Where I was to do what

Belarus

  • Research on the cultural scene in Minsk (art, photography, design, institutions and magazines), 2002.
  • Cooperation with Belarus, study visit, association New Faces, 2002 with the support of the EU.
  • Curator of the exhibition Light Link: Minsk – Novosibirsk – Vladivostok, Careof, Milano, 2004.
  • Article on the art scene in Minsk for the magazine “Gulliver” (Prospettiva Minsk in “Gulliver”, 07/2003, pp. 146-160).
  • My very secret diary Belarus (in Italian).

Belgium

  • Research on cultural cooperation and grants: Brussels, Antwerp, Gent, Charleroi, La Louvière, scholarship Banca del Monte di Lombardia, 17/06-28/08/2005.
  • My very secret diary Belgium (in Italian).

Cameroon

  • Field research on the cultural system (institutions and ateliers), Douala, 2003.
  • Field research and participation in the Ars&Urbis International Symposium, Douala, 2005 (curator of the dossier Ars et Urbis, “Africa e Mediterraneo”, 2005).
  • Co-curator of the workshop Ars&Urbis International Workshop and field research in Douala and during DUTA Biennial, Douala, 26/02-20/03/2007. co-curator and project manager of WikiAfrica Douala promoted by doual’art in collaboration with lettera27 Foundation, organised during the Ars&Urbis International Workshop, Douala, Camerun, 03-17/03/2007.
  • Participation in the Ars&Urbis Curatorial Meeting, 2009.
  • Participation in the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala, 2010. Test of the IllySustainArt platform in Douala during the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala.
  • Participation in the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala, 2013. Presentation of Wikipedia and Africa, 09/12/2013.
  • Collaboration with the cultural organization doual’art as a volunteer strategic consultant, 2005-2007. Establishment of the iStrike Foundation in Rotterdam as an European office to support the work of doual’art (2005-2008).
  • WikiAfrica Cameroon, concept of the project in collaboration with doual’art, 2011. The project is supported by Orange Foundation and it is implemented in partnership with lettera27 Foundation and the Africa Centre.
  • Articles on doual’art and public art in Douala for the magazine “Domus” and for the book Princess in Douala in Translation, Episode Publishers, Rotterdam, 2008.
  • My very secret diary Cameroon (in Italian).

China – Hong Kong

  • Participant and conference at Wikimania, Hong Kong, scholarship Wikimedia CH, 2013. Participant and moderator at WikiSym, Hong Kong, scholarship Wikimedia Foundation, 2013.

Egypt

  • Field research during the Cairo Biennial and Al Nitaq Festival, scholarship European Commission, 9-22/03/01.
  • Conference at the American University in Cairo, 2001.
  • Art manager of the artist Moataz Nasr, 2001-2002.
  • Field research during the Cairo Biennial and PhotoCairo Festival, 2003.
  • Consultant on the cultural scene in Cairo for Lia Rumma Gallery (2002) and the artist Susanne Kriemann (2006).
  • Articles on the Cairo Biennial and the art scene in Egypt for the magazines “Flash Art”, “Tema Celeste”, “Nigrizia”, “Contemporary Art from the Islamic World”, “A Oriente!”.
  • My very secret diary Egypt (in Italian).

France

  • Interviews and research on the cultural scene and contemporary African art Paris, Lyon (during Lyon Biennial 13/07/00) and Marseille (14-15/08/00), scholarship European Commission.
  • Research on cultural cooperation and grants, Paris, scholarship Banca del Monte di Lombardia, 16/05-01/06/2005.
  • Research group on African biennials and festivals at the CEAf Centre d’études africaines, EHESS, Paris, 2004-2007. Seminars on African biennials and festivals, EHESS 2005-2006 and Musée du Quai Branly 2006-2007.
  • Ph.D. in Social Anthropology and Ethnography and in territorial government and planning (governo e progettazione del territorio) at the EHESS Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris in collaboration with Department of Urban Planning, Politecnico di Milano (Mention “Très honorable avec félicitations”, jury Tobias Wendl, Jean-Loup Amselle, Elio Grazioli, Rossella Salerno).
  • Conference Afrique et Wikipédia, Les matinales numériques de la Fondation Orange, Paris, 24/10/2012.
  • My very secret diary France (in Italian).

