Established by Nadja Romain in 2023, Lo Studio presents art, design, and craft as part of an unbracketed aesthetic inquiry, supporting an expanded view of the arts, fine and otherwise. “In Venice art is in dialog with architecture and space ... that changed in the 19th and 20th century,” Romain observes. Lo Studio refreshes that historic perspective by curating contemporary artists across the full range of disciplines.
Neither simply a gallery or an advisory, Lo Studio operates in a manner akin to a salon, connecting collectors with artists, artists with artisans, and building a community that is actively engaged with Venice as, in Romain’s words, “a living present.” This does not preclude the involvement of Romain’s disparate international network–rather, it means forging relationships and instigating collaborations, as between Osman Yousefzada and master Venitian glassblowers, to realize new works at Fondazione Berengo. In such projects, regionalism and international exchange fall into mutuality.
Located in Dorsoduro, the gallery’s main space is situated nearby the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and Punta della Dogana Museum. Alongside its regular programming, Lo Studio works with artists, institutions, and collectors to support all stages of the development and production of commissioned artwork. The gallery’s location affords unique access to the artisanal resources of the Veneto region, including the globally renowned glass studios of the Murano islands. Drawing on these relationships to realize the visions of Lo Studio’s roster of contemporary artists is the gallery’s specialty.
Nadja Romain has a background in film, art production, and philanthropy. Past projects include collaborations with Matthew Barney, Phillip Glass, and Harmony Korine. She is the founder and director of Art, Action, Change, a non-profit foundation that supports international art projects that stimulate positive social change. Nadja’s advocacy has included both local ecological projects in the Vennetto region and women’s empowerment initiatives abroad. She
advises the board of Women for Women International and is a member of the Advisory Board for Decolonising Fashion and Textiles, at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion, UAL. Nadja is also an ambassador for Platform Earth, a U.K. based environmental arts charity. She moved to Venice in 2020.