CLEAR IDEAS, FEET ON THE GROUND, AND EYES ON THE FUTURE

A residence for artists, an independent exhibition area, and a collection of over four hundred and fifty contemporary artworks, all of which inside a historical palazzo in the heart of Brescia. This is Edearda Monti's by now famous brainchild. He told me more about his journey and the desires that continue to motivate him.

Q:What's it like to be a Bergamasco who lives in Brescia but studied in London and works in New York?

I am very fond of Bergamo, my mother is a Bresciava, and I lived there until I finished secondary | school (a 'licça classico"), but then I took off for London. It was a hard year, because of the English language, and because I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. A foundation course at Middlesex University gave me a chance to try out lots of things. It changed my life. Then I had an internship at Stella McCartney, where I remained for eight years: three in London, and five in New York. It was the first and only job of my life before starting to work on my project. I was doing communications and PR, which taught me rigor and discipline. It was an unrepeatable and formative opportunity that repaid me for all my struggles in the fashion world.

Q:What do art and fashion have in common?

There are many synergies between art and fashion now, but they are still two different worlds. Art can be celebrated, acquired, and known of by very few people and still be successful, while a fashion collection needs to sell thousands of pieces. Consequently, the economic repercussions are far stronger in fashion, but it's also more immediate, and then you have to look toward what happens afterwards. Art is instead made to last, conceived and built to remain. So there are deep differences concerning how the systems and the respective products function.

Q: One morning you woke up and said to yourself: "I'm going back Italy to open up an artist residency. "Is that what happened?

You're good at summing things up (smiles wryly, Editor's note), there are three factors that led me to this radical change. I was nostalgic. I had left when I was 18, but I would come back for my

summer vacation. I missed it Italy. Second factor, I needed to get away from fashion. Third factor, besides my love of art that I developed in a city like NY, in 2016 we took over a palazzo that belonged to the family, and it was the right project for that venue. For another year and a half I kept

my job in NY, and after eighteen months of positive growth I decided to come back and move here to Brescia.

Q:How does living in Brescia make you feel?

I really like Brescia, it's cultured and strategically perfect. Fewer distractions, I can concentrate more, and the EeMQ is easier to control. Plus, I live in Palazzo Monti, I have a room, a bathroom, a walk-in closet just for me. As for the rest, I share the kitchen, living area, and so on, with the artists.

It's a way for me to be with them and get to know them.

Q:But will you miss NY?

All I miss is the size of the house where I lived for five years, just that one, a luxury for NY. It was in Greenpoint, located right before Brooklyn, a beautiful house overlooking the water. It was like living in a small village.

Q:Let's go back to Palazzo Monti, how does the economic model work?

The works aren't sold directly by us, but if the artists or their galleries sell them, they acknowledge our contribution for having helped them to grow. Then there's a program for the members and collectors who support us, and since we're an association we also have public tenders. We offer curatorial and research services for art to outside realities as well, and we reinvest.

Q:Let's talk about your taste in art. If you could buy an artwork with lots of digits in the price which ore would it be?

I would buy something far removed from my passion for the figurative. I would choose a large-scale installation by Richard Sera, a huge sheet of rusty iron and I would even give it a function.

Q: Let's end with the typical question about the future.

Perhaps Palazzo Monti will no longer exist, things evolve and change. I definitely see myself in art, whatever it means to work in art ten years from now. Working in art has a beginning, but not an end, just like a collection. I'm also very curious about the technology and the tools that will exist in the future. I'm sure that the relationship with the artists will continue to be the foundation.

Q: Just one last thing: what's your zodiac sign?

Triple Scorpion.