Francesca “Frankie” Altamura exists.
She got schooled at Goldsmiths, University of London from which she holds an MFA in Curating and at University of St. Andrews, Scotland from which she holds a Master of Arts with Honors in History of Art.
As Curatorial Assistant for the New Museum she does art and admin stuff. From 2017-2018 she worked hard on the 2018 New Museum Triennial: “Songs for Sabotage,” curated by Gary Carrion-Murayari and Alex Gartenfeld. While the Triennial was her most favorite to work on, she has also worked on exhibitions including: “Hans Haacke: All Connected,” “Marta Minujín: Menesunda Reloaded,” “Nari Ward: We the People,” “Sarah Lucas: Au Naturel,” “Thomas Bayrle: Playtime,” and “John Akomfrah: Signs of Empire,” among others. She went to London to help install “Strange Days: Memories of the Future,” at The Store X, and was published in the 3-D lenticular exhibition catalogue and wall texts (Klara Lidén, Wong Ping, Hassan Khan, and Ragnar Kjartansson with the National).
There she curated the window installation “Sydney Shen: Onion Master,” which was on view from April 30–September 4, 2019. She co-curated the Lobby Gallery “Diedrick Brackens: “darling divined,” with Margot Norton, which was on view from June 4–September 8, 2019. She organized the Screen Series by artist Ahaad Alamoudi, which was on view from July 30– September 15, 2019.
She also likes working independently. Below are some things she’s worked on and will continue to work on, in pyramidal order.
embassyHACK
with Tamar Clarke-Brown and Bar Yerushalmi for the Government Art Collection in London
Mientras desaparezca
with Helena Lugo and John Kenneth Paranada (n/R)at LADRÓNgalería in Mexico City
#BlackmendreamLDN (w/ publication)
with Tamar Clarke-Brown and Thandi Mbire at Buster Mantis in London
The whole world was not accessible to my gaze with Lizaveta Matveeva at Carillon Gallery in Fort Worth
She got schooled at Goldsmiths, University of London from which she holds an MFA in Curating and at University of St. Andrews, Scotland from which she holds a Master of Arts with Honors in History of Art.
As Curatorial Assistant for the New Museum she does art and admin stuff. From 2017-2018 she worked hard on the 2018 New Museum Triennial: “Songs for Sabotage,” curated by Gary Carrion-Murayari and Alex Gartenfeld. While the Triennial was her most favorite to work on, she has also worked on exhibitions including: “Hans Haacke: All Connected,” “Marta Minujín: Menesunda Reloaded,” “Nari Ward: We the People,” “Sarah Lucas: Au Naturel,” “Thomas Bayrle: Playtime,” and “John Akomfrah: Signs of Empire,” among others. She went to London to help install “Strange Days: Memories of the Future,” at The Store X, and was published in the 3-D lenticular exhibition catalogue and wall texts (Klara Lidén, Wong Ping, Hassan Khan, and Ragnar Kjartansson with the National).
There she curated the window installation “Sydney Shen: Onion Master,” which was on view from April 30–September 4, 2019. She co-curated the Lobby Gallery “Diedrick Brackens: “darling divined,” with Margot Norton, which was on view from June 4–September 8, 2019. She organized the Screen Series by artist Ahaad Alamoudi, which was on view from July 30– September 15, 2019.
She also likes working independently. Below are some things she’s worked on and will continue to work on, in pyramidal order.
embassyHACK
with Tamar Clarke-Brown and Bar Yerushalmi for the Government Art Collection in London
Mientras desaparezca
with Helena Lugo and John Kenneth Paranada (n/R)at LADRÓNgalería in Mexico City
#BlackmendreamLDN (w/ publication)
with Tamar Clarke-Brown and Thandi Mbire at Buster Mantis in London
The whole world was not accessible to my gaze with Lizaveta Matveeva at Carillon Gallery in Fort Worth
She’s working on a support structure and incubator called HOST with artist Peter Brock.
She is on the bargaining committee of the NewMuU, New Museum Union x UAW-Local 2110. Unions are not for coal miners but for art workers too! Collectively, we’re making waves and supporting each other.
