Valentina Vella (IT/US) is an interdisciplinary artist making autofictional work about precarity, mental health, love and post-capitalist imaginaries. She narrative centers and the poetic word while exploring the way the body modulates, and sometimes contradicts language in performance. She holds an MA in English literature from Roma Tre University and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago. Whether she sings of the mundane cruelties of neoliberal existence or writes poetry interspersed with Norse mythology, found dialogues, recipe books, and Zen Buddhism, she's always propelled by an urgent desire for another world; conjuring strategies for change like a manic witch; and often admitting defeat. She holds an MA in English literature from Roma Tre University and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago. She has performed at La Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (Rome), The Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) and most recently at Kunstinstituut Melly (Rotterdam).
Netherworld at an other world – 30-09-2023 (50-minute solo performance) - Solo performance of the new version of my album Netherworld, which was completely re-arranged in 2023.
Netherworld – first version (2022) – presented on Radio WORM on April 2, 2022 - A solo album of songs and spoken word pieces that probe the recesses of the psyche to examine personal, social and ecological crises. Netherworld achieves epic levels of mundanity and it will make you feel uncomfortable about the state of the world but your body may want to dance to it. It's also funny. “Whether I sing of the mundane cruelties of neoliberal existence or write poetry interspersed with found dialogue, recipes, job ads—I am always propelled by an urgent desire for another world; reaching out to images of redemption, conjuring strategies for change like a manic witch; and often admitting defeat." (note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default)
Defragment (2021) - A video about endings and new beginnings written, shot and edited in 48 hours for the Galerie de Jaloezie's 48h film challenge.
A Ride West Live (2015) - A theatrical performance based on the film A Ride West written and performed by Valentina Vella; featuring a live band (Nathan Paulus, Sharon Hoyer and Josh Miller from the I Ching Quartet and Daniel Schneider from The Singleman Affair) and live video editing and processing by Michael LaHood. Sound design by Alex Drosen. Lighting by Chelsey Shilling. Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
A Ride West – installation view (2014) - A Ride West – installation view (2014) - The film was projected inside a dark room equipped with several soft, comfortable chairs and a saddle in the center, all equipped with high quality headphones. When approaching the dark, quiet space of the installation from the outside, visitors would see the text projected in real time on a scrim, and through the scrim they could partially see the moving images as well. Visitors could choose to experience the work as silent text or to enter the space, sit inside, put the headphones on.
A Ride West – The Film (2014) - A Visual Saga/Spaghetti Western Opera in fourteen chapters. It explores the violent American myths of conquest and self-reliance through a Jungian lens. It is based on a journey on horseback through the American landscape attempted by the artist in 2013. Music composed, performed and recorded by Valentina Vella. 1) Prologue - One Two Three One Two 2) On The Trail 3) Cowboys And Valkyries 4) Monett, Iceland 5) Marilyn Monroe 6) The Hunter And The Hunted 7) HorseMan 8) Predator 9) Grassland Prairie Something Preserve 10) The Sun Is High 11) In The Internet Of The Moon 12) Go Home 13) Nemeses 14) Epilogue - One Two Three Four Five. Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
Horseman (2013) - A video poem that is also a chapter from A Ride West. Words, voice, sound and video editing by Valentina Vella. Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
A Ride West – excerpts from early draft of film + performances (2012-2013) - Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
The Waves (2012) - Binaural sound (to be listened to with headphones). Hate(voice)mail meant for other people, the voice of my late grandmother leaving a message on my old answering machine, sounds and stories heard in Los Angeles, the ghost of Virginia Woolf. Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
Lola (2011) - Family traumas, patriarchal oppression, grief and 8mm home films words, voice, sound and video editing by Valentina Vella. Note: turn the volume bar up! Embedded videos from vimeo are silent by default.
