Articles by: Giulia Madron

They say you never forget your first love. Well, this girl definitely hasn’t. She is Italian, she loves New York but most of all she loves art. Giorgia Brugnoli is a very talented and creative fine artist and graphic designer whith a passion for art in all its forms and expressions. Born in Rome, after seeing an exhibition about Keith Haring at the age of 7, she fell in love with his works and decided that she wanted to “art” happily ever after. Because of her skills, tenacity and determination she pursued the career of her dreams in the city where dreams come true: New York City. She is currently working as a graphic designer for MA3, an established advertising agency based in Midtown Manhattan.

We interviewed Giorgia because we wanted her to tell us more about her love story with art and design.

1. Giorgia, tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I am a fine artist and graphic designer. I have always been passionate about art and illustration, thanks to my mom who encouraged me and my sister to make any kind of art, from painting to sculpting to collaging etc since I was very young. This was the reason why, after highschool graduation, the most natural choice was to go to an Art Institute. I graduated from IED (European Institute of Design) with a major in Advertising and Graphic Design, which to me is a good mix to pursue a creative career. While I was in college, during my Sophomore year I attended the Spring Semester at the School of Visual Arts in New York City on the International Exchange Program. I have been working for a while now as a multimedia artist and I have mostly worked in New York and Italy, as a freelance.

2. Which projects did you realize during your career? Something in particular you want to tell us about?

Well, first of all, my main goal was to move to the place that I love the most, New York City, and being able to work and have a life here. I have learnt a lot from this city, especially from an artistic point of view thanks to the many exhibitions, galleries, museums, street art etc that we are exposed to everyday. Another big accomplishment was to affirm myself in the art world not only as a graphic designer but mostly as an illustrator, because drawing is part of my everyday life and that is what I would like to do for living, eventually. The last but not least accomplishment was to see my work used for one of the main art events in the world: Art Basel in Miami Beach in December 2013.

3. Why and when did you choose to come to New York City?

When I was 7 I went to an exhibition about Keith Haring and totally fell in love with his work. New York has been a dream ever since, because he lived here too and I just wanted to experience that kind of art world and reach his success (easy to say!). Then, when I came to New York to go to SVA, those months gave me the chance to find a deeper relationship with Art and Graphic Design, and to know people who were committed and passionate like me. By that time, I just knew that New York City was the place to be in order to pursue a certain career and to reach a higher knowledge of art.

4. What does it mean to be an Italian graphic designer in New York?

Working in New York as an italian graphic designer is a tough but fulfilling experience. First of all, you're apart from your beloved and that's the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. There's a lot of talented people from all over the world and you really struggle to stand out sometimes. That's what keeps you dynamic, creative and curious though, and here is where the fulfilling part comes. Italy is hard too, but it's a type of competition that doesn't make you a better artist, it just makes you angry and envious because most of the people that I know only care about having a job, they don't care about being fulfilled with what they do. New York has a lot to offer because you are always surrounded by people who are committed and serious about their jobs (in the design and art field at least). I don't feel like that in Italy, and this means to me that working there wouldn't be as stimulating. Beside all of this, I am extremely grateful for having been raised in Rome: I have a great family, very good friends, and I have had an amazing school education. What I learnt there has a strong influence on my work today and I wouldn't be the person I am without the crazy amount of things I studied in school. I think that Italy gave me a better background than what any other country would've done. And I think that all the Italians who moved abroad feel the same.

6. Any projects for the future?

In my next future I am planning to apply for an artist visa and stay in the U.S. in order to build a life here. I am very much focused on this and I will do my best to make it happen. I want to keep working as a multimedia artist, reading as many books as I can, make art, see art and be happy and love.

Yesterday, January 28th, 2014, the Calandra Italian American Institute of New York hosted an event entirely dedicated to young Italian who moved to the Big Apple in search of a better future. Co-sponsored by ILICA, the panel “I Giovani D’Italia: Living Italy in New York,” drove into the new phenomenon of the “brain drain,” or “brain relocation,” as the Director of the Calandra Institute Prof. Anthony J. Tamburri wanted to specify referring to the words of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


The migration phenomenon has marked Italy’s political and social history throughout the XX century. Even if society has changed because of globalization, which has improved the technological and communication sector, the reasons for leaving, economic crisis and unemployment, are pretty similar. However, both the initial and the new generations of Italian immigrants share the same dream: building a better future outside a country that right now is not able to guarantee one to them.


Four examples of young Italians who moved to the US to follow this dream were the panelists who yesterday discussed their experience as Italian immigrants in New York City:


Emanuele Tozzi is a young artist and musician and Italian attorney from a small town in the Abruzzo region who moved to the US in 2006. After a couple of years in Aspen, Colorado, he decided to come to New York City to continue his career in the music field.


“It’s a big challenge to try to bring my roots and the smell of my region into this country. But I have hope and I am here to persist in this dream I have,” says Emanuele. “ I love this country because it gives you a sense of freedom. I think New York in particular gives you the chance to discover yourself. It shows your fragilities and your strenghts. In my opinion, this is the biggest challenge but it’s essential to succeed in your career.”


