Irina Machneva Mota. Life in Art
C.G.: Dear Irina, we have known each other for so many years and we have done some really great collaborations both in Italy and in Spain together. I am very happy to have an interview with you to get to know you even better and to share your story with the readers of the INEWS Swiss magazine. How did you get started in your art career?
I.M.: Thank you, Claudia, for this wonderful opportunity and for all the exciting projects and exhibitions we have worked on together. Let’s talk about some of them today. Going back to your question, my art career has started more than 16 years ago in a beautiful city of Almaty in Kazakhstan. When I was in my early 20s I started attending painting classes at the studio of Oleg Pishchev and getting to know the local art scene in depth. My husband Daniel had been an Honorary Council of Spain in Kazakhstan for almost a decade and it was natural for me to make a lot of friends among the diplomatic and expat community in Almaty. We attended many cultural events and I started organizing visits to the artists’ studios. At some point, I became an art ambassador for the Central Asian cultural scene and started advising people on which art works were worth acquiring while building my own art collection of Kazakh and Soviet artists. After graduating from the American business school KIMEP, I took several courses at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and decided to pursue my education at the National Art Academy in Almaty, completing Masters of Fine Arts degree. Together with my scientific leader and an extraordinary art connoisseur Olga Baturina, I wrote a paper on contemporary art in Kazakhstan and even filmed a documentary about Moldakul Narymbetov and his art group Kyzyl Tractor with its visionary artists Said Atabekov, Arystan Shalbayev, Syrlybek Bekbotayev who were simply rocking with their neo-shamanic performances, installations, photo and video art. Their avant-garde and experimental creations were a mind-blowing fusion of Kazakh ethnography and contemporary art forms. During that time, I was already invited to the board of the Culture Council at the First President Foundation and became an art curator for the International Young Artists Festival Zhasstar, where I met many great artists and now friends like Bakhyt Bubicanova and Rusudan Khizanishvili. I also started organizing solo and group shows as an independent art curator.
C.G.: How exciting! Was it back then that you started working with Italian artists too? I know you were a gallery director in Kazakhstan working closely with Studio d’Arte Cannaviello. How did this collaboration happen?
I.M.: I have always had a great love for Italy, its peopleand unique cultural heritage. In the early 2010s
my good friend Gio Cannaviello introduced me to his father Enzo Cannaviello, who is a legendary Italian gallerist. Getting to know him and the artists of Studio d’Arte Cannaviello was a true turning point for me. Thanks to the support and initiative of a Kazakh art patron, Serzhan Zhumashov, and a managing director of Capital Partners, Mirgul Omurzakova, we opened Esentai Gallery in Almaty in collaboration with Studio d’Arte Cannaviello to present Italian, local and international artists in Kazakhstan. It was a great honor and a beautiful experience that lasted for two years until my family and I relocated to the south of Spain.
C.G.: Was it difficult to adopt in a new country and proceed your career in Marbella?
I.M.: I was already familiar with Marbella area, having visited almost every summer with my family before our move. Children and I always loved it here. It is one of the most international cities in Spain, and even Europe, making it easy to feel home right away. It didn’t take much time to get to know the local art scene. Through Ursula Salvador, who I am grateful to call my kind fairy, I met Alejandro Zaia, the president of Marbella Art Fair, and I was invited to join the fair’s Host Committee. During the first edition, I had the pleasure to meet the fair’s official press partner Antonio Campanile and later you and Francesco too.
C.G.: Yes, our gallery Toro Arte Contemporanea had been participating in Marbella Art Fair since 2016. I remember we got along with you right away and our art adventure started. Can you recall our first collaboration?
