Francesco Ventrella

Dr Francesco Ventrella is an Associate Professor in Art History at the University of Sussex, affiliated with the School of Media, Arts and Humanities. He holds a PhD from the University of Leeds (2012) and has held notable fellowships including the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2013–2016) and the Paul Mellon Rome Fellowship (2019). His research focuses on modern/contemporary art, feminist and queer interventions, affective theory, and the Black Mediterranean as a political imaginary. He co-edited *Feminism and Art in Postwar Italy: The Legacy of Carla Lonzi* (2021) and serves on editorial boards for *Art History* and *parallax*.

**Education:**

• PhD, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University of Leeds (2007–2012)
• MA, Sapienza University of Rome (2003–2007)
• University of Utrecht Women's Studies (additional training)

**Research Interests:**
Explores intersections of gender, sexuality, and embodiment in art historiography. Current projects include a monograph on feelings in 19th-century art writing, postcolonial critiques of modernism, and curatorial projects like *What Section 28 Did to Me* (2018–21). Affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence and UKRI Talent Panel College.

**Awards & Grants:**

• Paul Mellon Rome Fellowship (2019)
• Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2013–2016)
• British Academy & Accademia dei Lincei Bursary (2007)

**Teaching:**
Developed courses like *Art's Queer Stories* (MA), *Mediterranean Fantasies*, and *Sensational Bodies*, emphasizing queer theory, transnational modernism, and critical methodologies.

**Editorial Roles:**

• Editorial Board Member, *Art History* journal
• Former Editor, *parallax* (Taylor & Francis)