Sofia Falleroni, from the Marche region, left Italy in 2005 and came to to the US to study. First in Boston and then in New York, her dream was to pursue a music career but she ended up being a real estate broker and she loves it.


“I feel American society stands on a very meritocratic system compared to Italy. At least people here give you an opportunity. Even though the competition, especially in New York, is very high, this pushes you to improve all the time,” affirms Sofia.


Gianpiero Pagliaro is a young manager from Cosenza, in the Calabria region. He moved to the US in 2006. After a year in South Carolina he moved to New York where he started his experience at the Italian American Chamber of Commerce and became also a member of the executive board of ILICA.


“ I just wanted to study English for three months,” says Gianpiero, who never thought he was going to stay in the US. But he changed his mind. “This is an environment in which you can still dream. And you find a lot of people that are willing to help you to pursue your dream.”


Federico Frangiamore is a professional golfer and a golf instructor from Pordenone, near Venice. He moved to New York last year. Golf has always been his dream career. Now he is teaching to both adults and children who share his same passion for this sport.


“I love the attention that this country has in regards to sport and most of all the activities that schools dedicate to it,” says Federico whose goal, as an Italian in the US, is now “to teach to Americans the Italian way to play golf.”


While sharing with the audience their experience , each of these young and talented Italian professionals exhibited their sadness when talking about the current situation of their country. For them, as for many like them, numerous things have changed in their life. The one thing that will never change is their identity, their pride of being Italian no matter what. And most important, as Gianpiero pointed out, they will never give up Italian food over fast food!

Bringing an architect to New York is like bringing a child to an adventure park. The Big Apple is the symbol par excellence of modern architecture and it’s the city where dreams come true. And it really became the dream of Giorgio Villa, a young and talented Italian architect who moved to New York to follow his passion.

Born in Bergamo, near Milan, Giorgio studied architecture at the prestigious Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, in Switzerland, an international Institution where important architects from all over the world teach and form new talents in this field. After graduating in 2009, he had the opportunity to go to Tokyo, Japan, where he worked for the studio of Sou Fujimoto, one of the most compelling contemporary architects in the world.

After this incredible and exciting experience in Japan, he moved back to Europe and worked for a period in Switzerland, first in Zurich and then in the Engadin region. But he never stopped dreaming about New York. In Italy there is a motto: “Insist, persist and achieve.” He made these three words his own.

Where is he now? Working for one of the most famous American architects in the international scene: Richard Meier.

We interviewed Giorgio and asked him to tell us his enviable experience as an Italian architect in the United States.

Giorgio, when and why did you choose to come to NY?

I was always interested in the American culture. In particular, I always dreamed of having the opportunity to work in New York. During the spring of 2012, while I was working in Switzerland, I came here with some portfolios of my works. My intention was to find a job. When I arrived, I started to submit some applications. I did a couple of interviews including Richard Meier. After a month I was back in Europe again, they made me an offer that I accepted. Since I was studying at the University I was always fascinated by the modern architecture of the first half of the XX century and the studio of Richard Meier is one of the greatest contemporary representatives of such architecture. Therefore, there is some affinity in terms of aesthetics, architectural language and approach in general. I think this is one of the reasons why they chose me.

What can you tell us about New York?

Some people say that New York is the center of the universe. In some sense I agree with them. Little pieces from all over the world are grouped here, coexisting together in harmony each with their differences. Living here makes you definitely more open-minded since you have to interact with people who have a completely different background compared to yours. It’s a city full of striking sceneries linked often to a cinematographic imaginary. From a visual point of view this is extremely stimulating, especially for those who do the same job as I do. However it is really hard to describe just using words, it has to be experienced in first person. Furthermore, a great thing about New York is that it is constantly evolving and renewing itself. It is a very dynamic city. In the next few years some important interventions, such as the Hudson Yards on the west side, the new Whitney Museum near the High Line, the Word Trade Center in downtown and several other buildings will be completed, giving to New York a new skyline.

What does it mean working with an architect of international fame such as Richard Meier?

Working here gives me the opportunity to participate at the design and the planning of relevant buildings that will be constructed all over the world. Currently, we have projects going on in Mexico, Korea, United States, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Germany, and Israel. Architecture is a very complex discipline that requires many years to be learned in all its components. So the fact that I am working with people who have many years of experience and numerous achievements is something that enriches me enormously. Another positive factor is that inside the studio there are people who come from all over the world: United States, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Korea, China, Venezuela, Colombia, Burma…so we all breathe an international atmosphere. Moreover, the quality of the works produced is very high with a great attention to all the details.

 On which projects are you working on at Richard Meier & Partners?

At Richard Meier & Partners I am involved in several different projects such as a Hotel in Jesolo, Italy and the new headquarter for Engel & Völkers in Hamburg, Germany. My main contribution is on a large scale project in Mexico City on the Paseo de la Reforma, one of the most important streets of the city. It is a mixed-used building which consists of an office tower of 180 meters and a smaller volume that hosts a hotel, interconnected by a base of thirty meters intended for retail stores, restaurants, a fitness center and a large parking lot. The peculiarity of the tower is that it is crossed by two-thirds from a central atrium connected to the outside through two large openings, favoring natural lighting and natural ventilation. It’s a large project, with a high-level of complexity. It is a great challenge and at the same time a privilege to be able to contribute to.

