Daniele Capra on the Turning Point in His Art Career

Daniele Capra, an independent curator and art critic, reflects on the key moments that defined his career. He traces his passion for art back to childhood visits to museums and cities across central Italy, Venice, and Veneto villas with his parents. A middle school teacher, a talented painter, introduced him to abstraction and the spiritual aspects of art, which he later recognized as his first studio visits. Despite studying piano and political economy, Capra never considered art as a career until others helped him realize his vocation. Cultural journalism, both print and online, was the first sign of change, teaching him that writing about art could be a meaningful path. Opportunities from Franco Jesurun and Giuliana Carbi of Trieste Contemporanea, Riccardo Caldura of Galleria Contemporaneo in Venice, and artist and gallerist friends further clarified his calling for curation. The concrete turning point came within a few months: an exhibition at Galleria Civica di Trento, a space that had shaped him since the 1990s, allowed him to give back. Subsequently, he curated two institutional projects abroad: at the Jaco Dada Museum in Israel and at MMSU in Rijeka, where he felt valued for his actual contributions rather than whom he represented, a contrast to his experience in Italy.