Chiara Fumai, Gretel's Room, 2008

Chiara is a visual artist out of Milan, mainly working with videos and installations while her alter ego is Pippi Langstrumpf is an elektro integralist dj/produce. Chiara has had 3 art residencies in Holland and a solo exhibition at Careof (Milan) in 2008 entitled “Tutto Giusto”. Pippi has been the first Italian woman burning decks in China and she has played in 10 countries already, including radio Orf in Wien, the club Fuse in Bruxelles, a gig as supporter of M.I.A. in Toronto (through Red Bull Music Academy), and is currently setting up a label called Dischi Bellini.

Chiara Fumai, The Controller Room (video still)

Could you please present us Chiara Fumai and her alter ego Pippi Langstrumpf?
Self-representation is never a good idea. Anyway, I’m a visual artist with an alter ego in electronic music called Pippi Langstrumpf. I do exhibitions in art spaces, while my stage-persona appears after midnight to burn 130 bpm vynils in clubs or raves. We are a typical case of double identity that prefers to generate short-circuits rather than stupid arty contaminations.

Who is your role model? Or the most interesting woman you met?
There are many, actually, but I would focus my answer on the dance music industry because it still suffers of sexism… The impact of electronic musicians like Electric Indigo (founder of Female Pressure) and Gudrun Gut (founder of Monika Enterprise) on the cultural system has not only an artistical value, but even a political importance: this is very relevant if we consider the creative work of someone and its reflection on the contemporary history. All the intelligent women who like elektro should look at their work and never forget about the holy fact that God is a dj and She rocks. Hang the groupie!

Chiara Fumai, Tutto Giusto (exhibition at Careof 2008)

Where do you get your inspiration from? (things / person / place….)
My visual works come out of episodes of my life and their art process is based on a complete transfiguration of the source. In general I’m a fan of contraddictions. On the other hand, Pippi Langstrumpf is totally absorbed by Detroit techno, Acid house and Italo disco… No Post Punk Without Synthetizers.

What would we find playing on your iPod right now?
The digital master of the Church Of Pippi Langstrumpf a.k.a. the release of Dischi Bellini 001… and it still needs to have a change of bass.

What are your favorite fanzines and magazines?
THIS IS (NOT) A MAGAZINE www.thisisamagazine.com and the Rome based NERO. Sometimes I contribute to SO2003 www.so2003.blogspot.com a music blog curated by Cosmo Vitelli and his friends.

Is there a medium / technique that you haven’t tried yet that you’d like to experiment in the future?
Probably I will never paint on canvas on purpose and Pippi Langstrumpf will never play guitars.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever travelled to?
Recently I had a dream about me and my dog taking a night-train to the moon.

Do you still live in Milan? What are your favourite spots there?
I’m moving to Rotterdam, baby! Anyway, you can still catch me shopping raver clothes inside WOK store, visiting my friend Gea in her Conduits gallery, djing at COX 18 (resist!) and having breakfast the morning after at Cherubini. There’s even a nice Indian restaurant called Shiva in the same area.

Who is the woman you’d like to see featured / interviewed here?
Nakion: Korean artist and musician. Some girls are bigger than others (cit.).