Student Programme Edition #1 – Spores

The inaugural edition revolves around the concept of spores, understood as both a material and metaphorical condition: an element of dispersion, transformation and mutation capable of crossing boundaries, generating unexpected connections and imagining new forms of mutualism. Through engagement with queer ecologies and contemporary artistic practices, students are invited to investigate themes such as contamination, coexistence and interdependence within a context shaped by today’s environmental and social crises.

For Master’s students, from the class led by Marta Jovanović, performer, lecturer and current Head of RUFA’s Visual Arts Department, the programme will culminate in a series of performative interventions conceived as autonomous yet interconnected moments. For Bachelor’s students, guided by visual artist and lecturer Leonardo Petrucci, the project will take the form of a group exhibition featuring individual works selected through an open call.

The collaboration between RUFA and LEMBI represents a valuable opportunity to bridge the gap between academic education and professional artistic practice. By offering students access to an independent exhibition space beyond the university environment, the programme enables them to engage directly with curatorial processes, production methodologies and exhibition-making practices, while fostering a deeper awareness of their own artistic research. Located in the cultural district of San Lorenzo, the project strengthens the dialogue between educational institutions and independent art spaces, encouraging students’ active participation and contributing to the development of an artistic community founded on exchange and experimentation. The shared ambition is to build, over time, a programme capable of offering students meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth, spaces for dialogue with artists, curators and cultural practitioners, as well as future prospects for international exchange between Rome and London. Through this initiative, LEMBI is committed to supporting contemporary artistic practices that respond to the urgencies of the present while promoting educational models based on research, collaboration and interdisciplinary experimentation.