Dubai’s very own literary enigma, Melanie Francesca, has taken the art and literature world by storm. Her latest creation, The Books of the Secret, has fascinated many, drawing readers into a journey of self-awareness and spiritual exploration. Presented with her artwork installation THE BOX at the prestigious Primaticcio Gallery, Dante Alighieri, in Rome, Melanie’s mastery of blending words and illustrations has entranced audiences and earned praise from esteemed psychologist Maria Rita Parsi, who commends Melanie’s talent for uncovering profound meanings in the ordinary and extraordinary. The great Italian psychologue describes Melanie Francesca as “an author capable of making the imagination gallop a thousand, without borders. Melanie Francesca is a surprise, above all and first of all, for her extraordinary ability, melodiously and dreamily expressed, to build emotional scenarios that are rooted in every myth and every time. A female James Joyce to sip to open the doors beyond our unconscious.”
“We are miracle factories just get out of the prison of the ego and the mind,” says Melanie Francesca, “This is why when one creates, and everyone can reach this dimension of creation, one leaves the mind and philosophy, and one stops thinking. We think of colors, we think of sounds, we think of vibrations but in a different way from the mind. Rather than thinking, we begin to feel. The brain of the heart is more powerful than the mind, and this is the key not only to the artistic process but to intuition in general, such as the scientific one when the genius makes a discovery that overturns every known concept of the universe such as quantum theory for example, or an archaeological intuition that will upset all past vision of history. I am convinced that true knowledge resides in intuition, and humans are increasingly approaching this way of feeling, shamanic instead of rational. We are in a new world.”
THE BOX – AN ART INSTALLATION THAT BRIDGES TWO CULTURES
At the heart of Melanie’s exhibition, Rome, lies her magnum opus, THE BOX, an installation that beautifully weaves classical mythology with contemporary insights. This impressive artwork, weighing a staggering 400 kilograms and measuring three by three meters, invites viewers on an intimate voyage through human history, unraveling the intricacies of the human condition. Born in 2017 under the aegis of the Minister of Tolerance of the United Arab Emirates, “The Box” pays homage to Western and Middle Eastern cultures, promoting embracing diversity and pursuing harmony. H.H. Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, who believes in her exceptional talent, mentions: “Melanie skillfully combines her form of prayer to the universe and the omnipotence of nature, as well as to the grandeur of the human being. In a technological age like ours, it is a message of freedom, hope, and undeniable modernity.”
“In The Box, I talk about angels and demons,” explains Melanie, “There is Ophelia, lying on the ground like the Ophelia of the Pre-Raphaelites, languid and sinuous of a very sensual beauty. And her hair is tangled by demons, which are nothing more than aggregated obsessive and negative thoughts that become real.
Each of our thoughts is like a comic strip. It is dense and not abstract. If we feed on heavy thoughts, sooner or later, we go to the bottom. Here, the floor of The Box is Ophelia, and she dies in Dante’s hell. There are also references to the depictions of Gustave Doré, who illustrated Dante Alighieri. Dante’s Inferno is an esoteric mystical treatise of what we can encounter in the afterlife but which is already manifested on earth. That’s why I wanted to exhibit The Box at the Dante Alighieri Institute because it was born from Dante Alighieri, from the Western history of posthumanism and the Renaissance. And then, in fact, you go up, on the walls that depict other Italian and European works of art, from Caravaggio to Michelangelo to the Virgin of Samothrace, to Canova and his pyramid with the door to the underworld. And then the Doge’s Palace in Venice and so on gazes on the abyss and on human reality, recognizable and transfigured.
Very important critics in Italy have spoken very well. The well-known psychologist Maria Rita Parsi called me a new James Joyce because I wrote a book of delirious poems made up of sounds and onomatopes, aphorisms that are music. Like James Joyce, I experience synesthesia, associations and the non-dimension of time, or the perception of a different time which is not material and human.”
