Reflections: an interview with Alejandra Castro Rioseco of the MIA ART Collection

On Saturday 28 March (16:30–17:00), as part of the Reflections programme, an English-language talk will take place in which Carolina Alfonso, artist and moderator, will enter into conversation with Alejandra Castro Rioseco, founder and Executive Director of the MIA ART Collection.

The role of MIA ART Collection is to invest in and create visibility for women artists in the art world, creating networks and channels of support and assistance for women professionals in the arts. 

The importance of raising awareness about gender equality in art is fundamental. Professional and private institutions must collaborate in creating spaces, not only for exhibitions but also for reflection that unite the perspectives of civil society and academic institutions with those of artists, curators, collectors, and galleries. 

Art Rotterdam asked Alejandra Castro Rioseco a few questions ahead of the talk.

When did you establish the MIA Art Collection, and what is the mission of the organisation?
The Collection began to take shape almost 17 years ago, and then, when the pandemic hit, we decided to create the collection's not-for-profit foundation, dedicated entirely to supporting women artists across the world.

We create and curate exhibitions that include emerging young women artists and pair them with
established names. We organize talks and presentations in collaboration with various art fairs and biennales around the world to bring the inequality of women in the world of art to the forefront. We have a scholarship that we award each year to support an artist with her studies.

We recently created a Residency Program in Antwerp, Belgium where we host three artists per year so they can study and document the history of women artists during the 1800s.

At its annual Gala & Awards, the MIA Art Collection presents Awards to ten distinguished individuals who contribute to and support women's work in the art world.

The MIA mission, in short, is to support women artists to achieve greater visibility and recognition.

What is your vision for the future of female artists?
I would like to think that we have had a positive impact, that we are on the right track, that we have added to triggering an increasing awareness of the importance to achieve equality and its importance for a more balanced world. But still a long way to go. Women make an important contribution to the way we see and experience art. For years we have looked at the world through men's eyes. It is time to see the world through women's eyes.

What advice would you offer to women artists seeking to establish themselves in the art world?
There are many things I'd like to tell them, but the most important is not to lose hope, to be positive, that it is crucial to seek good advice, read and study the markets, study art history, in particular the history of women in the arts, their evolution and how they have overcome continued difficulties and forged their own paths in a world dominated by men!

Today, art schools and education programs are full of women studying art. This should be a sign that the market and world needs to change, and consequently, so do the conditions for and reality of women artists as a critical step forward for all!