I.M. Of course, I remember it very well! It was La Biennale Belvedere in Caserta in 2017, where I participated as an art curator of the international artists section. That was also when I first visited your town and gallery. I immediately noticed the incredible Toro Arte effect – it was impressive to see
how the gallery attracted so many amazing people from all over Italy to come to the openings. In fact, during that first visit I had a pleasure of meeting Duke Carlo d’Abenates and the Marquises Fabio and
Giulio de Paolis, the owners and guardians of the famous Fumone Castle near Rome. This meeting
not only marked the beginning of our beautiful friendship with them but also the start of a very special project Arte a Corte, where we organized group and solo shows of contemporary Italian artists in the medieval Italian castles. This initiative sparked so much interest both locally and internationally that, together with the marquises’ sons, we had to organize a complete few days’ visit program for our guests from other countries. It was a full immersion into Italian culture and lifestyle with all its richness.
I.M.: Thank you, Claudia, for this wonderful opportunity and for all the exciting projects and exhibitions we have worked on together. Let’s talk about some of them today. Going back to your question, my art career has started more than 16 years ago in a beautiful city of Almaty in Kazakhstan. When I was in my early 20s I started attending painting classes at the studio of Oleg Pishchev and getting to know the local art scene in depth. My husband Daniel had been an Honorary Council of Spain in Kazakhstan for almost a decade and it was natural for me to make a lot of friends among the diplomatic and expat community in Almaty. We attended many cultural events and I started organizing visits to the artists’ studios. At some point, I became an art ambassador for the Central Asian cultural scene and started advising people on which art works were worth acquiring while building my own art collection of Kazakh and Soviet artists. After graduating from the American business school KIMEP, I took several courses at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London and decided to pursue my education at the National Art Academy in Almaty, completing Masters of Fine Arts degree. Together with my scientific leader and an extraordinary art connoisseur Olga Baturina, I wrote a paper on contemporary art in Kazakhstan and even filmed a documentary about Moldakul Narymbetov and his art group Kyzyl Tractor with its visionary artists Said Atabekov, Arystan Shalbayev, Syrlybek Bekbotayev who were simply rocking with their neo-shamanic performances, installations, photo and video art. Their avant-garde and experimental creations were a mind-blowing fusion of Kazakh ethnography and contemporary art forms. During that time, I was already invited to the board of the Culture Council at the First President Foundation and became an art curator for the International Young Artists Festival Zhasstar, where I met many great artists and now friends like Bakhyt Bubicanova and Rusudan Khizanishvili. I also started organizing solo and group shows as an independent art curator.
C.G.: How exciting! Was it back then that you started working with Italian artists too? I know you were a gallery director in Kazakhstan working closely with Studio d’Arte Cannaviello. How did this collaboration happen?
I.M.: I have always had a great love for Italy, its peopleand unique cultural heritage. In the early 2010s
my good friend Gio Cannaviello introduced me to his father Enzo Cannaviello, who is a legendary Italian gallerist. Getting to know him and the artists of Studio d’Arte Cannaviello was a true turning point for me. Thanks to the support and initiative of a Kazakh art patron, Serzhan Zhumashov, and a managing director of Capital Partners, Mirgul Omurzakova, we opened Esentai Gallery in Almaty in collaboration with Studio d’Arte Cannaviello to present Italian, local and international artists in Kazakhstan. It was a great honor and a beautiful experience that lasted for two years until my family and I relocated to the south of Spain.
C.G.: Was it difficult to adopt in a new country and proceed your career in Marbella?
I.M.: I was already familiar with Marbella area, having visited almost every summer with my family before our move. Children and I always loved it here. It is one of the most international cities in Spain, and even Europe, making it easy to feel home right away. It didn’t take much time to get to know the local art scene. Through Ursula Salvador, who I am grateful to call my kind fairy, I met Alejandro Zaia, the president of Marbella Art Fair, and I was invited to join the fair’s Host Committee. During the first edition, I had the pleasure to meet the fair’s official press partner Antonio Campanile and later you and Francesco too.
C.G.: Yes, our gallery Toro Arte Contemporanea had been participating in Marbella Art Fair since 2016. I remember we got along with you right away and our art adventure started. Can you recall our first collaboration?
