Spotlight with Auronda Scalera
Auronda Scalera, London, UK & Dubai, UAE & Metaverse
Could you tell us a little more about your background and how you got into curating?
I come from a family of collectors, so it was natural to follow in their footsteps. My family collects ancient art and contemporary designs, mixing Mario Ceroli’s table Rosa Dei Venti, Enzo Mari’s chairs, Gaetano Pesce, Philippe Starck, Driade furniture, Picasso paintings with Greek and ancient Roman marbles or impressionist painters. They lack contemporary art and of course digital art, so I thought that starting from there was a new and fresh point of view to understand the era that I am living in, giving me a new perspective of the future.
My relatives are connected to the most important Italian impressionist painter: Giuseppe De Nittis, that was a friend of Vincent Van Gogh, Manet, Degas, Oscar Wilde, Zola, Dumas’ son, Princess Matilda Bonaparte, Gustave Dorè, Maupassant, Boldini and many others. I grew up surrounded by incredible adventurous stories about art and life, and when I was a teenager, I decide to work in art as curator because I wanted to be part of that world and not just a spectator.
I have specialized in contemporary and digital art for nearly 4 years now. I believe that Digital Art represents the future and I think that in a couple of years all artists are going to go digital, owning their personal Metaverse.
Who/what has influenced your curatorial practice?
Everything influences me, poetry, literature, history, politics, music, philosophy. During my time at university, my mentor was the international philosopher Giorgio Agamben and I followed his seminars in Venice, and while there with him I organised - with a group of people - some secret seminars between Venice, Rome and Paris. That time really changed my point of view on curating art and how to approach artists and their artworks.
In general, I am influenced by visionary people like philosophers, art critics, poets, musician, entrepreneurs and all the beautiful minds: Peggy Guggenheim, Giorgio Agamben, Artur Danto, Margaret Atwood, Virgil Hablo, Anonine Artaux, Elon Musk, Barak Obama, David Lynch, Pina Bausch, Dante, Elsa Schiaparelli, Larry Gagosian, Shakespeare and many many others.
The role of the curator is continuously changing. Could you describe what it means to be a curator today?
For me it means not only to curate an exhibition in a gallery or in a museum but bring together new visions that can shape the world in a better way. It’s fundamental for me to use my voice and deep expertise to shape the world, to empower artists and female artists and to have an impact on art and culture through inclusivity, diversity, equality, and in my case, through new technologies. For that reason, last year, I attended the World Economic Forum as a discussant for 100 Women at Davos talking about art, culture and inclusivity. And this year the UK government invited me to The House of Lords as an expert to speak about art, culture, Web3 and Metaverse. To me promoting the multiplicity of voices that we are surrounded by is my key mission.
What’s next for you? What are your upcoming projects?
I am a co-curator of Art Dubai, the digital and new technologies section, and the MAXXI Bulgari Prize, a prestigious international competition that this year opened up a new category for digital art. I will be choosing the best 5 digital artists of the year.
I am also co-curating a worldwide exhibition called web to verse about the history of digital art from 1950 until now.
What are you reading, watching, or listening to now, that is helping you to stay relaxed and positive?
I am obsessed with playlists, for me it’s like a lifelong private diary. I have a playlist for everything and everywhere. When I travel, I prepare a playlist adding everything that inspires me when I am in that city or in that place.
I can reveal that my last added song in my playlist is Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb from the album Adventure Beyond the Ultraworld, that eventually will be the title on my next curated exhibition.
How long have you been part of IKT and how do you feel that it has benefited your curatorial practice?
It’s been two years now and I found a wonderful network of international curators that support each other. I now collaborate with many of them on various projects.
Thank you Auronda!
Learn more about Auronda Scalera: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Spotlight
Spotlight is a new series of short interviews, aiming to provide insights about IKT members, their curatorial practice and projects in which they are involved. The series is intended to boost members' engagement with the network and help them find new opportunities for collaboration.
Want to participate?
Send us a request to ikt.curatorial@gmail.com and we will send you interview questions.