Germany

  • Research on contemporary African art in Kassel, Berlin and Cologne, scholarship European Commission, 10-14/10/00; networking lettera27, Berlin, 2009.
  • Moderator of the conference Meanwhile in Africa, Universität der Künste Berlin (with Roger M. Buergel, curated by Christian Hanussek, conference with Goddy Leye, Kan-si, Olakunle Tejuoso and Ntone Edjabe, 20/01/2006); lettera27 and WikiAfrica, conference LitCam, Frankfurt Book Fair, 2007. Conferences Wikipedia Academy, Berlin and VAD Vereinigung für Afrikawissenschaften in Deutschland e.V.conference, Cologne, 2012.
  • Collaboration with the magazine “Contemporary Art from the Islamic World”, Berlin, 2004.
  • My very secret diary Germany (in Italian).

Jordan

  • Environment, itinerant seminar, University association Amman, 2001.
  • Research on the cultural scene in Amman, scholarship European Commission, 2001.
  • My very secret diary Jordan (in Italian).

Italy

  • Grow up on Lake Como. I live in Milan with my husband Matteo Crespi who has an antiquity gallery specialized in old prints and drawings and our two children born in 2008 and 2009.
  • High school degree, Liceo Scientifico P.L.Nervi, Morbegno, Sondrio, 1994. Laurea in Lettere Moderne, specialisation medieval art history, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano (110 cum laude); thesis in contemporary art on La Biennale di Dakar, 2003 (dir. Luciano Caramel).
  • Collaboration with the youth organisation Afsai, Roma (1999-2004).
  • Collaborations with Multiplicity (2004-2005), “Africa e Mediterraneo” (2002-2006), the artist Luca Vitone (2006-2007). Project-object Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang by Iolanda Pensa, Iman Issa, Brian Wood and Valerio Berruti proposed for the call on the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang promoted by “Domus” magazine, 09/2005.
  • Curator of the online exhibition Media/Varianza (artists Mounir Fatmi, Moataz Nasr, Nicolas Lieber, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Mamadou Ndoye Douts), 2001; Exhibition Light Link: Minsk – Novosibirsk – Vladivostok in collaboration with the architect Joseph Grima, Careof, Milano, Italy, 27/09-20/10/2004 (artists: Blue Noses, Vladimir Tsesler & Sergey Voichenko, Katya Kandyba, Drum Ecstasy, Andrey Savitsky).
  • Professor of art economy at the NABA-Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano (2007-2011); lectures at Università Bocconi, Università degli Studi, Politecnico and Università degli Studi Bicocca Milano, Accademia Carrara Bergamo, Università Statale Torino. Conferences at Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione Olivetti Roma, Cittadellarte Biella, Fondazione Agnelli and Centro Interculturale Torino, Sala Borsa e IRRE-E.R. Bologna, Palazzo Ottavio Cavriani Mantova, Casa della Cultura and Museum of Natural History Milano.
  • Consultant for lettera27 Foundation (2006-2012), scientific director and curator of projects.
    • Board member of lettera27 Foundation (2008-2012).
    • Scientific director of the project WikiAfrica (2007-2012).
    • Scientific director of the project Share Your Knowledge (2011-2012). Series of three meetings and training session for Share Your Knowledge at Fondazione Cariplo and Careof/DOCVA, Milano, 20/04/2011, 25/05/2011.
    • Curator of workshops and seminars at Festivaletteratura in Mantova WikiAfrica Workshop 2007 and Mobile A2K 2010.
    • Curator of the conference Mobile A2K: Resources, Interfaces and Contents on Urban Transformations at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Centre, 10/2009 in collaboration with Roberto Casati
    • Collaboration in the organisation of the WikiAfrica Workshop, Libreria Griot, Roma, 06/10/2010
    • Training Course for Wikipedians in Residence (Corso per Wikipediani in residenza) in collaboration with Wikimedia Italia and curated by Remulazz March-May 2012.
