In tandem with is a monthly short interview series with interesting artists and art people. This month, we spoke to Sevana Holst, a writer and artist based in Paris. Holst works at the intersection of text and image, finding inspiration in the traditions of arte povera and often collaborating with photographer Marie Estebanez. Her work has been exhibited in Paris, Venice, Milan, Naples, and Brussels and published in a series of artist books.
Where do you find inspiration?
Books and traveling are probably my main sources of inspiration. Anything that pulls me into a new territory and pushes me out of my comfort zone, really. Reading has always been an anchor for me, and it’s books that have shaped both my thought and most of my art. I recently went to Bologna for the first time. Being in the university library, surrounded by all of that history and those thousands and thousands of books… It was so overwhelming in the best possible way. I also rediscovered some Italian concrete and sound poets at the MAMbo, and spent time reading Pasolini and Sandro Penna. That’s where I find inspiration, in moments like those.
What is the best gift you’ve ever given?
I’m not sure if it’s the best, but I recently brought back a bunch of magic fortune-telling fish from New York for my friends. Hopefully, they’ll bring some good news, or at least a few laughs..! Hahaha.
What charges your creative batteries?
Getting outside is imperative. Fresh air, walking, no podcasts, just letting my brain unwind its thoughts and then eventually move forward. There’s something about that quiet reset that’s essential to me. Then, going to visit a new exhibition or a museum works every time. Changing spaces, returning to familiar sources of inspiration, or immersing myself in something new – it’s the shift in perspective that sparks something. That’s what really resets my brain and helps me start from scratch. The last place I went to was the Jackson Pollock museum – just being in that space, in that light, wow, it really did something.
What’s something giving you hope right now?
My friends. There’s so much going on right now and I definitely look up to my friends a lot. Watching them navigate the world, holding their values, wondering what our futures are going to look like. Seeing them do all of that, that really gives me hope. It makes me remember that we don’t have to be passive in all of this.
What’s a mistake you’re glad you made?
I’d love to say I learn from every mistake, but let’s be honest, that’s just not always true. That said, I’ve definitely taken some detours from the "expected" path that I’m grateful and glad I did in hindsight. After (and even during) university, I didn’t go the traditional route. I dropped out, I started over, I changed majors, I didn’t use them… I tend to go off-script, it’s not always easy and sometimes I question it, but those choices led me to where I am now. There’s a French expression,“Avec des si on pourrait mettre Paris en bouteille (”With ifs, you could put Paris in a bottle”), I try not to hold on to the what-ifs, even the messy ones.
