A conversation with
Irene Fenara
Moderated by Victoria Reis, Transformer’s Founder, Artistic & Executive Director
April 11, 2024 at 6:00 PM
📍Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
The Italian Cultural Institute of Washington and Transformer are pleased to present a conversation with Italian contemporary artist Irene Fenara, included in the New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024 exhibition by the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Curator Victoria Reis, founder of Transformer, explores with Irene Fenara her artistic path, from her latest works to her research on the mechanical observation and on the relationship between humankind and technology.
Registration is required. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
IRENE FENARA
Irene Fenara (IT 1990) lives and works in Milan. In 2017 she received her master’s degree in Visual Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Sculpture from the same Academy.
Irene Fenara’s work investigates the gesture behind every photographic operation: watching. In particular, she observes, investigates and interprets the way machines look. There are hundreds of mechanical glances in front of which we pass every day. Irene Fenara focuses on generative algorithms and surveillance cameras. The images they show are often unclear, dirtied by a series of errors, such as an obstacle in front of the lens, a lack of resolution or an evident chromatic alteration. Just like our eyes, they (re)see and transform reality, catapulting us into an alternative and mysterious universe.
Her work has been exhibited in public and private institutions such as Fondazione Prada Osservatorio (Milan 2016), Fondazione Fotografia (Modena 2017), MAMbo – Museum of Modern Art of Bologna (Bologna 2018), Palazzo delle Esposizioni (Rome 2018), Kunst Merano Arte (Merano 2019), ZERO… (Milan 2021), Triennale (Milan 2021), Basel Social Club (Basel 2022), MACRO (Rome 2021), ICA (Milan 2022), MAXXI (Rome 2022), MACTE (Termoli 2023), Villa Renata (Basel 2023), Palazzo Bentivoglio (Bologna 2023) and Museion (Bolzano 2023).
VICTORIA REIS
Victoria Reis is a curator, writer, and arts organizer who has been actively supporting contemporary visual artists and arts organizations within local, national, and international contexts since 1991.
In 2002, Reis co-founded Transformer, an internationally recognized non-profit visual arts organization based in Washington, DC. Since 2006, Reis has been leading Transformer as its Executive & Artistic Director, curating and presenting substantial exhibitions and programs in support of emerging artists, innovative cultural production, and new & best practices within contemporary visual art. Reis has established comprehensive cultural partnerships & collaborations with an extensive range of arts, educational, and diplomatic organizations and institutions. She has launched and advanced the careers of several hundred artists.
In May 2017, Reis expanded Transformer’s programming to include Siren Arts, an Asbury Park, NJ based summer residency program for emerging visual artists working within the performance art discipline. Siren Arts will be presenting its 8th season of programming summer 2024. Reis was a Founding Member of Common Field, a national network of art spaces and artist-led initiatives. She has been a member of ArtTable since 2000. In 2018, she joined the Board of Directors of Monmouth Arts, a non-profit arts organization supporting artists and arts organizations throughout Monmouth County, NJ.