Curated creativity: meet the curator of 70 The Exhibition

Meet Monica Colussi – the art curator of 70 The Exhibition, ABC Gallery’s debut show in Manchester. 70 The Exhibition will be available to view from 17th June – 28th July in ABC Gallery, located in The ABC Buildings on Quay Street.

Ahead of the anticipated launch, we spoke to Monica to find out more about her role as a curator and insights into the art world.

Featured artist: Alison Aye, Family Affair, 2022, Hand-stitched paper to cloth.

How did you become an art curator?

I started the journey of curation when asked to work for a high net worth client in Montecarlo. I advised, bought and sold artwork on their behalf for a number properties (and yachts) spanning the globe. I have a unique talent of not only finding new and inspirational art, but together with an incisive eye and attention to the finest of details, can curate old masters along with contemporary pieces with ease. Spending ten years in this position was a privilege and I was able to hone my skills and talents as a curator. 

What does the role of curator entail?

As a curator it is my role to knit seamlessly a parade of very diverse styles, techniques, media and fuse artists together from the new and emerging, to the most established and collectable, offering a unique journey to art lovers and collectors, as well as curious minded individuals. 

For 70 The Exhibition in particular, this was a very special show to curate. To honour HM The Queen’s seventieth year as sovereign, required encapsulating a broad range of mediums from sculpture and textile, to neon art and leather tattooing, from modern photography to contemporary art. 

What are you most looking forward to about 70 The Exhibition?

The dynamic approach to such a historical occasion will really set the exhibition apart. It doesn’t matter whether you consider yourself a royalist or not, the show portrays multi-faceted perceptions and provokes conversation. The talented artists have successfully chronicled a narrative of HM The Queen’s public and personal persona.

What can visitors expect from 70 The Exhibition?

30 artists from around the world and Manchester-based talent

52 artworks

30 commissioned artworks (never before seen!)

and 14 new artists who I’ve never had the opportunity to work with before

Are there any artists on your bucket list that you’d love to feature within a future show?

Oliviero Toscani, Jenny Saville, Maurizio Galimberti, Michael Putland would be the dream!