Karen Di Franco

Dr Karen Di Franco is a Lecturer and Programme Leader of M.Litt Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art) at the School of Fine Art, Glasgow School of Art. Her work explores lesser-discussed artistic practices and histories, focusing on archives, ephemera, and art collections through text, publishing, and process-based projects. She has a background in digital archiving and has taught at institutions such as the Royal College of Art (RCA), Goldsmiths, University of Reading, and Leeds University.

Education

• BA (Hons) in Fine Art, University of the West of England
• MA in Contemporary Art Theory, Goldsmiths, University of London
• AHRC-funded PhD in Curatorial Practice, University of Reading (Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with Tate Britain)

Research & Professional Activities

Di Franco's research centers on feminist archival methodologies and the materiality of artists' publishing, particularly in women's artistic practices from 1968–1979. She is actively involved in curatorial and exhibition research clusters at GSA and collaborates with groups like Feminist Histories of the Future. Her recent conference presentations address feminist archival practice, distribution networks in publishing, and radical forms in printed matter at venues including Tate Britain, University of Westminster, British Art Studies, and Paris Ass Book Fair.

Current Roles & Affiliations

She serves as Programme Curator at Chelsea Space, Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London (UAL), and collaborates with organizations such as Spike Island, Contemporary Art Society, and Book Works.