24 Curators Reflect on Lockdown and the Future of Art
A survey conducted by Artribune involving 24 Italian curators revealed their reflections on the COVID-19 lockdown and their forecasts for the art sector. The pandemic underscored challenges such as job insecurity and dependence on travel. Curators like Marcello Smarrelli launched online initiatives, while Valentino Catricalà highlighted the importance of a new ethical framework surrounding data and labor. Maria Chiara Valacchi appreciated the opportunity to focus on quality rather than quantity. Many expressed doubts about digital exhibitions, with Daniele Capra describing them as "deludenti." Conversely, some recognized the promise of digital tools, as evidenced by Paola Ugolini's support for the Forum dell’Arte Contemporanea. Curators, including Ludovico Pratesi and Raffaella Perna, called for a renewed emphasis on local communities and mindful practices.
Key facts
- Artribune interviewed 24 Italian curators about their lockdown experience and future outlook.
- Marcello Smarrelli initiated online projects for Fondazione Pescheria, Pastificio Cerere, and Fondazione Ermanno Casoli.
- Valentino Catricalà worked on a new book and stressed the need for a new ethics of data and labor.
- Maria Chiara Valacchi saw five projects freeze but valued the pause to refocus on quality.
- Daniele Capra called virtual shows 'deludenti' and curators 'vetrinisti'.
- Raffaella Perna dismissed viewing rooms as surrogates for physical exhibitions.
- Eugenio Viola launched 'Efectos secundarios' and a newspaper insert project with El Tiempo.
- Antonia Alampi hoped the pandemic would spur reconsideration of unsustainable travel and consumption.
Entities
Artists
- Giuseppe Penone
- Alfredo Pirri
- Marco Tirelli
- Gian Maria Tosatti
- Paola Mattioli
- Moira Ricci
- Paola Di Bello
- Romana Loda
- Mirella Bentivoglio
- Tomaso Binga
- Renata Boero
- Giosetta Fioroni
- Lucia Marcucci
- Libera Mazzoleni
- Lucia Pescador
- Carlo Ingrassia
- Fabio Ingrassia
- Eugenio Tibaldi
- Elena Mazzi
- Fernando Arias
- Mike Parr
- Tania Bruguera
- Mario Merz
- Claudio Verna
- Vincenzo Latronico
- Luc Tuymans
- Milton Avery
- Mark Rothko
- Henry Miller
- David Quammen
- Alessandro Barbero
- Beatrice Bulgari
- Leonardo Bigazzi
- Alessandro Rabottini
- Marco Bassan
- Domenico Bianchi
- Paola Capata
- Delfo Durante
Institutions
- Artribune
- Fondazione Pescheria – Centro Arti Visive
- Fondazione Pastificio Cerere
- Fondazione Ermanno Casoli
- MoMA
- Flash Art
- Apalazzo Gallery
- Scuderie del Quirinale
- Forum dell’Arte Contemporanea
- MAMBO (Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá)
- PAC (Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea) di Milano
- El Tiempo
- Cardi Gallery
- Cardi Projects
- NASTY magazine
- RCA (Royal College of Art)
- SAVVY Contemporary
- GAMeC di Bergamo
- Castello di Rivoli
- MAMbo (Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna)
- La Galleria Nazionale
- Il Foglio
- Magic Carpets
- Pillow Talk
- Rodari Online
Locations
- Italy
- Milan
- Bergamo
- Turin
- Rome
- Bogotá
- Colombia
- Abruzzo
- Berlin
- Germany
- Vilnius
- Lithuania
- Zurich
- Switzerland