You are originally from Vicenza and still have your studio there. Given that Vicenza is one of Italy's industrial capitals, how has this location influenced your works?

Although I extensively travelled before residing in Vicenza, I think we cannot escape our roots. The imagery I encountered in the north of Italy seeped into my imagination; the Northern Italian landscape marshals steel, concrete and machinery - it became a part of me. I have everything I need in Vicenza.

Is there a spiritual or theological element within the industrial mechanical aesthetic that attracts you to it?

Well, I wouldn't go that far, but you cannot escape who you are as a person and as an artist. For me, the registers of art and life are grafted together. My sculptures speak to the fragility of life. It might seem like a contradiction, but this is my style. When I see a piece of steel, ideas come to me, in that sense they are spiritual because they are about the alchemical transformation of matter.

In your works Little Wars (2016) and Piccolo Animismo (2011) tension is used as a powerful tool. There is a physical and mechanical tension which relates to the work's materiality but there also exists this passive tension being felt by the viewers when witnessing the works. Why do you feel it is important to feature tension?

Heraclitus once said that conflict is the father of all things. Life is in a state of constant conflict. All of my work is actively in conflict. Even when they are silent or it seems like nothing is happening, my works are still active. I like the idea of material versus material. As I said before, you cannot escape your roots and that includes your artistic roots. I am Italian, so I come from a tradition of Futurism to Arte Informale to Arte Povera. The challenge is to push forward from these traditions. To walk a new path, to say something new. To use our tools to respond to the now. Applying speed, friction, pressure or even heat to material. Applying these "pressures" gives new life to sculpture. Instead of making a new shape why not go inside the material and force something new outward? If you think about philosophy, the ultimate quest is to understand something's true essence.

When looking at your works, Afasia 1 and Figurante, there is tension in play once again, but the tension is further heightened due to the weaponization of technology. This creates a tentative feeling of danger for the viewer. Would you say that these pieces are meant to serve as a wake-up call for the viewers?

I like to put the viewer in a position that is intellectually, visually, viscerally and emotionally challenging.

Could you further expand on how the relationship to the potential violence of technology relates to time? In many of your sculptures, there is this process of manipulating or destroying the material. This process is slow and drawn out almost as if you are torturing the material.

This is a question for a psychoanalyst more than for me. The world is violent. The reality is that I do not have the power to change society and the world we live in, so I make objects which shine a light on these "pressures" instead - it is a reminder of how short and important life is, in a sense.

I agree. As you have already alluded, the result of all this violence and tension is that the audience becomes aware of fragility and how existence is in fact temporary. Why is this feeling something you think we need to be viscerally aware of?

We need to be aware that life is constantly changing. Recognising fragility is important because it helps us value love and life so much deeper.

I couldn't agree more. Shifting gears slightly, I wanted to focus on, The Beheading of St John by Caravaggio. This is an iconic work by the master but has a special place in the memory of anyone who grew up in Malta. What does this work and Caravaggio mean to you?

It means a lot to me, actually. Caravaggio is a master and The Beheading is iconic. For me, it is a key moment of my artistic career to create a work that is connected to him. Throughout my career Caravaggio held a very important role because he depicts the "actions" of life - what it means to be human. I do, too, but with my machines. So, I feel very connected to him in that sense. It is actually a big responsibility to try to build a work connected to that masterpiece. I won't lie, I am feeling the pressure.

Well, I'm very excited to see how it turns out! How did you get involved with the team for the 2022 Maltese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale?

You know... it has been fantastic. The first phone call was from one of the curators, Jeffrey Uslip. He knew I was working on this new technology and he said we should work with Keith Sciberras on this project. He understands how aesthetics can hold a mirror to the world even when some people are not ready to see the reflection. When Jeffrey first told me the idea, I thought he was completely mad but after a second or two of thinking it over, I was in! Everyone on the team is wonderful and I feel very connected to them and it feels like we are going on a great journey together.

I am so glad this has been so positive thus far! It was decided by the team that the title for the Maltese Pavilion in 2022 will be Diplomazija astuta. Can you expand further what that title means to you?

Can I answer that after the opening? I think it is a brilliant title. The title was the idea of Jeffrey Uslip, and it translates to Cunning Diplomacy. If you think about it, Caravaggio's coming to Malta was a diplomatic action in an effort to save his life. This is very connected to the work we are doing; this crossing between Italy and Malta, history and the contemporary, the different knowledge and backgrounds of the artists and curators - it takes diplomacy to work together and it takes diplomacy to change the world. Astuta can be seen as something slightly suspicious, but diplomazija must be astuta. I suppose it depends on one's subject position. Jeffrey reminded us of a quote by Lisa Jarnot, "a prophetic art is an art that points out the difficulty in a present moment, relates that difficulty to a previous failing within a social contract or a covenant and gives the listener options for potentially good or bad outcomes. Another way to say this is that a prophetic art is one in which the prophet is attuned to a higher order of things..." That says it all. I think the title will make even more sense once people experience the finished work and walk through the Pavilion. Then it will bloom in a way words can't express.

The curatorial project, 'Diplomazija astuta' will represent Malta at the 2022's Biennale di Venezia international art exhibition. The Venice Biennale will be open to the public from 23 April 2022 to 27 November 2022. The Malta Pavilion is commissioned by Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of the Ministry of National Heritage, The Arts and Local Government.