I.M. Of course, I remember it very well! It was La Biennale Belvedere in Caserta in 2017, where I participated as an art curator of the international artists section. That was also when I first visited your town and gallery. I immediately noticed the incredible Toro Arte effect – it was impressive to see
how the gallery attracted so many amazing people from all over Italy to come to the openings. In fact, during that first visit I had a pleasure of meeting Duke Carlo d’Abenates and the Marquises Fabio and
Giulio de Paolis, the owners and guardians of the famous Fumone Castle near Rome. This meeting
not only marked the beginning of our beautiful friendship with them but also the start of a very special project Arte a Corte, where we organized group and solo shows of contemporary Italian artists in the medieval Italian castles. This initiative sparked so much interest both locally and internationally that, together with the marquises’ sons, we had to organize a complete few days’ visit program for our guests from other countries. It was a full immersion into Italian culture and lifestyle with all its richness.
C.G.: Arte a Corte was truly something unique! I really hope this initiative will continue its important cultural mission providing a complete vision between the contemporary and the ancient Italian heritage.
I.M.: I would love that as well! It would be wonderful to see this project continue and expand, not only in the castles of Italy but also in other European countries. In fact, we already brought one of Arte a Corte artists, Luca Zarattini, to Spain with his solo exhibition in Marbella. Also, I am very happy we continue our artist exchange with Toro Arte Contemporanea.
C.G.: Absolutely! Thank you for having collaborated with us and Arte Ivestimenti and curating Willow’s
exhibition in Marbella at Sholeh Abghari Gallery this spring. It was such a wonderful opening. Now we are looking forward to host you in our gallery with the artist Sveta Amova in June! Our collaborations
always bring so much joy to people. What do you find most rewarding and most challenging in your job?
I.M.: As an art curator and advisor, I feel so fortunate to be able to work closely with collectors, artists, galleries. It is a profession that requires not only a deep understanding of art history and the contemporary art scene, but also strong relationships built on trust. It brings me great satisfaction to play a role of a matchmaker of sorts, helping people find the artworks they fall in love with. It is very rewarding to see the spark in the eyes when they find that special piece, and to see their collections grow and transform. I have so many heartwarming and amusing stories - I could write a book about it! Art is a unique investment because it is not just about financial value, but also a cultural and emotional value. When you acquire an art work, you are not just buying an object but a piece of history and culture, a message that’s personal to you. It has a power to inspire, challenge and transform us, and I enjoy seeing people relate to the art they see and surround themselves with. When you display art in your home or office it creates a personal environment that reflects your tastes and values. As you grow and evolve, your taste in art tends to change as well. Once one of my clients from Kazakhstan called me over a year after I showed him some artworks during his family holidays
in Spain. He told me he started practicing yoga and that one of the art works he saw with me appeared in his mind during a meditation practice so he decided to call me to ask it was still available.
Sometimes it works the other way around, where a particular artwork reminds me of someone who would appreciate it. I am lucky to have a dear friend Livia Paggi, who is a political and business advisor specializing on CIS countries. She has a keen interested in collecting art by women artists from that area who express their social or political position in art. It is always a delight to see her collection grow and transform, and it brings me joy to know that I was able to help her discover new and standing out artists. It is always beautiful to spend time together visiting exhibitions and artists’ studios. As a curator, I truly enjoy working closely with artists and organize exhibitions that showcase their unique vision and creativity. Each artist is like universe, with their own ideas, experiences and perspective reflected in their art. To truly understand an artist’s work, it is important to visit their studio, discuss their ideas and philosophy, and work together to develop a concept of the exhibition. From selecting art works to writing the curatorial texts and press releases, every step of the process is greatly rewarding and helps people understand and connect with art even more.
C.G.: Irina, we know you as a very professional and passionate art curator and art advisor, however, this year you surprised us participating as an artist in a group show of the Antonio Volpone’s project “IBIDEM & friends”. Are you planning to develop your artistic career now?