    • Scientific director and script for the videos Share Your Knowledge Why and Share Your Knowledge How, videos on Creative Commons and Wikipedia for GLAMs, 2012, commissioned and produced by lettera27 Foundation, by DensityDesign Research Lab Indaco Department Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Wikimedia Italia, NEXA Center for Internet & Society – SeLiLi and Creative Commons Italia, Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione IUML, Wikimedia España, Wikimedia Serbia, Wikimedia Switzerland.
  • Curator of the Archivio Pietro Pensa (2003-2007); artistic director association Amici del Museo delle Grigne Onlus (2007-) and Ecomuseo delle Grigne (1998-). Coordinator of the Ecomuseo delle Grigne di Esino Lario (2011-). Volunteer work for Esino Lario in the Province of Lecco, in the mountains near Lake Como.
    • Concept of the project Progetto Archivio Storico Pietro Pensa (2005-2007) supported by Fondazione della Provincia di Lecco and the Pensa family.
    • Establishment of the Archivio Pietro Pensa digital archive, use of open licenses and uploads on Wikimedia Commons. The open license of the archive historical and current documentation all under Creative Commons attribution share-alike has received the Prize Wikimedia Italia 2009.
    • Concept and artistic director of the project Vestire i paesaggi (2009-2012) in partnership with the towns of Brivio, Esino Lario Primaluna, Taceno, Province of Lecco and Associazione Bovara, supported by Fondazione Cariplo, Fondo Pietro Pensa c/o Fondazione della Provincia di Lecco and the partners; project manager (2011-2012).
    • Concept of the project Ecomuseo delle Grigne a misura di bambino (2009-). The project and Esino Lario have received the prize Premio FamigliaLavoro 2010 Regione Lombardia and Università Cattolica di Milano.
    • Artistic director of the artworks commissioned and produced by Associazione Amici del Museo delle Grigne Onlus:
      • Roberto Paci Dalò, Animagus, 2012. A permanent sound installation in the Museo delle Grigne reinterpreting the collection of the museum.
      • Invernomuto, Culiarsi, 2011 (curator Anna Daneri). An installation composted of a video and a 6-meter high theremin activated by a falcon during a performance and recorded in a video. The work was based on documents from the archives and libraries Archivio Pietro Pensa, City Council Archive Brivio, Taceno and Primaluna (Provincia di Lecco).
      • Impossible sites dans la rue, Simply in a Box, 2009 and 2011. Collaborative work made with pinhole cameras and video.
      • Warburghiana, Concerto Sinottico n. 4, 2010. A synoptic concert by the art group Warburghiana based on documents from the archives and libraries Archivio Pietro Pensa, City Council Archive Brivio, Taceno and Primaluna (Provincia di Lecco).
      • Antonio Scarponi – Conceptual Device, TOI-Things of Internet: Graphic Templates for DIY leaflets, 2010. A modular and reproducible communication art and design project.
      • Rossella Biscotti, Dai tempo al tempo, 2007. Video and sound installation based on the photographic collection of the Pietro Pensa Archive. This work has won the prize Emerging Talents 2009 promoted by Fondazione Strozzina, Firenze.
  • Ph.D. in Social Anthropology and Ethnography and in territorial government and planning (governo e progettazione del territorio) at the EHESS Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris in collaboration with Department of Urban Planning, Politecnico di Milano.
  • Board member of the cultural organisation Kunstverein, 2009-2011; member of the Technical committee for the African participation at the Venice Biennale, EDnet association, 2006-2008; member of Wikimedia Italia (2009-).
  • Collaborations with the magazines “Flash Art”, “Tema Celeste”, “Domus”, “Africa”, “Nigrizia”, “Flair”, “Gulliver”, “Mousse”, “A Oriente!”. Correspondent for Africa of Domus, session Journal (2011-2012).