She is Italian, she enjoys living in Brooklyn, and she has a passion: film. We are talking about Francesca Coppola, a very talented and successful filmmaker we met to talk about one of her movies that is hitting the scenes: Flamingos.

Milan, 1989. Set during the fall of the Berlin Wall, a period that goes down in history as the moment in which the world’s destiny changed, this short movie tells the story of a middle-class family, who is experiencing a big change as well. Alice is a nine year old girl who spends a day at the park (to see the flamingos, indeed) with her dad, Paolo, a man who is going through an identity crisis. The story digs deeply into the mind of a daughter, who perceives that something between her parents is cracking ,and of a husband, who got lost and seems to not find his way back. Francesca Coppola puts on stage the delicate relationship that exists between these two people who are connected by a string that could break at any moment altering the precarious balance on which they hung.

Flamingos, realized in 2012, premiered at MoMa and Lincoln Center as part of New Directors/New Films and is currently touring festivals. Its creator, Francesca Coppola, is an accomplished filmmaker based in New York, and member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. After working in Italy as a producer, she moved to New York to become movie director. Flamingos is not her only project. She has worked on many feature films like Zipper, a documentary about Coney Island that was in the movie theaters this summer, and she has worked in some of the most prestigious offices in New York (such as The Weinstein Company and Robert De Niro's office at Tribeca Productions).

We asked Francesca to unveil some curiosities about this emotional and yet very rational movie.

How did you come up with the idea of this story?

After living in New York for a few years, I wanted to go back to my hometown to make a film. The story is autobiographical; it’s my personal story. It comes from the memories I have growing up in Milan, and dealing with my parents’ divorce.

Why did you set the story back in 1989? Any particular reason?

I grew up in the late 80’s beginning of the 90’s and it was a period of political disillusionment. The Berlin Wall was the ultimate fall of a political idea that had been dead for years, and that was buried with one epic and meaningful gesture. In a sense, it mirrors the marriage of Paolo and Marianna. It’s been over for a long time, yet it ends with a resolute action: one of them leaving the house and closing the door behind. The wall crumbling down for me is a symbol that stands for the marriage ending.

I was also interested in exploring the characters’ alienation from the world around them. There is a big political drama going on in the background, compared to which, in the eyes of history, the small drama of a family is meaningless. There is something tragically ironic about this. It happens every day in our lives, and it can be very lonely. I was interested in depicting a small dramatic event no one will remember but the few people involved on the backdrop of a bigger historical event that the protagonists barely notice.

The hardest and the easiest thing in creating the movie.

Dealing with such a personal story was definitely daunting. I felt very vulnerable because I was deeply involved in the project, and was afraid that other people wouldn’t care as much. But then again, this is why I make films! I like the challenge. Casting the 9-year-old version of myself and my “father” was also difficult, because I was looking for something very specific. But then I was lucky to find Sofia Cotromano and Fabio Ghidoni. They truly brought something to the project and they were incredibly supportive.

The easiest thing… nothing was easy! ;)

With your movie you captured a very emotional moment between a father and his daughter, even though, throughout the movie you know this emotional link will break soon. How do you think your story has impacted the audience? And you?

It has definitely helped me process my own issues with my parents’ divorce. I remember that day the film premiered my father was there, and I realized that I never spoke to him about my feelings regarding what had happened; When the film started playing my heart was pounding. I also thought that this is why I make films; it’s my way to communicate with the people around me.

I was very excited to see that the audience responded very well to the film. A lot of people were moved by the film, because they could relate to it. They understood what was going on.

This is not your first movie. How did previous experiences shape you as a filmmaker and what do you think was different in the case of the Flamingos?

My previous films were much different. “Flamingos” is the first film where I decided to tackle a personal story and take some more risks. I think I had gotten to a point where I wanted my work to be more of a reflection of myself. Having had plenty of experience on set as a director has definitely helped me not make the same mistakes. But you always make mistakes! So hopefully I’ll do an even better one next!

Flamingos has been presented at MoMa and at Lincoln Center and it's gaining success. Do you think you would want to continue working in Italy or in the US? Where do you think it’s easier to work?

Working in Italy is much different. I don’t know if it’s easier or harder. I think that wherever you are you can strive to make meaningful and engaging work, which is never easy and always challenging. I’m lined up to work on a few projects here now, so I’d like to stay and then go back to Italy later.

Are you working on future projects?

Yes! I’m writing a feature script based on the life of photographer Francesca Woodman, it’s a coming of age story. As a producer, I’m also looking forward to continue working on Zipper, a documentary about Coney Island, and on a new project called “Evaporating Borders”, about immigration in Cyprus.

Flamingos is a deep emotional story about a loss. A loss that marks people’s life but that is something everyone experience to become the persons they are today and who found their path through life. And we can definitely say that Francesca found that way.