Zerial Art Project: A Digital Gallery Model Emerges from Lockdown

Elisabetta Zerial, a young gallerist and collector from Trieste, founded Zerial Art Project in March 2019, initially operating from her home in Venice's San Marco district. After the November 2019 acqua alta flooded her space and the Venice Biennale ended, she traveled to Zimbabwe for three months, connecting with artists and cultural organizations in Harare. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she pivoted to a digital-only model with pop-up events, signing contracts with African artists. The gallery focuses on human social dimensions and experimental art, aiming to democratize art and support independent artistic research. On July 3, 2020, Zerial opened the solo show "Love or Fear? What do you feel?" by Trieste-based artist Paolo Cervi Kervischer in a private space near Florence's Piazza della Signoria, addressing post-quarantine rehabilitation. Two planned exhibitions in Palermo are suspended due to the pandemic, and a urban regeneration project in Trieste will map the city with contemporary art installations. Zerial plans to eventually open a physical space in Trieste but currently operates online as an itinerant gallery.