Following a two week (October 5 – 19, 2019), self-directed residency at the RUC Rural Institute for Contemporary Art in Lombardy, Italy, painter Frederika Roeder is pleased to reveal two new acrylic paintings inspired by the ancient and remote Valcamonica Valley in the Italian Alps.
Nov2019-520Size-FrederikaRoeder Valcamonica
“Valcamonica” by Frederika Roeder; Raw, unprimed canvas, acrylic paint, gesso, fluid matte medium, iridescence, extra heavy gel gloss, light gel, opaque matte gel, coarse molding paste and tape, 35″ H x 29″ W (un-stretched)

Inspired by the light and ascending angles of the eastern central Alps and the north/south valley of Valcamonica. There is an illusion to its Romanesque architecture as well as the beautiful vegetation on the valley walls and granite faces of the Alps – called massifs — all canopied by a blue sky.

Inspired by the village of the early Roman capital of Val Camonica, with a panorama of the sheer faces of the Alps. Isolated monasteries perched on cliffs and tiny medieval villages are surrounded by velvet vineyards, persimmon, apple, fig and chestnut trees and alpine forests hugging the granite.

RUC Rural Residency for Contemporary Art is a juried-in, self-directed residency for international artists and a member of the Alliance of Artist’s Communities and Res Artis Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies.

Its mission is to support multicultural dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange between international artists and local traditions in a rural dimension that offers artistic time in solitude and exchanges between peers.

Sited in Lombardy, in a remote area of the Italian Alps, Valcamonica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its isolated beauty is an ideal environment for contemplation, concentration, and creativity.
Nov2019-520Size-FrederikaRoeder-Cividate-Camuno
“Cividate Camino” by Frederika Roeder; Raw, unprimed canvas, acrylic paint, gesso, fluid matte medium, iridescence, extra heavy gel gloss, light gel, opaque matte gel, coarse molding paste and tape. 30″ H x 35.75″ W

The RUC estate (an ancient name given by the locals and meaning terraced garden on the rocks) is extraordinary. As a resident, Frederika had access to beautiful indoor and outdoor studio spaces during the residency. In addition, she spent time in surrounding villages and communities – visiting studios and galleries and meeting with curators and artists who are part of the district’s cultural network.

Founding member and artistic director, Giulia Mazzolani, was organizer and host of the residency. She has spent many years in the art world, including serving as assistant to the director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice Italy for over half a decade. Find out more about the RUC Rural Residency for Contemporary Art, in Valcamonica, Lombardy, Italy on its website – https://www.ruralcontemporary.org