Exploding Appendix Questionnaire: Federico de Cicco

The Exploding Appendix Questionnaire is an ongoing data collecting exercise that, drawing upon divergent public figures from different intellectual disciplines and artistic practices, seeks to create an ongoing and ever-expanding map of ideas. Through this ever-expanding map of divergent views, we seek a kind of dialogue that, in both its overlaps and contradictions, creates a kind of hive-mind, which, in turn, helps contribute to the intellectual unfoldings of Exploding Appendix’s overall mission.

For the Exploding Appendix Questionnaire, we have asked some of our favourite intellectuals, activists, artists, creatives and commentators to contribute to a series of 11 generic questions. The same generic questions have been sent to everyone, and what you read below is one response to this.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Federico aka zumar7 and I have being doing illustration since roughly the past ten years.

2. What are your biggest influences in art, literature, music and cinema?

Gratefully and randomly: Simone Weil, Andrei Tarkovsky, Lorenzo Mattotti, Simone Massi, Michael Dudok de Wit, Rainer Maria Rilke and Thomas Mann. In music perhaps Friederich Chopin. All of these I wish they could be real influences; surely they are great inspirations.

3. What, for you, is the purpose of art and culture?

Art (and culture in general) is the call of the spirit which invites you to stay alive while being the pulsing heart for humanity.

4. What makes something subversive?

In a world where identities and actions tend to become more and more the same, flattened, by following your pathway, remaining truly yourself and searching for what these words mean for you.

5. How would you approach the task of winning friends and influencing people?

Perhaps by suggesting that there are other truths rather than just the most accepted ones, but I would not call it a ‘win’.

6. What does individual freedom mean to you?

Freedom means that I have rights, but I have duties. A duty to acknowledge the uniqueness of each person; the right to search truly who I am and therefore understand what my role is in society.

7. Is there, for you, a relationship between the personal and the political?

I believe that these two aspects are deeply connected and influence each other. Each single action of ours has a political implication even when it is an unconscious one. Because in spite of everything, we believe that we can be set apart from society, closed into ourselves and our close circles. These factors, too, have implications and are, in part, results of the political situation.

8. What is the root of society’s problems?

I believe that one of the main issues with today’s society is that we do not believe anymore, or we rely too much on the system. We let this choose for us and, on the contrary, we stop listening to our inner voice. We are unable to see the reason why we are here and therefore become stranger with one another.

9. Will technology liberate humankind?

I think humankind can liberate itself only by staying human.

10. Do you have a vision for utopia?

I struggle to have one; I personally believe utopia is an illusion (‘Illusion’ in the sense deriving from the Latin, action of mocking, from illudere to mock at, from in- + ludere to play, mock). But if you ask me about having a dream, that would be to see more harmony on this earth which is reflected in people’s hearts.

11. Finally, where can people find more of your work?

https://zumar7.com

The Timeless Navigator, Federico de Cicco. Soft and hard pastels on 220gsm paper, 29,2×42 cm