21-Year-Old Roberto Celestri Becomes Italy's First Art Influencer

Roberto Celestri, a 21-year-old filmmaker and content creator from Noto, Sicily, has become Italy's first art influencer. His Instagram page, launched in November 2021, grew from 2,000 to 325,000 followers by October 2022, with videos garnering thousands of views. Using only an iPhone, Celestri films 30-second single-shot Reels of lesser-known artworks, such as frescoes in Palermo's Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini and Caravaggio's Madonna dei Pellegrini in Rome, set to classical music without voiceover or face. He has collaborated with the Vatican Museums and MAXXI. Celestri cites Caravaggio and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro as inspirations, aiming to change perceptions of art. His videos boosted visitor numbers at Galleria Colonna, according to director Patrizia Piergiovanni. He now hosts a segment on La7's ArtBox and has spoken at TEDxPavia. Celestri plans to study art history.