Teresa Iarocci Mavica, former director of the Moscow-based V-A-C Foundation, which she co-founded with Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, has resurfaced after three years of silence. She resigned from V-A-C in November 2021, just before the opening of GES-2 House of Culture, Russia's largest contemporary art museum, and left Russia shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now based in Naples, she has curated "The Sun to Come" at Made in Cloister, launching her biennial program "REBIRTH." The exhibition includes three Russian artists, reflecting her continued commitment to cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe despite the war.
This story matters because it highlights the personal and professional toll of geopolitical conflict on the art world, particularly the rupture between Russian and European cultural institutions. Mavica's return with an exhibition that deliberately includes Russian artists challenges the prevailing isolation of Russian culture, raising questions about art's role in transcending politics. Her career trajectory—from building a major Russian museum to rebuilding bridges from Italy—illustrates the complex loyalties and ethical dilemmas faced by cultural figures amid international sanctions and war.