Emotional Intelligence is a collective, thematic and experimental exhibition-workshop curated by four students at the University of Trento, under the supervision of Gabriele Lorenzoni, director of the Galleria Civica Trento, and Denis Viva, professor of Contemporary Art History. This unprecedented project is devoted to the theme of emotional intelligence, narrated through works from Mart’s collections and accompanied by site-specific productions and loans from galleries of the region.

The exhibition Emotional Intelligence explores the theme of emotion as a form of social intelligence that is fundamental for human relationships. In an era in which artificial intelligence is increasingly pervasive and society often seems characterised by indifference, emotional intelligence represents an essential resource to connect deeply with others. Inspired by the pioneering work Emotional Intelligence by the psychologist Daniel Goleman, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the importance of empathy, understood as the capacity to read the feelings of others and to establish relationships based on mutual comprehension.

Set up in the spaces of the Galleria Civica Trento, the exhibition is divided into three sections, each dedicated to a fundamental aspect of emotive intelligence: self-awareness of one’s own emotions, nonverbal language, and empathetic connection with others. Based on a selection of works of art realised since the 1990s, most of which come from Mart’s own collections, the display creates unprecedented connections and stimulates transversal readings in a constant dialogue between contemporary artistic practices and the psychological sciences. The exhibition also includes site-specific productions by young artists, together with loaned works from galleries of the region.

The exhibition is the fruit of a collaborative project involving students on the Master’s degree course in Cultural Assets at the University of Trento, within the Officina Espositiva (“exhibition workshop”) programme. The students have been working closely together with curators and professionals at Mart, contributing to the conception and realisation of the exhibition. This experience has brought them into direct contact with the museum’s collections and allowed them to apply their studies to curating a collective, thematic exhibition.

Emotional Intelligence will also include an programme of outdoor events accompanied by a guided tour of the exhibition. The project is sponsored by Mart in collaboration with the University of Trento and the Municipality of Trento, with scientific and curatorial direction provided by Denis Viva and Gabriele Lorenzoni.