Valentino Catricalà, ph: Giuliano Del Gatto
We’ve followed Valentino Catricalà’s curatorial work for years, drawn to his ability to navigate the evolving landscape of technological art with both theoretical rigor and critical insight. His practice strikes a rare balance between historical research and contemporary innovation, moving fluidly between established institutions and experimental contexts, from pioneers of media art to emerging AI-driven practices. At Fakewhale, we sat down with him to explore how his curatorial vision connects past, present, and future, treating curating itself as a form of research.
Installation view of the exhibition “DARA BIRNBAUM,” Osservatorio Prada, Milan, 2023. Photograph by Andrea Rossetti. Courtesy of Fondazione Prada.
Fakewhale: Your curatorial practice is grounded in a strong theoretical foundation and a historical focus on the pioneers of media art, yet it also seeks to anticipate the urgencies of today’s technological landscape. How do you balance these two poles, tradition and innovation, when shaping your exhibitions?
Valentino Catricalà: My practice is fundamentally shaped by the precise historical shift you’re asking about, a shift I feel I have personally witnessed, the end of an era in media art. My early experience confirmed that Media Art was a niche. If you wanted to see it, you had to go to the few specialized institutions like ZKM, Ars Electronica, or FACT in Liverpool. Furthermore, the artists themselves largely operated outside the traditional art world, often working in research centres and universities rather than with private galleries or collectors. Today, that distinction has been virtually annulled. Art and technology are everywhere, and the relationship with media for new generations is entirely fluid. This dramatic evolution is the essential premise for how I balance the two poles. I approach this balance not as a struggle, but as establishing a critical continuity that demonstrates the historical rigor of the field while addressing the urgency of the present.
Installation view of the exhibition “BILL VIOLA,” Palazzo Reale, Milan, 2023. In collaboration with Arthemisia. Photograph by Matteo Marchetti.
Looking at your experiences across very different institutions, from MAXXI to the Balloon Museum, what do you see as the most significant differences in how audiences are conceived and in the ways people engage with technological artworks?
My experience across vastly different institutional types has taught me that the biggest difference lies in the institution’s primary connection between strong quality exhibitions and audience involvement. Museums are shifting from being just exhibition spaces to “socializing places and community creators.” In this context, innovation can play a big role, but it must understood not just a technological matter. This necessitates a more comprehensive definition of innovation that includes accessibility, community, and audience experience, not just a tech app. Artists working with technology can bring very urgent contemporary issues and new language experimentation. We need to create “innovation through the artists that use technology today”, using their critiques of technology to drive institutional change. (…)
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