BIANCA BRIGITTE BONAMI
BIANCA BRIGITTE BONAMI'S
LEADING CULTURE DESTINATIONS:
Bianca Brigitte Bonomi is the Editor-in-Chief of Grazia Arabia; Qatar’s only international women’s monthly, and a highly respected cultural voice in the Middle East. Over the course of her four-year tenure at Grazia, she has been credited with revolutionising fashion and arts’ journalism in Qatar and has been instrumental in introducing major cultural events to the capital city of Doha including the inaugural Grazia Style Awards Qatar, which she co-hosted with Alice Temperley last year. With a background in arts’ journalism, she has interviewed an eclectic range of subjects across the cultural spectrum including Marina Abramović, Future, Robert de Niro, and Anish Kapoor, and has consulted on major events including Art Wars at the Saatchi GallerY, a collaboration between Art Below and the Missing People Charity, which witnessed artists Damien Hirst, Yinka Shonibare, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Mat Collishaw, and David Bailey transform Stormtrooper helmets into contemporary works of art for charity auction. She Also sits on the advisory committee for the world’s largest philosophy festival: HowTheLightGetsIn,
If there was one piece of art you could feature in, which would it be and why?
A Prospect of the Sea by Dylan Thomas. Exploring notions of childhood, awakening, fantasy, and memory, I could forever bathe in its dense, rhythmic language.
How will museums impact future cities?
In our digital age, museums will increasingly need to look to technology to offer visitors a more personalised and more immersive experience, as well as consider how innovative types of physical and digital space can house collections.
What are your favourite emerging cultural cities and / or organisations in the world and why?
I continue to be impressed by Qatar’s growing art scene. The Museum of Islamic Art–a vast centre of Islamic works beautifully designed with the geometric patterns of the Islamic world adorning its interiors, so that the building is bound up in the cultural heritage of the works it exhibits–is inspiring. There are newer spaces, too, including the Fire Station which has introduced an artist-in-residence programme to support emerging talent. Public art is also of growing importance in Qatar with high impact desert installations, airport sculpture, and street photography promoting accessibility and helping to change the perception that art belongs only in the confines of a gallery.
Who do you think are the cultural innovators of tomorrow and why?
I am interested in young visual artists, amongst them Ewa Wilczynski. She creates wearable art featuring self-portraits. Her body is her canvas. I love the interplay fashion and art in her work.
What are you up to at the moment and where can we find it? (Please include a link(s) if possible).
I am currently organising the second Grazia Style Awards Qatar in Doha. Launched last year, the event is the first of its kind in the country and celebrates the best in local and international design talent. It’s a highlight of the social calendar here and I’m particularly excited about the newcomer recognition awards.