Check out the best press from the reckoning:
November 25, 2019: “Museum Workers Across the Country Are Unionizing. Here’s What’s Driving a Movement That’s Been Years in the Making,” by Catherine Wagley in artnet
November 22, 2019: “At MOCA Los Angeles, Workers Push to Unionize, Joining a Growing Movement,” by Alex Greenberger in ARTnews
April 22, 2019: “The New Museum’s Union Resistance Contradicts Its Radical Inception,” by Hazel Cills in Jacobin
October 2019: “New Museum Union on collective bargaining,” Francesca Altamura, Gabriel Gordon, and Dana Kopel with Rachel Ichniowski on e-flux Podcast (dur. 33:10 mins)
April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Fight at the New Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America
January 24, 2019: “New Museum Union Votes to Join Local 2110,” by Alex Greenberger in artnews
January 23, 2019: “Fight at the New Museum: an Interview with Lily Bartle,” by Meagan Day in Jacobin
January 23, 2019: “Imminent Union Vote Sparks Debate at Manhattan’s New Museum,” by Colin Moynihan in New York Times
January 22, 2019: “Episode 29—New Musuem Union,” Dana Kopel, Lily Bartle, and Alicia Graziano, Art and Labor Podcast (dur. 1:05:26 mins)
January 14, 2019: “The Gray Market: Why the New Museum’s Union Reckoning Reflects a Much Bigger Problem (and Other Insights),” by Tim Schneider in artnet
January 11, 2019: “New Museum Staff Launches Campaign to Unionize, Urging ‘Critical Changes’”, by Jasmine Weber in Hyperallergic
January 10, 2019: “The New Museum’s Staff is Pushing to Unionize—and Top Leadership is Not at All Happy About It,” by Ben Davis & Sarah Cascone in artnet
Stand in solidarity with the NewMuU by following the movement on Twitter, Instagram, or via our website.
In December 2016 she travelled to Essen for Impact16 and met cool people. In July 2018 she met new Russian friends with curator Lizaveta Matveeva in St. Petersburg at Back Apartment Residency.
She is on the bargaining committee of the NewMuU, New Museum Union x UAW-Local 2110. Unions are not for coal miners but for art workers too! Collectively, we’re making waves and supporting each other.
Check out the best press from the reckoning:
November 25, 2019: “Museum Workers Across the Country Are Unionizing. Here’s What’s Driving a Movement That’s Been Years in the Making,” by Catherine Wagley in artnet
November 22, 2019: “At MOCA Los Angeles, Workers Push to Unionize, Joining a Growing Movement,” by Alex Greenberger in ARTnews
April 22, 2019: “The New Museum’s Union Resistance Contradicts Its Radical Inception,” by Hazel Cills in Jacobin
October 2019: “New Museum Union on collective bargaining,” Francesca Altamura, Gabriel Gordon, and Dana Kopel with Rachel Ichniowski on e-flux Podcast (dur. 33:10 mins)
April 1, 2019: “Issues & Commentary: Fight at the New Museum,” by Sarah Resnick in Art in America
January 24, 2019: “New Museum Union Votes to Join Local 2110,” by Alex Greenberger in artnews
January 23, 2019: “Fight at the New Museum: an Interview with Lily Bartle,” by Meagan Day in Jacobin
January 23, 2019: “Imminent Union Vote Sparks Debate at Manhattan’s New Museum,” by Colin Moynihan in New York Times
January 22, 2019: “Episode 29—New Musuem Union,” Dana Kopel, Lily Bartle, and Alicia Graziano, Art and Labor Podcast (dur. 1:05:26 mins)
January 14, 2019: “The Gray Market: Why the New Museum’s Union Reckoning Reflects a Much Bigger Problem (and Other Insights),” by Tim Schneider in artnet
January 11, 2019: “New Museum Staff Launches Campaign to Unionize, Urging ‘Critical Changes’”, by Jasmine Weber in Hyperallergic
January 10, 2019: “The New Museum’s Staff is Pushing to Unionize—and Top Leadership is Not at All Happy About It,” by Ben Davis & Sarah Cascone in artnet
Stand in solidarity with the NewMuU by following the movement on Twitter, Instagram, or via our website.
In December 2016 she travelled to Essen for Impact16 and met cool people. In July 2018 she met new Russian friends with curator Lizaveta Matveeva in St. Petersburg at Back Apartment Residency.