Eugenia Vanni on Living in Siena Without Being Trapped by Its Past

In an interview with Artribune, artist Eugenia Vanni (b. 1980) discusses her practice and life in Siena, where she returned after a period in Milan. She describes Siena as a 'border' rather than a province—a defined cultural condition from which to observe the world from a non-marginal position. Vanni co-founded the Museo d'Inverno in 2016 with artist Francesco Carone (b. 1975) in the Contrada della Lupa's 14th-century Fonte Nuova. The museum focuses on artists' private collections, inviting artists to curate selections of works from their own collections, often gifts or exchanges. The first exhibition featured Maurizio Nannucci showcasing works related to his friendship with James Lee Byars. Vanni's own painting questions reality through a process of deconstruction. She sees the distance from major art centers not as a limitation but as an opportunity for a clearer perspective, asserting that culture is no longer concentrated in big cities.