Attilia Fattori Franchini
Attilia Fattori Franchini is an independent curator and writer based in Vienna, Austria. Her curatorial and research practice explores experimental, sustainable formats for contemporary art production and display, often addressing technology, post-capitalism, and new forms of subjectivity. She is internationally recognized for her work linking institutional, corporate, and independent artistic contexts.
Key facts
- Current roles: Director, Kunstverein Gartenhaus; Guest Professor, Kunstuniversität Linz (2025–2026)
- Major programs: Founder–curator, BMW Open Work by Frieze (2017–2023); Curator, Emergent section, miart Milan (since 2017)
- Publications: Mousse, Artforum, Flash Art International, CURA., Spike Magazine
- Upcoming project: Austrian Pavilion, 16th Gwangju Biennale (2026) with artist Birke Gorm
- Website: attiliaff.com
Curatorial practice and themes
Fattori Franchini’s approach foregrounds interdisciplinary and process-based work. She develops support tools for “ephemeral practices” and fosters collaboration across film, performance, and sound. Her curatorial methodology integrates artistic research, technology, and social theory to build alternative frameworks of representation and visibility for emerging artists.
Major initiatives
She founded KUNSTVEREIN GARTENHAUS in Vienna (2021), a not-for-profit platform devoted to experimental moving-image, sound, and performance practices, and Wild Seeds, a small publishing house for artists’ writings. At miart Milan, she directs the Emergent section, spotlighting galleries that challenge conventional market models. As curator of BMW Open Work by Frieze, she commissioned high-profile projects by Sara Sadik, Nikita Gale, Madeline Hollander, Camille Blatrix, Sam Lewitt, and Olivia Erlanger.
Writing and scholarship
Her essays and catalog texts span international publications and monographs on artists such as Jakob Lena Knebl & Ashley Hans Scheirl, Hervé Guibert, Diego Marcon, Tatjana Dannenberg, Rosa Rendl, Andreia Santana, Anaïs Horn, and Superflex. She previously conducted research at the Institute for Art and Cultural Studies of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, contributing to contemporary discourse on art’s relation to technology and social change.