Art, for me, lives in the dialogue between thought and practice. Beyond research and writing, I value the process of making — where gestures, materials, and ideas meet. This page gathers some of my personal projects and hobbies, moments in which thinking through art becomes a lived experience.
Without any ambition of being an artist, painting is simply something I love doing. The idea that a brush gathers pigments mixed in different binders — oil, water, or others — and lays them on a surface to form an image is, to me, both ancient and endlessly fascinating. It’s an activity that has accompanied humanity since its beginnings. Here I share just a few small experiments, without any pretension — but I’d be glad to hear your thoughts or suggestions.
Drawing has often been the foundation of artworks throughout human history. Many drawings remain as traces of other works, revealing the artist’s intentions and their relationship with ideas — the most immediate and direct form of expression. As John Berger once wrote, “drawing is like a conversation with the thing drawn, likely to involve prolonged and total immersion.” Through lines, one studies things; Leonardo’s example is emblematic, but this practice runs through the entire history of art. For me, drawing is simply a hobby — once again, without any pretension — yet I always welcome thoughts or suggestions.
I discovered photography more deeply through my work in the field of digitization, which made me appreciate it as both a tool and an art form. Today, I explore photography as a hobby, both in its digital and analog forms. In analog photography, I’m proud to use my great-grandfather’s Petri 7S 35mm rangefinder camera, dating back to around 1959. Here I’ll share some of the photos I’ve taken with it, along with others shot digitally — I currently work with a Nikon Z5, mostly using a 24–70mm lens.
My passion for plants is a family heritage. My parents have always dedicated much of their free time to gardening, and I’ve inherited that love in my own way. I enjoy both indoor and outdoor plants, and even while living in the city, I try to grow vegetables on my balcony. Most of all, I aim to cultivate as many flowers as possible that attract bees and other pollinators — a small but meaningful ecological responsibility we can each take on within our own limits.
It might sound cliché—after all, an Italian claiming to love cooking is hardly surprising—but it’s a true passion I dedicate time to. Part of it is continuing a family heritage: the idea of making fresh tagliatelle at home, just as my great-grandmother did, still moves me. I also enjoy routines like baking bread, which feels grounding. At the same time, I love bringing into my everyday cooking recipes learned during my travels. Knowing that those who have shared a meal with me may carry a piece of my cooking gives me immense joy, as I see cuisine as a way of cultural exchange.
Giacomo Paci 