#artOff: Curatorial Project Brings Contemporary Art to Emilia Apennines

Federica Fiumelli founded #artOff in 2017 within the cultural association Officina15 in Castiglione dei Pepoli, Bologna province. The project aims to debunk myths that art belongs only to densely populated centers and that it is elitist. Fiumelli scouts young artists from academies or those without gallery ties, focusing on experimentation and dialogue rather than market trends. The team includes photographers, graphic designers, artists, teachers, web programmers, musicians, and bartenders. Past exhibitions featured Irene Fenara (shortly before her MAMbo debut), Matteo Messori, designer Matteo Giannerini, Alessandra Brown, Matilde Baglivo, Alessandra Neri, and Roberto Dapoto. Site-specific projects occurred at Lago di Santa Maria (Costanza Battaglini) and Via della Lana e della Seta (Agata Torelli). The project operates on zero budget, with occasional funding from municipal collaborations or events like Lagolandia. Fiumelli emphasizes digital communication for networking, treating social media as an exhibition space. She has been selected as a curator for the second edition of Maratona di visione online (curated by Alberto Ceresoli) and as a juror/curator for Centrale Festival in Fano (invited by Luca Panaro). Upcoming plans include a new exhibition path in Sala della Terra, combining mineralogical and paleontological specimens collected over 30 years.