Alexandra Mazzanti
Born in 1978 in Rome, Italy, Alexandra Mazzanti emerges as an art collector and curator with an unconventional path guided by original research deeply rooted in the world of international creativity.
Descendant of the noble Hercolani family of Bologna, and raised in an environment steeped in classical art and music cultivated by her mother, Maddalena Di Giacomo, Alexandra developed from an early age a profound sensitivity, refined and romantic, and an intrinsic connection with the aesthetics and evocative realms of 18th and 19th-century art.
Her classical education was enriched by practical experiences as she worked alongside sculptors and painters in their studios between Rome and Venice. This blend of study and behind-the-scenes experience in creation led her to the world of theatre, where she worked as a set designer and stage photographer. By 1999, her visionary scenarios had reached prestigious stages such as the Teatro Olimpico in Rome and the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Alexandra’s entry into the art market saw her curating intimate art and interior design salons in her residences in Rome, Verona, Florence, and Venice. These spaces became meeting points for friends and art lovers to engage with artists and commission works of art. Through frequent travels exploring international art markets, Alexandra became passionate about the vibrant underground scene in Los Angeles as well as the unique contemporary scene in Japan, further broadening her curatorial perspective and personal collection.
In 2007, amidst a stagnant European art scene predominantly focused on the tired trajectory of abstract and conceptual art no longer reflective of contemporary sentiment, Alexandra, together with her mother Maddalena Di Giacomo, founded the Dorothy Circus Gallery.
Born from a shared vision of bringing new trends in figurative art that Alexandra had recently discovered in the United States to the Italian landscape, the DCG of Alexandra Mazzanti quickly became a reference point for the most innovative contemporary artistic expressions and a crucial platform for international artists. It promoted new trends, still unknown or considered lowbrow, such as Street Art and Pop Surrealism, offering them a luxurious setting for the original narratives and aesthetics that had deeply resonated with her personal journey.
Discovering Pop Surrealism
Her role as owner, director, and sole curator of the Dorothy Circus Gallery is not simply about curating art but aims to stimulate the constant study of art history and culture, its recurring symbolism, and the myriad fantastic expressions of the human psyche.
Since 2007, Alexandra has curated hundreds of solo and group exhibitions with artists from around the world, primarily for her DCG in Rome (est. 2007) and London (est. 2017), as well as several significant institutional and museum projects. She has worked with the most renowned icons of Street Art and the Pop Surrealist movement, significantly contributing to bringing them to the attention of the contemporary European art world and highlighting extraordinary new talents in contemporary international art. Among her institutional projects: “Spray for Your Rights,” “Cross The Streets,” “Color for Action,” “Pop New Pop” at MACRO in Rome, “Pop Surrealism, What a WanderFool World” at the Carandente Museum, “Troubles With Angels,” a Ray Caesar retrospective at Palazzo Saluzzo, and “Lacrima Aquarium” at the Casa dell’Architettura Acquario Romano.
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