ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Valentina Vannicola invents a fictional island in Rome exhibition

exhibition · 2026-05-05

Valentina Vannicola (Rome, 1982) presents a fictional island in her exhibition at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. The island, placed between Monte Conero and Zara on an antique map, is imagined as a refuge for former oil company workers from ex-Yugoslavia displaced by Balkan conflicts. The show combines elegiac and documentary photography with biographical texts, memories, and manuscripts, creating a realist fresco that is also a dreamlike conceptual exercise. The installation is structured as portrait-stations, evoking Sophie Calle's work.

Key facts

  • Valentina Vannicola (born 1982 in Rome) created a fictional island for her exhibition.
  • The island is positioned between Monte Conero and Zara on an antique map.
  • The island is imagined as a settlement for ex-oil workers from ex-Yugoslavia displaced by Balkan conflicts.
  • The exhibition features photographs blending elegiac and documentary styles.
  • Biographical texts, memories, and manuscripts accompany the photographs.
  • The installation is structured in portrait-stations.
  • The work is compared to Sophie Calle's practice.
  • The exhibition is held at Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome.

Entities

Artists

  • Valentina Vannicola
  • Sophie Calle

Institutions

  • Auditorium Parco della Musica
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Monte Conero
  • Zara
  • ex-Jugoslavia
  • Balcani

Sources