Scroll Top

Alessia de Bortoli

Venice, 2021
My name is Alessia De Bortoli, I’m a printmaker based in Venice. I had the pleasure of spending two weeks as artist in residence at Kloster Bentlage in May 2019, sharing my experience with 5 artists coming from European countries. Our residency was part of the grafic project of Münsterland Festival and it enabled us artists to get to know each other and to share a creative experience. We were then involved in some exhibitions for the Festival in October of the same year. No place could be better than Kloster Bentlage for this experience of art creation and sharing.

When you arrive in Kloster Bentlage you are surrounded by nature and history, in a solemn peaceful place which is also warm and welcoming. It is impossible to not be enchanted by the beauty of the historical location, which makes one want to walk in the woods, to discover stories of the past about the fascinating buildings the saline and other sites of interest. The building in which we lived for fifteen days is a dream for every artist, especially for printmakers, who want to find a quiet and inspirational place where to work creatively.

Under the same roof you can find comfortable rooms, a common kitchen and dining room where meals and thoughts are shared with the other artists in residence, but most importantly two amazingly well equipped printstudios. I had access to everything I needed in the printstudios to work on my projects, mainly intaglio plates and linocuts. I could also work with other techniques and use many of the beautiful machines and presses that the space offers. It is a place that really makes one want to work, to create. One thing I really appreciated, is that from the printshop windows you can look at the adorable cows in the fields and enjoy all the energy of the green nature surrounding the building.
„It is impossible to not be enchanted by the beauty of the historical location, which makes one want to walk in the woods, to discover stories of the past about the fascinating buildings the saline and other sites of interest… Experimences like these are life changing and give a new perspective on the world, both as a person and as a professional artist“