I.M.: It was an honor and pleasure to participate in a group show alongside amazing Italian artists like Antonio del Donno, Lello Esposito, Perrone brothers, Millot and others. IBIDEM and Friends is truly wonderful initiative by photographer Antonio Volpone. His images are very poetic and inspired me to create an art work called “Reunion with Self” based on his images. Throughout the years, I went back to painting many times but I wasn’t confident enough to pursue it. That changed after a spiritual retreat I took with my yoga teacher Yaroslav Tokarev and curandera Alla Zelcer last year. During my meditations, I started seeing sacred geometry symbols and felt a strong desire to create again. I enrolled in a course on energy paintings, where I studied in depth Flower of Life, Metatron cube, Torus, different yantras and mandalas. I was amazed by the interest and positive feedback I received almost from everyone to whom I showed some of my paintings with these powerful and transformational symbols. I almost immediately got the first requests to create personalized energy art and to work with different intentions of my clients.
C.G.: I have heard about sacred geometry but I didn’t know the images can help people to achieve their intentions. Can you give some examples, please?
I.M.: Sacred geometry symbols can be a powerful tool working with different intentions. They hold unique frequencies and vibrations that can affect our energy fields and environment around us. By incorporating these symbols into art and giving them a visual representation of the intention like spiritual growth, health, harmonic relationships, abundance etc., we focus, amplify and achieve our desires and goals. For example, a mandala with Flower or Life symbol can be used for meditation and manifestation of wealth, Venus Yantra attracts love, beauty and harmony, while a Sri Yantra could be used to enhance spiritual growth and consciousness. The possibilities for working with energy art and sacred geometry are endless, and it is very creative and enjoyable way to connect with the divine and have a positive change in our lives.
C.G.: That sounds wonderful! Please keep on creating and sharing this knowledge with others. Finally, I would like to finish our interview with a poem you wrote during the “IBIDEM & friends” exhibition to create a painting we donated to the women support center Sportello Rosa in Sessa Aurunca.
I.M.: Lovely idea! I usually write poetry in Russian or English, and this is my first poem
in Italian. It is very powerful and inspiring.
Dell'anima è la danza eternamente dolce.
D'intorno è futile ogni sguardo, non te ne curare.
Se sai che ti possiedi e vai ben oltre il crudele
Tormento del Samsara.
Se di tristezza giunge un'ombra,
Che danzi anche il tuo sorriso.
In te la terra e l'universo,
E fuoco e vento uniti T'hanno partorito.
In te dei fiori il nettare e l'onde e il mare/ se la Via Lattea
è polline e del vulcano urge/ la forza alle tue vene./
Dalla tua anima risveglia l'universo,/ ora danza, tu
Eternamente dolce
Source: INEWS. SWISS MULTIKULTI ART MAGAZINE 13-18 Juni 23
I.M.: I would love that as well! It would be wonderful to see this project continue and expand, not only in the castles of Italy but also in other European countries. In fact, we already brought one of Arte a Corte artists, Luca Zarattini, to Spain with his solo exhibition in Marbella. Also, I am very happy we continue our artist exchange with Toro Arte Contemporanea.
C.G.: Absolutely! Thank you for having collaborated with us and Arte Ivestimenti and curating Willow’s
exhibition in Marbella at Sholeh Abghari Gallery this spring. It was such a wonderful opening. Now we are looking forward to host you in our gallery with the artist Sveta Amova in June! Our collaborations
always bring so much joy to people. What do you find most rewarding and most challenging in your job?
I.M.: As an art curator and advisor, I feel so fortunate to be able to work closely with collectors, artists, galleries. It is a profession that requires not only a deep understanding of art history and the contemporary art scene, but also strong relationships built on trust. It brings me great satisfaction to play a role of a matchmaker of sorts, helping people find the artworks they fall in love with. It is very rewarding to see the spark in the eyes when they find that special piece, and to see their collections grow and transform. I have so many heartwarming and amusing stories - I could write a book about it! Art is a unique investment because it is not just about financial value, but also a cultural and emotional value. When you acquire an art work, you are not just buying an object but a piece of history and culture, a message that’s personal to you. It has a power to inspire, challenge and transform us, and I enjoy seeing people relate to the art they see and surround themselves with. When you display art in your home or office it creates a personal environment that reflects your tastes and values. As you grow and evolve, your taste in art tends to change as well. Once one of my clients from Kazakhstan called me over a year after I showed him some artworks during his family holidays
in Spain. He told me he started practicing yoga and that one of the art works he saw with me appeared in his mind during a meditation practice so he decided to call me to ask it was still available.
