Caterina Avataneo (b. 1989) is an independent curator based in Turin. Her curatorial practice involves thinking intuitively through artworks and experimenting with methodologies of intimate exchange, with a curatorial approach oriented towards creative confabulation. After having been involved in a research group around the topic of "evil" in 2019, she gradually developed an interest for the aesthetics of the dark in contemporary art practice; the role of darkness, destruction, negativity, transgression and evil (intended more in its original etymology of exceeding limits); Gothic recurrence and its temporal and historical implications.
In 2022 she joined the curatorial team of Pompeii Commitment. Archaeological Matters - the first long-term, contemporary art programme established by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii - where she co-curates the Digital Fellowships and supports the wider curatorial programme. Since 2020 she part of the curatorial board at Cripta747 (Turin). She writes a series of "in conversation with" for PW-Magazine and she is editorial coordinator for CURA., where she also writes.
She has been curatorial consultant for the New Entries section for emerging galleries at Artissima (Turin) in 2022 and 2023. In 2019 she was Assistant Curator of Sun & Sea (Marina), the Lithuanian Pavilion for the 58th Venice Biennale - winner of the Golden Lion. From 2018-2021 she worked as Associate Curator at Arcade Gallery (London & Brussels) and as Assistant Curator on assigned projects at Serpentine Gallery (London).
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She holds an MA in Architecture from Politecnico of Turin (2014) and an MA in Curating from London Metropolitan University and Whitechapel Gallery (2017). She was awarded the 2017 NEON Curatorial Award by The Neon Foundation and Whitechapel Gallery and her curatorial projects have appeared in institutions and galleries including: Kunstraum, Austrian Cultural Forum, Zabludowicz Collection, White Crypt, Open Space and Gossamer Fog (all London); Arcade (London & Brussels); HAUS and Pina (Vienna); Britta Rettberg (Munich); Almanac Inn (Turin); DEMO Moving Image (online) and SixtyEight Art Institute (Copenhagen).
She has been invited as Curator in Residence at a number of international institutions, including: NEON (Athens); Danish Arts Foundation (Copenhagen); Salzburger Kunstverein (Salzburg); RUPERT (Vilnius); 40mcube (Rennes) and FRAME (Helsinki).
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She has been the editor of a number of publications including the Vynil Catalogue for Sun & Sea (Lithuanian Pavilion for the 58th Venice Biennale 2019) and Park Night & Marathon booklets (Serpentine Galleries 2018 & 2021). She has been commissioned to write texts for catalogues and exhibitions at GAM (Turin), Austrian Cultural Forum (London), Azkuna Zentroa (Bilbao), among others. Her writing has appeared in Vogue Italia, CURA., Flash Art, ATP Diary and PW-Magazine.
ARTISTS SHE WORKED WITH:
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Helene Appel
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Pietro Agostoni
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Ed Atkins
Sophia Al-Maria
Salvatore Arancio
Miriam Austin
Anna Barham
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Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė
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Tosh Basco
Chiara Camoni
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Jeremiah Day
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Caterina De Nicola
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Diego Delas
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Olivia Douglass
Anna Engelhardt
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Lara Favaretto
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Cao Fei
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Formafantasma
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Keira Fox
Anna Franceschini
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Lee Fraser
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Vaiva GrainytÄ—
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Heith
Julius Heinemann
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Deborah-Joyce Holman
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Irati Inoriza
Invernomuto
Karrabing Film Collective
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Barbara Kapusta
Lina LapelytÄ—
Rebecca Lennon
Eleonora Luccarini
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Jonas Mekas
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Miao Ying
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Jota Mombaça
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Shana Moulton
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MRZB
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Hannah Neckel
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Jim C. Nedd
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Rolf Nowotny
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Rory Pilgrim
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Ruth Proctor
Giuliana Rosso
Rose Salane
Leonor Serrano Rivas
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Marianna Simnett
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Anastasia Sosunova
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P Staff
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Alan Stefanato
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Slavs and Tatars
Jenna Sutela
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Emilia Tapprest
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Sissel Tolaas
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Visio
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Zoe Williams
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