Julia Draganović Appointed Director of Villa Massimo in Rome

Julia Draganović has been named director of Villa Massimo, the German Academy in Rome, following a public competition. She previously directed the Kunsthalle Osnabrück in Germany from 2013, transforming it into a site for artistic production with a unique exhibition space lit solely by sunlight. Draganović had applied for the Villa Massimo position 18 years ago, losing to outgoing director Joachim Blüher. The institution, founded by patron Eduard Arnhold in the early 1900s, awards scholarships to German artists, architects, composers, and writers under 40 to work in Rome. In 2017, it reduced guest numbers to focus on fellow presentations. Draganović also served as director of PAN in Naples (2007–2009), co-led Art City Bologna, and curated projects with LaRete Art Projects, including the New York exhibition series No Longer Empty and artistic direction of Art Miami. She is currently president of IKT (International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art), succeeding Enrico Lunghi. In April, IKT will hold its first congress in Miami and Havana, featuring a symposium on Art, Sustainability, and Resilience at the Pérez Art Museum Miami with keynote speaker T. J. Demos. Draganović, of Serbian surname through marriage, reflects on her German identity and hopes to bring her production expertise from Osnabrück to Villa Massimo.