Sometimes it works the other way around, where a particular artwork reminds me of someone who would appreciate it. I am lucky to have a dear friend Livia Paggi, who is a political and business advisor specializing on CIS countries. She has a keen interested in collecting art by women artists from that area who express their social or political position in art. It is always a delight to see her collection grow and transform, and it brings me joy to know that I was able to help her discover new and standing out artists. It is always beautiful to spend time together visiting exhibitions and artists’ studios. As a curator, I truly enjoy working closely with artists and organize exhibitions that showcase their unique vision and creativity. Each artist is like universe, with their own ideas, experiences and perspective reflected in their art. To truly understand an artist’s work, it is important to visit their studio, discuss their ideas and philosophy, and work together to develop a concept of the exhibition. From selecting art works to writing the curatorial texts and press releases, every step of the process is greatly rewarding and helps people understand and connect with art even more.
C.G.: Irina, we know you as a very professional and passionate art curator and art advisor, however, this year you surprised us participating as an artist in a group show of the Antonio Volpone’s project “IBIDEM & friends”. Are you planning to develop your artistic career now?
I.M.: It was an honor and pleasure to participate in a group show alongside amazing Italian artists like Antonio del Donno, Lello Esposito, Perrone brothers, Millot and others. IBIDEM and Friends is truly wonderful initiative by photographer Antonio Volpone. His images are very poetic and inspired me to create an art work called “Reunion with Self” based on his images. Throughout the years, I went back to painting many times but I wasn’t confident enough to pursue it. That changed after a spiritual retreat I took with my yoga teacher Yaroslav Tokarev and curandera Alla Zelcer last year. During my meditations, I started seeing sacred geometry symbols and felt a strong desire to create again. I enrolled in a course on energy paintings, where I studied in depth Flower of Life, Metatron cube, Torus, different yantras and mandalas. I was amazed by the interest and positive feedback I received almost from everyone to whom I showed some of my paintings with these powerful and transformational symbols. I almost immediately got the first requests to create personalized energy art and to work with different intentions of my clients.
C.G.: I have heard about sacred geometry but I didn’t know the images can help people to achieve their intentions. Can you give some examples, please?
I.M.: Sacred geometry symbols can be a powerful tool working with different intentions. They hold unique frequencies and vibrations that can affect our energy fields and environment around us. By incorporating these symbols into art and giving them a visual representation of the intention like spiritual growth, health, harmonic relationships, abundance etc., we focus, amplify and achieve our desires and goals. For example, a mandala with Flower or Life symbol can be used for meditation and manifestation of wealth, Venus Yantra attracts love, beauty and harmony, while a Sri Yantra could be used to enhance spiritual growth and consciousness. The possibilities for working with energy art and sacred geometry are endless, and it is very creative and enjoyable way to connect with the divine and have a positive change in our lives.
C.G.: That sounds wonderful! Please keep on creating and sharing this knowledge with others. Finally, I would like to finish our interview with a poem you wrote during the “IBIDEM & friends” exhibition to create a painting we donated to the women support center Sportello Rosa in Sessa Aurunca.
I.M.: Lovely idea! I usually write poetry in Russian or English, and this is my first poem
in Italian. It is very powerful and inspiring.
Dell'anima è la danza eternamente dolce.
D'intorno è futile ogni sguardo, non te ne curare.
Se sai che ti possiedi e vai ben oltre il crudele
Tormento del Samsara.
Se di tristezza giunge un'ombra,
Che danzi anche il tuo sorriso.
In te la terra e l'universo,
E fuoco e vento uniti T'hanno partorito.
In te dei fiori il nettare e l'onde e il mare/ se la Via Lattea
è polline e del vulcano urge/ la forza alle tue vene./
Dalla tua anima risveglia l'universo,/ ora danza, tu
Eternamente dolce
Source: INEWS. SWISS MULTIKULTI ART MAGAZINE 13-18 Juni 23
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