What drives Paola?
“I don’t think that ambition is different between men and women. I think opportunities are different between men and women.” Her words ring true even in the art world, where, despite the large proportion of women working in the field, men still overwhelmingly dominate the top posts.
But Antonelli has earned a reputation for being one of the most influential curators working today—and a game-changer in expanding the canon of design. “Sometime you just set your mind to a particular goal and other times you just follow a direction.”
At MoMA, under her direction, the museum has acquired innovative and mainstream design including video games, the @ symbol, and emojis for its collection—each decision sparking both praise and controversy within and beyond the art world.
Her leadership has driven a vital conversation around the role of museums, and the accessibility of their collections. Where does her boldness come from? “The realization that I want to be influential,” she says. “What’s life about, after all, if you cannot really do something of influence?”
