Martina Mazzotta

Martina Mazzotta is an Associate Fellow at the Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of London. As an art historian, author, and curator, she specializes in the intersections of philosophy, visual arts, music, and science. Her current projects include co-curating "Tarot. Origins and Afterlives" at the Warburg Institute (2025) and curating "Max Ernst. Surrealismo, arte y cine" for the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid (2024-2025).

Her educational background includes a PhD in Art History from Università Cattolica, Milan, and a degree in Theoretical Philosophy from Università degli Studi di Milano. She also studied at Freie Universität Berlin and Ludwig Maximilian Universität Munich with support from the DAAD scholarship.

Mazzotta's research focuses on philosophy (Husserlian phenomenology) and modern art, particularly historical avant-garde movements. She explores the connections between art and music, art and psychiatry (including Art Brut), and art and medicine. A significant part of her work examines early modern encyclopaedic collections (Wunderkammern) and their legacy in contemporary art and museums. Her approach is transdisciplinary, maintaining philosophical planning while engaging with modern and contemporary artists.

Her recent publications and exhibitions demonstrate a consistent trend in exploring spiritual abstraction and alchemical symbolism in art, from Kandinsky and Cage to Max Ernst and Surrealism. She has pioneered the study of Wunderkammern as living historical phenomena that continue to shape contemporary artistic practices and museum curation.

Mazzotta's notable recognition includes the nomination of her exhibition "Kandinsky->Cage. Musica e spirituale nell’arte" as one of the 10 best exhibitions in Europe in 2017 by Robinson-La Repubblica. Her catalogue for "Wunderkammer. Arte, Natura, Meraviglia ieri e oggi" has become a standard reference work in collection studies.

While Mazzotta does not appear to advise graduate students, her curatorial projects and publications indicate active institutional funding and support. Her international collaborations with venues like the Saatchi Gallery, Royal Palace Milan, and Círculo de Bellas Artes Madrid reflect a well-established global network. She continues to contribute through exhibitions, scholarly publications, and public lectures on art-historical themes.