Melanie Francesca’s art has earned accolades from the public as well as from the experts in the field. Vittorio Sgarbi, a renowned art historian and the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture, shares a unique perspective on Melanie’s work. He draws parallels between her poetic language and the sacred texts, prophets, and even the Divine Comedy. Sgarbi further evokes the spirit of poets like Rimbaud and Baudelaire, suggesting that Melanie Francesca’s work continues the tradition of modern lyric poetry. He notes that even if not everything in her art is readily understood, it leaves a deep impression, emphasizing the importance of the solemn and cryptic in her creations, which greatly connect the viewer.
Stefano Zecchi, a philosopher and professor, also added his voice to the praise. He commended Melanie’s command over language and linguistic structure, describing her work as “very beautiful” in terms of literature. His words show the depth and complexity of Melanie’s artistic work, emphasizing the richness of her narrative and storytelling.
From these insights from experts, it’s evident that Melanie goes beyond aesthetic appreciation. Her work challenges viewers to engage with it on different levels. Her ability to combine elements of literature, symbolism, and historical context makes her a notable figure in the art world.
MELANIE FRANCESCA CELEBRATES BEAUTY AND HOPE
Melanie Francesca’s artistic timeline extends beyond visual art and explores the world of literature with her last translated published novel, “The Angel,” by Europe Books. This literary work represents a natural progression in her diverse themes. It serves as a continuation of her quest to rise above the disturbing noise of daily life and find meaning in the space of the soul and love.
In many ways, “The Angel” shares the essence of Melanie’s artistic vision. It welcomes readers to rise above the noise and distractions of modern life, encouraging them to explore the deeper dimensions of existence and pure nature. By venturing into the orderly space of the soul and love, Melanie’s novel offers a thought-provoking experience, inviting readers to begin a journey of self-discovery and reflection, much like her visual art has done for her audience over the years.
“The Angel is one of my favorite books,” says the writer. “It has a touching ending. The end is not an end but a beginning. It’s a dramatic book trying to help those like Dixi who feel betrayed not only by a man but also by life. Repeatedly. Alan is her angel, and he is there to help her for the same reasons that make him so close to his beloved. He, too, as a male, had the same experiences. So, in the book, there are all points of view, even of the boyfriend who makes her suffer and is a prisoner of the same karma. Because there are no victims or hunters, says the angel, being betrayed or betrayed is equal from the point of view of the afterlife. It is in these paradoxes that the strangeness, the out-of-line, the point of view that is not the human one is revealed. How can one say that the traitor is equal to his victim, the betrayed? Yet there is a logic that explains itself in the pages. The problem lies in the fact that the perpetrator and victim try to understand that they both have the same wound, which makes them act in one direction or another. They are two sides of the same coin. We need to go beyond matter and the ego to be able to see ourselves and the other with the eye of the soul and, therefore, get out of earthly duality. As long as we are in duality, we suffer. We belong to the karmic dimension of the victim and the hunter. But if you enter the space of the soul, which is in the famous presence that is talked about so much nowadays, you get out of this cannibalistic circuit. You get out of the famous karma.
In the space of the soul and spirit, there is peace. You see that the other attacks you, and instead of getting angry, you pity him because you see the suffering from which he is corroded, and you enter the space of compassion. This doesn’t mean having mercy on others in the traditional sense, but having the awareness that whoever is in front of you offends you because they suffer, and this has nothing to do with you. It’s his problem, and since he doesn’t accept your help, you don’t stand close to suffering his bullying to lighten him, but you leave, aware that the first to be loved by you must be you in order not to succumb, not to remain a victim. This transition from being perpetrator to victim is called awareness. And when you are in awareness, no one can really hurt you anymore because whatever happens, you are at peace. In the space of the soul. And then miracles happen.”
Melanie has grown as a versatile artist whose creative journey has left an unforgettable mark on the world of contemporary art and literature. From her early beginnings to her renowned exhibitions across Europe and the Middle East, Melanie Francesca’s artistic work has earned recognition. Melanie’s journey as an artist and author stands as an inspiration, enriching the cultural world with her thought-provoking and transformative creations.