Iran

  • Research on the cultural scene in Tehran, during the first Biennial of Islamic Painting, scholarship European Commission, 13-15/11/00. Milano-Tehran by car, 03/11/00.
  • Article on the Tehran Biennale on “Flash Art” and reportage of the Milano-Teheran trip in comparison with my father’s Milano-Kabul 1965 trip (1965 da Milano a Kabul in “Gulliver”, n. 12, 12/2003-01/2004, pp. 136-152).
  • My very secret diary Iran (in Italian).

Israel

The Netherlands

  • “Visitors programme for foreign experts”, Mondriaan Foundation: research, interviews and meetings on contemporary art and cultural cooperation in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, 14-19/03/2005; networking lettera27, Amsterdam and Utrecht, 03/2011.
  • Start-up of the iStrike Foundation in Rotterdam, 2005-2008 (founding and board member); co-curator of the workshop Thinking About the SUD, Rotterdam, 27-28/01/2007.
  • Thinking About the SUD, promoted by iStrike Foundation, Rotterdam, 27-28/01/2007. Co-curator of the meeting organised in the Netherlands to prepare the SUD-Salon Urbain de Douala of 2007.
  • Consultant for the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, 2008-2013; guest of the Prince Claus Award, Amsterdam, 2011.
  • Conference Import-export: History of the history of contemporary African art, AEGIS Conference 2007, Leiden, 14/07/07.
  • My very secret diary The Netherlands (in Italian).

Portugal

  • Seminar on international activities with young people with disabilities, Arcos de Valdevez, 2003.
  • Research on cultural institutions in Lisbon, 2003.
  • My very secret diary Portugal (in Italian).

Russia

  • International exchange, associations Afsai and Swallows, Samara, 1999.
  • Research on the cultural scene in Novosibirsk (Siberia) and Vladivostok (Far East Russia), 2003.
  • Consultant for the Novosibirsk International Festival of Digital Imaging & Animation, AniGma, 2003.
  • Curator of the exhibition Light Link: Minsk – Novosibirsk – Vladivostok, Careof, Milano, 2004.
  • My very secret diary Russia (in Italian).

Senegal

  • Research and interviews on the cultural system and the Dakar Biennale, 1998.
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2000 and cultural institutions in Thiès, 26/04-19/05/00.
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2002 and cultural institutions in Saint Louis, 2002.
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2004, 2004 (presentation in the frame of Dak’Art conferences with Cédric Vincent and consultant for a series of interviews organized by “Domus” magazine).
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2006, 03-15/05/2006.
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2010 and Afropixel Festival second edition, 05/2010.
  • Field research during the Dakar Biennale – Dak’Art 2012 and Afropixel Festival third edition, 05/2012.
  • Thesis on “The Dakar Biennale” (2003) and Ph.D thesis “The Dakar Biennale as a cooperation and development project”.
  • Articles on the Dakar Biennale and contemporary African art (visual art, fashion, design and comics) in “Flash Art”, “Domus”, “Gulliver”, “Artthrob”, “Nigrizia”, “Africa”,“Africa e Mediterraneo”.
  • My very secret diary Senegal (in Italian).

South Africa

  • “Young People Building a New South Africa”, seminar of the ICYE federation, Nelspruit, 2000.
  • Interviews and visits to cultural institutions, Johannesburg and Pretoria, 26-29/11/00.
  • Research on the cultural system and on post-apartheid architecture, Cape Town, 22/09-05/10/2006.
  • Cape Town, Gathering En/tangled Nations, Africa Centre, Stellenbosch, 14-26/01/2007
  • Strategic consultant for the Africa Centre, Stellenbosch-Cape Town, 2006-2008.
  • Partnerships with the Africa Centre in promoting and implementing WikiAfrica/Share Your Knowledge, 2011. The Africa Centre supports the project in 2011-2012 with 70.000 euro. Volunteer in supporting the projects Kumusha takes Wiki (Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa), Activate Africa (Open Movement toolkits, Open Movement Training, and the Kumusha Bus), WikiAfrica Ethiopia and Malawi.
  • Essay for the publication The Chimurenga Library, 2009, contributions for Chimurenga Chronic and PMS Reader – Power Money Sex. Articles on CAPE and the cultural and artistic scene in Cape Town for the magazines “Domus”, “Artthrob”, “Africa e Mediterraneo”, “Flair”, “Chimurenga”.
  • My very secret diary South Africa (in Italian).

