I like art. It’s pretty obvious if you happen to hear me chatter, whether face to face or on social media. I love going to galleries, meandering museums, investigating installations- it doesn’t matter, I just need to have an art experience. I could probably call it an addiction, which may explain why I am so adamant about being first in line at the Venice Biennale, finding art tags on Instagram or helming my own Insta-artsy project #EmptyMuseo.
Combining my love for art and the fun I can visually have on Instagram, The Professor (aka Darius) and I have been curating some great art meet ups in Italy’s galleries over the past year. The latest installation was October 26’s #EmptyVatican, the love child of a great coffee talk between me, Darius and the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, an organization focused on bringing together restoration projects and donors within the walls of the museums. Darius and I would select a group of 10 Instagrammers, including ourselves, based on interest, aesthetic, community participate, and committed desire to share Italy’s cultural heritage, and let the world know about the Vatican Patrons and its free app Patrum.
The game plan: The Vatican Patrons would curate an early morning away from the crowds and in non-accessible areas of the museums. So yes, the Galleria of the Maps, Raphael Rooms, Lapidarium and Sistine Chapel were all ours. To be clear, we abided by the rules of the Vatican Museums and did not use flash, nor take any photos or videos in the Sistine Chapel. With just 10 photographers, #EmptyVatican increased followers by more than 35% and brought the Vatican Museums and Vatican Patrons to the fore front of international press- as seen and written about in The Guardian, Condè Nast Traveler, Condè Nast Traveller India, Swide, Lonely Planet,Catholic Herald… and more
