced your creative expression and audience engagement?
Technology has given rise to new platforms, online galleries, and long-distance connections. I use it to showcase my work in virtual exhibitions, such as my current show Paesaggi Trascritti.
"Digital jungle with tiger"
10. What advice would you give to emerging artists looking to establish themselves in the contemporary art scene?
True emerging artists are those who are sensitive, motivated, and willing to learn from great masters before revolutionizing artistic language. My advice to them is to avoid imitation, know their intentions, and understand their place in art history. Most importantly, they must believe in themselves and persevere in making their presence known.
Alessandra Bisi’s artistic practice is a testament to the power of experimentation and fearless self-expression. Whether through large-scale fabric installations, digital manipulations, or emotionally charged abstract paintings, her work resonates with a profound sense of place and identity.
In a time when art is increasingly shaped by commercial forces, Bisi remains steadfast in her belief that true artistic growth comes from persistence, authenticity, and the courage to defy expectations. As she continues to evolve her practice, we eagerly anticipate what new explorations and bold narratives she will bring to the art world next.
Stay tuned for more Inside the Studio features, where we uncover the stories behind today's most compelling artists.
You can learn more about Laura Hol’s and her work via these links:
Website: https://www.alebisi.org/
Instagram: @alessandra.bisi
Facebook: @Alessandra Bisi
Behance: @Alessandra Bisi
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