What is the best thing that I love about my work? The best thing I love about my work is the feeling of being surrounded by art, I believe it’s a very profound idea to live your life for that. Meeting artists, working with them and getting to know how they work is also a really special moment.

What is my idea of happiness? My idea of happiness would be to stop overthinking about society standards, just living life how I want, possibly always with a glass of white wine nearby.

What is my greatest fear? My greatest fear is to settle, stop pushing myself to be better because of life events, it happens to people, sadly, sometimes.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? As I have said before, I am a bit of an over thinker, it can be a bit of a struggle.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I really look up to amazing Italian women in the art world like Cecilia Alemani, Ilaria Bonacossa, Cecilia Guida, Paola Antonelli and many others.

What is my greatest extravagance? I have no idea if I have one, and maybe it’s for the better.

On what occasion would I lie? If someone begs me not to tell something. I do love being trustworthy.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? I think there is a place for everyone in the art business, but people sometimes feel like it’s a war or something, I think on the other hand that a sense of inclusiveness should exist, that is still not happening, even if very slowly things are changing.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? I felt the happiest when I held my final dissertation in art history, it was a very personal moment of freedom to finally complete my studies, it’s definitely a big step and challenge being able to concentrate only on work.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I would love to be more confident in myself, not only on the occasions I need to be but also during my daily life.

What is my greatest achievement in work? My greatest achievement is my next one, of course! I started working as a gallery assistant, then I began writing about art, in the next years I really want to focus on a bigger goal and get to it.

Where would I most like to live? I have an obsession with traveling, I am always on the go, even if I am somehow attached to my hometown, Naples. I am also very fond of Milan, where there is always something interesting to do, two very poetic cities.

What is my most treasured possession? My most treasured possession is a Ne Travaillez Jamais, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s brick that I took during the Venice Biennale in 2015. He is one of the artist I admire the most and in a way has been the inspiration to to start my personal research in the field of relational art and community practices.

What is my most marked characteristic? I do tend to talk very fast when I feel enthusiastic about something.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? When I want to be near artworks that I love I definitely go to the Museo Madre, a special place for the city, and then as I walk through the small streets of Naples I am always headed in the direction of San Martino, high up the hills, to see the city in its entirety from above.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? My favorite place to eat has to be A figlia d’o Marenaro, famous for the mussel soup, and for a Neapolitan pizza, 50 kalò! I also recommend the area called “baretti” in Chiaia for drinking during the weekend, it’s the the right place if you want to chill and relax in Naples.

What books influenced my life and how? The book that I cherish the most has to be The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, I always felt drawn to the character of Holden Caulfield, my favourite part of the book is when he starts telling about him imagining about being on the edge of a cliff and he suddenly sees all those kids who are running and almost falling over and he has to catch them, hence the title. I have always been
afraid of adulthood, of losing the spark of innocence and so it’s something that comes to my mind often, being the catcher in the rye.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? I would listen to In the Aereoplane over the sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, I listened to that album almost religiously and on repeat back when I was in high school, Jeff Magnum lyrics are hypnotic and it’s one of those albums that you either love or you hate.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? My fictional heroine is Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother Polynices, who has been classed as a traitor. Antigone disobeys Creon’s orders and that will result in her own death penalty but still she goes out of the city to find her brother’s body and then buries it. Her sense of right and wrong and her bravery makes her a
female character to look up to, also the story written by Sophocles is about themes that are still relevant today, such as power struggles and society laws.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My hero and heroines in real life are those who despite their flaws and insecurities still get to make the best of their life and keep being creative and who in the meantime during these weird and dark times we are living in, try to change in a real way community and society standards.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? I can be sometimes a bit of a romantic, go watch Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola if you haven’t. If you have, go watch in another time.

What role plays art in my life and work? I don’t really see art as work, I see art as something that fills completely my days. We should all be grateful to artists and what they do, one might say art is useless, but it’s not. It nourishes our souls. That being said I decided to study art when I was 17 after a trip to Berlin and later applied to university, now I am 26 and I recently graduated and got my MA degree in Art History. I am a firm believer that one can’t separate life and work when it comes to art. I spend most of my free time going to exhibitions or researching or writing, so you never know when life starts and work ends.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? You can change what other people think of you whenever you want, it’s really important to never be the same, reinventing oneself, that means to me being your own storyteller. If tomorrow you want to channel the spirit of a French 19th century painter, just do it. No one can stop you.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? I do feel like there are people who support me and believe in me, but in the end I am my biggest fan.

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2020?  I would love to work as a researcher and assistant in museums that I deeply support and that I can say freely I appreciate the work their curators and directors have done in the last years, like PAC Milano, Museo Castello di Rivoli, Hangar Bicocca, the Triennale, and many others, I couldn’t tell you everyone. There are so many Italian realities that have done amazing exhibitions, last but not least Museo Madre who has recently had one of the best directors ever Andrea Viliani, he did such an amazing job and I really respect what he has done for the museum but of course for the city too.

Which people in my profession who can make a real difference in my creative career would i love to meet in 2020? I would love to meet Milovan Farronato, he is the director of Fiorucci Art Trust and has been the curator of the Italian pavilion of the Venezia Biennale in 2019, I have never had the pleasure to meet him and he seems to have a lovely personality! I believe anyway that everyone is worth meeting, I am always excited about getting to know new people, sharing thoughts and projects.

What project, in 2020, am I looking forward to work on? In 2020 I would love to publish my thesis on community art practices linked to the thought of Jean-Luc Nancy and other European philosophers, I have accumulated a lot of writings on the subject during the years so I feel like it needs to be out for others to read. I am also working on an independent project that I hope to start before 2021. There are many other things along the way but I am superstitious so I won’t say!

Where can you see me or my work in 2020? I am currently based in Naples but I am generally on the go, so always contact me on my instagram account and ask where I am.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? The first thing that came to my mind reading this quote is that even when you feel like giving up, your passion keeps you going. It really relates to the art world in a sense, sometimes it can get too much, or too difficult but if you really are sure about it and there is not another thing you would do you will find you way and your passion will never stop.

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? I really enjoy Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad art writing, they go under the name White Pube and they are really trying to make a difference in the way of writing about contemporary art nowadays, they are really worth knowing.

How can you contact me?
You can contact me on instagram, brunellatodisco
and by email: todiscobrunella@gmail.com.

Here follows a message of Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey