CV

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ELMIRA SHARIPOVA

PhD in Visual Arts | Contemporary Art Theory | Quantum Aesthetics
📍 Bologna, Italy
🔗 LinkedIn | ORCID: 0000-0002-8073-3858

PROFILE

Interdisciplinary researcher at the intersection of critical theory, contemporary art, and quantum epistemologies. PhD in Visual Arts with research evolving from Anthropocene studies toward quantum aesthetics and AI art epistemologies.

Research Approach: Applying new materialist frameworks—particularly Karen Barad's agential realism—to contemporary art practices (Pierre Huyghe, Tomás Saraceno, Trevor Paglen, Hito Steyerl).

Distinctive Background: Interdisciplinary formation combining Visual Arts doctorate with MA in Management, providing unique analytical perspective bridging theory and practice.

EDUCATION

PhD in Visual Arts, Performing and Media Arts | summa cum laude

Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna | 2021–2024

Dissertation: "Reconfiguring the Anthropocene: Contemporary Art and New Theoretical Paradigms in the Era of Ecological Crisis"
Supervisor: Prof. Roberto Pinto
Defense: October 24, 2024

BA in Visual Arts | Excellent

Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna | 2016–2020

Focus: Contemporary art history and theory, curatorial practices, aesthetics

MA in Management

National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), Moscow | 2009–2012

Specialization: Project Management

Specialist Diploma in International Relations & Regional Studies

University of World Civilizations, Moscow | 2004–2009

5-year program (equivalent to BA + MA) | Specialization: Western European Studies

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

2026 (in press)
📄 "Specters of Unchosen Lives: Quantum Aesthetics and the Crisis of Identity"
Moscow Art Magazine, n. 132 [Russian]

2026 (in press)
📄 "Listening to the Anthropocene: Sound Deterritorializations in Contemporary Art"
L'uomo nero, n. 22, pp. 900-923 [Italian]
DOI: 10.54103/2974-6620/uon.v22n22-24

2025
📄 "From Frankenstein's Stitches to Body without Organs: Ontology of the Monstrous in the Digital Age"
Moscow Art Magazine, n. 131 [Russian]
🔗 Read article

2025
📄 "Beyond the Anthropocentric Gaze: The 'Death of the Spectator' in the Age of Delegated Agency"
Moscow Art Magazine, n. 129, pp. 82–91 [Russian]
🔗 Read article

2025
📄 "Worlding as Ecosystem: Pierre Huyghe's Speculative Environments"
roots§routes, Making Worlds [Italian]
🔗 Read article

2024
📄 "Between Aesthetics and Politics in Climate Activism: Material-Discursive Analysis of A22 Network"
Piano B. Visual Arts and Cultures, vol. 9, n. 1, pp. 117–141 [Italian]
DOI: 10.6092/issn.2531-9876/20022

2022
📄 "Posthumanism in Art through Metamorphoses: 59th Venice Biennale 'The Milk of Dreams'"
Place of Art Journal, Moscow [Russian]
🔗 Read article

Book Chapters

2024
📖 "The Web as Apparatus in Tomás Saraceno's Utopian Explorations"
In: D. Borselli, A. Casarini, R. Perna, R. Pinto, J. Pra Levis (eds.)
Beyond Catastrophe: Ecologies, Visualities and Imaginaries in Contemporary Arts
Milano: Postmedia Books, pp. 79–91 [Italian]
🔗 View publication

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

2024 | "Participatory Art through Posthumanist Perspective: Decentering the Artist via Non-Human Actors"
Workshop "Beyond Catastrophe", University of Bari "Aldo Moro", September 2024

2023 | "From Agency to Actor-Network Theory: Exploring Tomás Saraceno's Interdisciplinary Practices"
Workshop The End and Other Beginnings II, Sapienza University of Rome, September 2023

2022 | "Sustainable Art Beyond Traditional Institutions and Representations"
International Conference Theories and Practices of Art and Design, HSE Moscow, April 2022

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Current Focus

🔬 Quantum Aesthetics & AI Art
How quantum epistemologies transform artistic practices; post-human agency
Key artists: Trevor Paglen, Hito Steyerl

🌐 New Materialism & Posthuman Ontologies
Karen Barad's agential realism applied to art analysis; intra-active aesthetics; non-human agency
Key artists: Pierre Huyghe, Tomás Saraceno

🎵 Sound Art & Acoustic Materialism
Sonic deterritorializations; data sonification; agency of sound in Anthropocene

🌍 Ecological Aesthetics & Planetary Crisis
Toxic sublime; art-science collaborations; curatorial strategies for climate emergency

Research Evolution

My doctoral work examined contemporary art through an Anthropocene lens, grounding analysis in new materialist frameworks and posthuman theory. Current research trajectory evolves toward quantum aesthetics and computational epistemologies in contemporary art, investigating how AI-driven practices and quantum thinking reconfigure artistic agency, aesthetic experience, and materiality beyond anthropocentric paradigms.

Future Research Directions

Building on my theoretical grounding in Barad's agential realism and emerging work on quantum aesthetics, I aim to investigate quantum literacy frameworks in contemporary art practices.

Specific focus areas:

Artists working at intersections of AI, data visualization, and speculative materialism
Quantum epistemologies in acoustic and sonic practices
Post-anthropocentric curatorial methodologies for art-science collaborations

RESEARCH PROJECTS & COLLABORATIONS

AVEC - Arts, Visuality and Electronic Culture | 2025–Present

University of Bologna | Coordinator: Prof. Francesco Spampinato

Member of organizing committee for interdisciplinary graduate student workshop examining intersections between contemporary art, visual studies, and electronic culture. Active participation in work-in-progress dialogues on algorithmic aesthetics, AI art, cosmotechnics, and post-human ontologies.

Recent sessions:

"Is the future made of data or dirt? Symbiotic futures between media and non-human entities" (Dec 2024)
"MagicAI? Algorithmic Spells and Machine Hallucinations" (Dec 2023)
"Who Spilled Water on my PC?! Short-circuiting Time and Hacking Reality" (May 2025)
"Whose Technology? Whose Future? Cosmotechnics Beyond Techno-Orientalism" (Dec 2025)

Visual Research Group | 2021–2022

HSE Art and Design School, Moscow

Research on cultural effects of contemporary visual environments: material, corporeal, perceptual, and affective factors. Integration of cultural studies, aesthetics, and media theory.

Publishing Project: Venice Biennale Archive | 2021–2022

HSE Art and Design School, Moscow

Content creation and data visualization for comprehensive volume on Venice Biennale 1895–2022.
🔗 View project

Place of Art Online Archive | 2021–2022

HSE Art and Design School, Moscow

Archival research on exhibitions from 1986–present. Integration of academic writing with curatorial projects.

LANGUAGES

🇷🇺 Russian — Native speaker
🇮🇹 Italian — Excellent (written and spoken)
🇬🇧 English — Excellent reading/writing, fluent speaking

SKILLS

Research & Analysis: New materialism, posthuman theory, agential realism, art-science studies, quantum epistemologies

Writing: Academic publishing (peer-reviewed journals), art criticism, curatorial texts, multilingual research (Italian/English/Russian)

Tools & Methods: Qualitative analysis, archival research, interdisciplinary methodology, BibTeX/citation management