Interview: Town Hall Director of Visual Art & Curator Virginia Damtsa
THE WICK: What does a typical Monday morning look like for you?
Virginia Damtsa: Who truly likes Monday mornings? I used to be a prima ballerina with Opéra National de Paris, so discipline is in my DNA. My Mondays still begin early — at 6 a.m. — with a quick ballet-inspired routine to centre my mind and body. Then I hit the road for a full day of studio visits, artist meetings, strategic planning for upcoming shows, and taking collectors to discover new works. It’s a rhythm that keeps me grounded yet constantly inspired.
TW: You were recently appointed Director of Visual Art & Curator at the Town Hall in King’s Cross, host to the hugely successful Prada Mode installation in collaboration with artists Elmgreen & Dragset. How was this project to work on, and how do you feel about the response it received?
VD: The response was extraordinary. It brought something new and unexpected to London — a beautiful collision of fashion, art, performance, and conversation. People are craving deeper, more immersive experiences, and Prada’s collaboration with Elmgreen & Dragset and Town Hall offered just that. My role at Town Hall is to create through art, spaces where boundaries dissolve — where a philosopher like Alain de Botton can engage with an artist, or where a charity like The Circle founded by Annie Lennox can collaborate on an exhibition about women’s rights. Town Hall isn’t just a venue; it’s where art merges with life, and where ideas can ignite real change and be born.
TW: Town Hall merges the worlds of art, design, fashion, performance, and technology, acting as a gallery, salon, stage, community centre, and soon a Society. What is your vision for the programme, and what can visitors expect?
VD: Exactly — Town Hall is not a traditional institution. It’s an ecosystem where art, design, fashion, technology, business, and society intersect. My vision is to bring art to life, sparking unexpected collaborations, cultural dialogues, and a genuine sense of community around creativity. For example, we are hosting Mirror Mirror, published by Thames & Hudson and written by curator Michael Petry, bringing together 150 artists from Jeff Koons to Cindy Sherman to exchange ideas and inspire one another. Too often the art world feels divided, and I hope Town Hall can serve as a space for unified, cross-disciplinary conversations.
TW: Town Hall’s inaugural exhibition is Her Stories Untold, celebrates women’s voices across generations and disciplines. You have long been an advocate for women in the arts: why is this exhibition important now?
VD: I want to celebrate women’s resilience — not just as artists but as leaders, innovators, and storytellers. So many incredible companies are led by women, yet we don’t celebrate ourselves nearly enough. This exhibition brings together women from different fields — artists, entrepreneurs, change-makers — to share their stories. The leading work is a portrait of activist and writer Malala Yousafzai by Jonathan Yeo. Town Hall is a forum for free expression, and in some parts of the world, girls and women are still denied access to education. That reality makes this exhibition especially powerful and timely.
“Town Hall isn’t just a venue; it’s where art merges with life, and where ideas can ignite real change and be born.”
