Meet Simona Gavioli | Art Critic & Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Simona Gavioli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simona, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There are many factors that have contributed and still contribute to my professional fulfillment, but one of these is the basis of everything and it is passion. A crazy passion for art, a passion that excites, that burns body and soul. I have loved art in all its forms since I was a child, but there are times when this love becomes obsessive, a fixed thought that I cannot get out of my mind. When I feel this kind of overwhelming attraction to an idea, artist or situation, my stomach tightens and a magnetism driving me, then I know I’m on the right path. I believe there is a profound difference between admiration and passion. Admiration establishes a distance between the two subjects, passion instead an involvement. The courage to follow this involvement, even when it is risky, when it is not the easiest way, has always paid off. The passion behind any job makes others fall in love too.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am not an artist but an art critic and a curator. In my work there is therefore a strong creative component which for me represents one of the most stimulating sides of my profession. It was not easy to become an independent curator. For many years I have done my apprenticeship working for other people, especially gallery owners. However, this allowed me to get to know the art system in depth in all its components and gave me the opportunity to meet many people and forge bonds that still last.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The answer is very simple: Bologna. Bologna is the city I have chosen, the city that welcomed me, it is my home. it is a city that over the years has never lost its sparkling and stimulating spirit. it is a city that exudes passion in every respect. You should definitely not miss a visit to Mambo, the city’s contemporary art museum, to the late Niccolò dell’Arca, to the Archiginnasio. You should get lost in the immensity of Piazza Maggiore, enjoy a sunset over the hills, party in via del Pratello, watch a film at the Cineteca. And then have a drink (even more than one) at Ruggine, eat tortellini at Sfogliarina, a sandwich with mortadella in Tamburini and a high-level gastronomic experience at Oltre. A week is not enough to really get to know Bologna but it is enough to make you fall in love.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people who have contributed to my success and since I can’t list them all, I will choose three: three great women. The first is Isabella D’Este, the first modern woman in history. Isabella was an intelligent woman who immediately understood the intellectual and educational potential of art. Throughout her life she was an enlightened patron, capable of stimulating the artists she surrounded herself with. She was practically the first art curator in the world. Then there is Amelie Nothomb and her book Métaphysique des tubes that everyone should read at least once in their life. Amelie inspired me for her courage to talk about herself without veils, in an irreverent and ironic way. But the person to whom I owe everything, not just my professional success, is my grandmother Annita. My grandmother always told me that I could make all my dreams come true, that no one could ever tell me who I should be and who I shouldn’t be. She taught me to follow my passions and my instincts and to always walk with my head held high.

Website: https://caravansetup.com/

Instagram: @bluegavioli

Linkedin: Simona Gavioli

Facebook: Simona Gavioli

Image Credits
1,2 & 3 credits Stefano Bertolucci 4 & 8 credits Stefano Sabbadini 5 & 6 credits Lavinia Bottini 7 credits Wassim Messaoudi