Materially Speaking
A podcast where artists tell their stories through the materials they choose.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 25 minutes
- Episodes
- 64
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Maja Thommen: Spiral
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Originally from Zurich, Maja was always keen to leave Switzerland and with an Italian grandmother perhaps Italy was always going to be her destinat…
Ursula Corsi: Mosaici (lingua italiana)
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Ursula è nata a Seravezza e vive e lavora ancora nella zona di Pietrasanta e ha anche trascorso un periodo di apprendimento delle tecniche speci…
Anne-Claire van den Elshout: Icarus
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Dutch artist Anne-Claire trained and worked as a lawyer until she followed her heart to become an artist. She moved to Pietrasanta, where she lived…
Usama Alnassar: I could build a theatre here
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A sculptor and painter born in Damascus, Usama tells of the impact of being brought up in Syria and of continuously dealing with people from differ…
John Fisher: Carving lines
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Originally from Oregon, John moved around America a lot as a child. Although he was not formally schooled as an artist, he received his education a…
Sandy Oppenheimer: Painting with paper
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Sandy first came to Italy to be with her partner, the sculptor John Fisher, and enjoyed the influences of the Italian Renaissance, and the detailed…
Notre-Dame: An acoustic reconstruction
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On 15th April, 2019 a catastrophic fire broke out in Notre Dame Cathedral. Parisians watched in horror as the spire fell and most of the roof was d…
Viareggio Carnival 2024: Confetti in their blood
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The flags are out, the bunting too, and the red and white mascot Burlamacco is everywhere as Viareggio eagerly awaits the start of Carnival. The tr…
Gabriele Gelatti: Like an insect
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Gabriele talks to us about his upbringing in Genoa, his self-taught artistic training, his love for the history of art, and for photography.
He expl…
Robin Bell: Pioneers and famous Canadians
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We settle down to chat outside Robin Bell’s home at a sheltered table with a spectacular view of the sea, from Pisa to La Spezia, and the never end…
Janice Mehlman: Come fly with me
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The long, narrow, glass-walled studio of Janice Mehlman is perched half way up the steep garden of her home, on a hillside near Pietrasanta.
Many of…
Steaven Richard: Paris - Artsmithing
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Steaven Richard evolved his craft as an apprentice to several artisan blacksmiths over many years and in many countries, before establishing his ow…
Xavier Montoy: Paris - Sternocera aequisignata
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Xavier Montoy grew up in a family of doctors and was always keen on biology. When he chose an artistic route he wanted to focus attention on endang…
Judith Kraft: Paris - Early instrument maker
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Judith’s workshop is in the 10th arrondissement, tucked away in a courtyard behind huge iron gates where tall white buildings house workshops, and …
Sylvain Maenhout: Paris - Forging a new life
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Sylvain always loved cooking and when he discovered a passion for working with metal and wood he trained so he could create kitchen knives for chef…
Trailer: Paris Transformations
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This spring Mike Axinn and I went to Paris to see how artisans are able to practise their craft in a vibrant, urban setting. We wanted to discover …
Ron Mehlman: An artist of many parts
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Ron Mehlman grew up in Brooklyn and came to Pietrasanta in the 1980s. No materials are off limits in his quest for creating sculpture infused with …
Nicola Stagetti: We can move the mountain
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Nicola Stagetti of Stagetti Studios in Pietrasanta, and Robin Sethi, the project coordinator from India, describe the creation of Pramashwar the In…
John Greer: Art is a language
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John Greer finds art gives him an invaluable structure in life. Expressing himself in form is more important than a visual language.
Professor of sc…
Magic at the Carnevale: Artisans of Viareggio
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Carnevale originated in pagan rituals celebrating winter turning to spring. For Christians it offers a brief hiatus before the rigours of Lent – he…