Curator Loredana Pazzini Paracciani brings overlooked voices and underrepresented perspectives into focus through contemporary art from Southeast Asia and beyond.

“More than healing, I see art as a vehicle for communication, a way to convey important messages about our social surroundings, the moment in history we are living through and the past we continue to reflect on.”

For curator Loredana Pazzini Paracciani, art offers a way to look more closely at the world around us. Through visual expression, artists can draw attention to social realities, challenge established perspectives and give space to voices that might otherwise go unheard.

Having lived and worked in Thailand for 25 years, Loredana has helped bring Southeast Asian contemporary art to wider international audiences. Her approach places art in conversation with the world beyond the gallery, where individual experiences meet broader questions of history, identity and society.

From Rome to Bangkok: Discovering Southeast Asian Art

Growing up in Rome, Paracciani was surrounded by art, including paintings by her great-grandfather. Her education in art history deepened that early interest, while contemporary art introduced her to the ways visual expression can reveal aspects of the world that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“Southeast Asia has a long-standing tradition of crafts, and those beautiful techniques are often present in contemporary art pieces. They become very special because they carry so much cultural knowledge, and they also speak to the present and the struggles we all face, especially during these difficult times.”

Paracciani moved to Thailand in 2001, a turning point in her understanding of art. Her early education in Italy had focused on Western art history, but living in Thailand introduced her to the richness of Southeast Asian art and cultural heritage. She later pursued two master’s degrees in Southeast Asian contemporary art and Asian art histories. Today, Bangkok is home, and the region remains central to her work.

Across Thailand and Southeast Asia, contemporary artists draw on the histories and beliefs of their communities. Paracciani is particularly interested in how these influences find new expression in contemporary practice, from Buddhist philosophy to the region’s craft techniques.

“What fascinates me about contemporary art is how artists respond to the society around them. Every artwork is contemporary to the time in which it was made. Artists today address the difficult topics of our society through their work, sometimes using beauty as an entry point for us to observe deeper meanings that are very relevant to our lives.”

Giving Space to Untold Stories

“Each exhibition is a separate project, but a curator once told me that, in life, you actually do only one exhibition. I was surprised by that statement at the time. Now, I understand what it means.”

This idea runs through Paracciani’s curatorial practice. She is drawn to subjects that have yet to receive the attention they deserve, from gender and migration to the effects of war and social injustice. Sometimes an artist’s work catches her attention; sometimes a conversation leads to a new project. The subject provides the starting point, with artists and ideas brought together to explore it.

“I’d like to see a well-balanced society where everyone has the right to speak, to be and to exist. These stories may not always be glamorous. However, they carry so much life and meaning. I always think about the story that needs to be told, rather than following what is popular in the market.”

One example is Across Words, her project for Timor-Leste’s National Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.

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Paracciani travelled across Timor-Leste, meeting artists and communities and learning about the country’s history and cultural landscape. Her research led to a pavilion inspired by the many languages that shape Timor-Leste’s identity. The country has more than 30 local languages, alongside Tetum, Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia and English. Each carries traces of its complex past, while together they reflect the connections that hold its people together.

The pavilion explored these layers through newly commissioned video and sound works, alongside an existing work by Veronica Pereira Maia, a 93-year-old activist and weaver whose work supported Timor-Leste’s independence. Her inclusion brought traditional weaving into a contemporary exhibition, with its local knowledge and history intact.

“I feel very fortunate to do this work. Through artists, I learn about the culture, histories and places they come from. Every encounter gives me a deeper understanding of this region, and that is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.”

Stories Without Borders

Over the past 25 years, Thailand’s contemporary art scene has grown considerably. Bangkok now has a wider network of galleries, museums and events, including MOCA Bangkok and the Bangkok Art Biennale, which have helped bring the city to a larger international audience.

“Over the past 25 years, the change has been remarkable. Thailand is now one of the places in Southeast Asia where so much is happening, with a lot of energy.”

You can see Paracciani’s work at MOCA Bangkok through SUDO RUNGU: Echoes of Fire, an exhibition by Indonesian artist Roby Dwi Antono, on view until 3 January 2027. The exhibition reflects her interest in how personal memory connects with wider cultural experiences. Looking ahead, she hopes to continue bringing attention to overlooked histories and perspectives, wherever they come from.

“I want to continue telling stories that are forgotten or belong to people whose voices are rarely heard. These stories are not geographically bound. They can come from Southeast Asia or anywhere else in the world.”