By Gaia Giordani. Cover image: Cauleen Smith’s solo show The Deep West Assembly at Astrup Fearnley Museet in Oslo.
In the vast and dynamic world of contemporary art, curators are the true visionaries who illuminate the path through the ever-evolving landscape of creativity. These experts are not just gatekeepers of art; they are the influencers who shape trends, drive debate, and redefine artistic boundaries.
Whether you’re a seasoned art aficionado or a curious newcomer, these 12 leading curators are redefining the art scene on social media. They offer invaluable insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and fresh perspectives that will enrich your understanding and appreciation of art. Follow along to stay ahead of the curve and immerse yourself in the cutting-edge dialogues that are shaping the future of art.
Checking our 12 favourite Art Curators to follow on Instagram
1. Paola Antonelli
Paola Antonelli is an Italian curator, designer and writer, currently Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. She is also the author of several books, including “Design Emergency: Building a Better Future” (2022) and “The Pop-Up Generation: Design Between Dimensions” (2012). She has been recognised as one of the most influential figures in the world of design and architecture.
Follow her if… You are a gamer: she’s the one who brought Pac-Man to MoMa, as she curated the first collection of interactive design pieces for video games.
2. Nancy Spector
Nancy Spector is an American curator, art historian and author. She has been the Guggenheim Museum’s first Artistic Director and Chief Curator, a position created especially for her in one of the most iconic museums in the world, where she worked for 35 years. She has been recognised as one of the leading experts in modern and contemporary art.
Follow her if… You love contemporary art, abstract expressionism, the Russian avant-garde movement, and post-war American art.
3. Filipa Ramos
Filipa Ramos is a Portuguese art collector, exhibition director, and art critic based in London. She is currently the Global Director of Art Basel. In her role, she expands the scope of Art Basel by incorporating new galleries and artists from all over the world, creating platforms for dialogue and exchange of ideas among art professionals.
Follow her if… You want to discover great art and emerging artists in the global contemporary art community.
4. Carlo Corsato
Carlo Corsato is an Italian art historian and is currently a professor of the history of modern art at the University of Rome, La Sapienza. He is a renowned expert in Italian art from the 16th and 17th centuries, with a particular interest in painting, sculpture and architecture.
Follow him if… You embrace critical analysis of works of art and artistic movements and believe that art is a universal language for understanding ourselves and the world.
5. Eva Respini
Eva Respini is an Italian art curator based in Boston, and is currently the Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. She strongly believes that art has the power to challenge our minds, to give us new perspectives on the world and to inspire us to change things for the better. She is a great advocate of the responsibility of museums and galleries to present work that reflects the world’s diversity and addresses the pressing issues of our time.
Follow her if… You’re always on the hunt for new, emerging and underrepresented artists to follow.
6. Mia Locks
Mia Locks is a British art curator and currently serves as the Director of Serpentine Galleries. Locks is known for her innovative and experimental approach to curating, often combining art, music, performance and other media. She claims that art is an experience involving all the senses and is a proponent of exhibitions that encourage interaction.
Follow her if… You like art as an immersive experience and believe in its power to connect people and offer new perspectives.
7. Hans Ulrich Obrist
Hans Ulrich Obrist is a leading figure in the international art scene. An art curator, critic and art historian from Switzerland, he currently serves as the Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries in London. His remarkable professional journey started with an exhibition he curated at the age of 23 in his apartment, which was titled “The Kitchen Show”. Since then, he has curated over 350 exhibitions in his illustrious career.
Follow him if… You admire his innovative vision, his tireless curiosity and his commitment to promoting the dialogue between art and society.
8. Cecilia Alemani
Cecilia Alemani is an internationally renowned Italian curator. She is currently the Director and Chief Curator of High Line Art, the public art program of the famous New York City elevated park. The program hosts site-specific installations by internationally renowned artists, organises interdisciplinary events, and involves the public in unique artistic experiences. Additionally, she served as the curator of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, titled “The Milk of Dreams”.
Follow her if… You are passionate about art in public spaces, and you are interested in temporary and site-specific artistic installations.
9. Stefanie Hessler
Stefanie Hessler, the visionary curator and director of the Swiss Institute in New York, a non-profit institution dedicated to promoting contemporary art through innovative exhibitions, has always been committed to artistic experimentation and fostering dialogue between art, culture and society.
Follow her if… You are interested in the intersections between art, ecology, technology, feminism and queer studies.
10. Chus Martinez
Head of the Basel Art Gender Nature Institute, he has spent many years in the world of contemporary art, promoting innovative artistic practices and critical reflection on social and political issues. Her career started in Barcelona and continued in Berlin, Bilbao and New York. She is currently based in Basel, a leading art capital, where she is dedicated to promoting an open and inclusive dialogue.
Follow her if… You are interested in cross-sectional topics. And don’t miss her latest book, “The Complex Answer. On Art as a Non-Binary Intelligence” (2024).
11. Adriano Pedrosa
Adriano Pedrosa has served as the Artistic Director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) for 10 years. He is known as a pioneering figure in contemporary art in Brazil. After obtaining a Law degree, he pursued further studies in art and critical writing at the California Institute of the Arts. This educational background allowed him to develop a comprehensive vision of the art world, blending academic rigour with a deep artistic sensitivity.
Follow him if… You are planning to visit the 60th Venice Biennale, one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art in the world, of which Pedrosa is this year’s art curator.
12. Lucia Pietroiusti
Lucia Pietroiusti is the Head of Ecology at Serpentine, London. She works at the intersection of art, ecology and systems with a holistic, integrated and adaptive approach. She has co-curated the program Back to Earth, which is part of Serpentine’s 50th anniversary celebration dedicated to the environment (2020-2022). The program invited over 65 artists to create environmental campaigns, prototypes, or interventions in the form of artworks.
Follow her if… You are interested in environmental issues and how art can represent and respond to the significant ecological challenges of our time.
