Today we’d like to introduce you to Marta Galmozzi
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi, I’m Marta Galmozzi, a visual artist from Italy, currently living in the United States for the past two and a half years. I’m based in New York City, but I travel frequently. The reason I moved here? My art.
Let me take you back to the beginning. My journey started in Bergamo, Italy (near Milan), where I grew up and earned my Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti. Later, I moved to Belgium to pursue a Master’s in Photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. There, I met some of my closest friends, was nominated as one of the Young Artist Talents by the Middelheim Museum, and participated in several exhibitions. This experience made me realize how much I thrive in international and diverse environments. I love learning about new cultures through the people I meet, and I’m always eager to expand my perspective.
During the pandemic, I returned to Italy to be closer to my family and ended up staying for two years. But in 2022, I was ready for a new chapter. I had fallen in love with New York City years before as a tourist, and that impression stayed with me. I knew NYC was the place where I wanted to grow as an artist. What also drew me to the U.S. was its openness to reinvention—here, failure isn’t seen as an end, but as a step toward something new.
So, in August 2022, I moved to NYC with an open mind and the goal of building my career as an artist. Last summer, I received my Artist Visa, which now allows me to officially work here. And that brings me to where I am today—continuing to explore, create, and shape my path in the art world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being an immigrant in the United States hasn’t been easy, especially during the first two years, which were the toughest. I faced many challenges, from finding the right place to live to navigating the long and complex process of fixing my paperwork. Everyone’s experience is different—some people have been luckier than me, while others have faced even greater difficulties.
One of the biggest challenges for me has been adapting to a new way of communicating. I’ve experienced many “lost in translation” moments where miscommunication led to misunderstandings. Sometimes, directly translating from my native language doesn’t convey the same tone or politeness in English, which has occasionally led to awkward situations or even disagreements. Learning how to express myself in a way that feels natural while also being culturally appropriate has been a key part of my journey.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work ranges from photography to sculpture, incorporating experimental approaches to the use of images. In my installations, often site-specific, the photographic image transforms into a physical presence that interacts with space and perception. Every piece begins with a cut-out—whether from a magazine or my own photographs. What I love most is the process of combining these cut-outs in unexpected ways, creating new narratives and surreal scenarios. This part of my work feels the most spontaneous and playful.
After assembling these compositions, I rephotograph and digitally edit them, blending manual and digital techniques. When I lived in Europe, my photo collages often evolved into sculptural pieces, existing in three-dimensional space. Since moving to the U.S., I have been primarily focused on two-dimensional photo collages—but who knows, I may return to sculptural collages in the future.
What sets my work apart is this hybrid approach—melding photography, collage, sculpture, and installation to challenge the boundaries of the photographic image. I take pride in my ability to transform ordinary cut-outs into evocative, dreamlike compositions, allowing familiar imagery to take on new meanings.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Running around my grandfather’s studio. He was an architect and engineer in Italy, as well as a passionate art lover. He later became the director of the Academy of Fine Arts in my city and wrote several books. As a child, I loved playing hide and seek in his studio—he had a vast library, and being alone in the quiet, surrounded by all those books, is one of my favorite childhood memories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.martagalmozzi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martagalmozzi/
Image Credits:
Yanxin Guo