Spain

  • Training in intercultural learning and human right education, Council of Europe, Mollina, 2003.
  • Filed research in Seville, during the preparatory phase of the Seville Biennial, 2004.
  • My very secret diary Spain (in Italian).

Switzerland

Syria

  • Advanced course in Arab language and literature, Damascus, 08/1996.
  • Islamic art in Syria, 08/1994.

Tunisia

  • Research on the cultural system, Tunis, 16-22/03/2006.
  • Seminar on festival and cultural management, Tunis/Sousse/Kairouan/Gafsa/Tozeur/Nefta, 17-22/03/2006.
  • My very secret diary Tunisia (in Italian).

Turkey

United Kingdom

  • European Voluntary Service EVS, Cambridge, 03-10/1999. Course on epilepsy, autism, the sign language Makaton and first aid, Charity Trust Circle 33, London, 1999.
  • Research on cultural cooperation and contemporary African art in London and at the Cambridge University Library, scholarship European Commission, 1999.
  • Lecture, SOAS University of London, 26/03/2006.
  • My very secret diary United Kingdom (in Italian).

USA

  • High school degree, Capistrano Valley High School, Mission Viejo, California, 1993.
  • Research on cultural grants, New York (13/9-01/10/2005), Los Angeles (01-06/10/2005), Washington DC (06-13/10/2005) scholarship Banca del Monte di Lombardia; networking lettera27, New York, 10/2008.
  • Consultant for the Curry Stone Design Prize 2008.
  • Conferences Wikipedia, WikiAfrica, iStrike Foundation and io.pensa.it: Contemporary African Art and Open Source inside the roundtable In the Here&Now: Research methodologies for contemporary African art/ists, curated by Kinsey Katchka and Lisa Binder, Triennial Symposium on African Art, ACASA-Arts Council of the African Studies Association, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 27/03-01/04/2007, scholarship ACASA; WikiAfrica, Art Directors Club, New York, 2008; Wikimania, Washington D.C., scholarship Wikimedia Italia, 2013.
  • My very secret diary USA (in Italian).

Scholarships and grants

  • Open Knowledge Conference 2013, Scholarship from Wikimedia Switzerland to attend the international conference Geneva, 09/2013.
  • Wikimania 2013, Scholarship from Wikimedia Switzerland to attend the international conference Wikimania, Hong Kong, 08/2013.
  • Wikimania 2012, Scholarship from Wikimedia Italy to attend the international conference Wikimania, Washington DC, USA, 11-15/07/2012.
  • Wikipedia Academy 2012. Scholarship from Wikimedia Germany to attend the international research conference Wikipedia Academy, Berlin, 28-29/06/2012.
  • ACASA-Arts Council of the African Studies Association 2007. Scholarship to attend the triennial conference ACASA, University of Florida, USA, 27/03-01/04/2007.
  • Mondriaan Foundation Visitors Programme for foreign experts 2005. Support and invitation from the Mondriaan Foundation in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague to visit, meet and interview Dutch organisations, foundation and museums working in the field of contemporary art and cultural cooperation, 14-19/03/2005.
  • Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lombardia Progetto Professionalità Ivano Becchi 2005. A grant for training on the international grant system, focused on public and private institutions supporting cultural projects and projects on cooperation and development. Visits, meetings and interviews in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Rome and Venice, 16/05-30/10/2005.
  • European Commission Youth Programme Future capital 2000-2001. A grant for a research on contemporary African and Arabic art and culture in Europe (France, Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain), Africa (Senegal, Egypt and South Africa) and Middle East (Jordan and Iran), 03/04/2000-03/04/2001.