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Let’s talk about you: what is your background, what do you teach, and what are your research interests?
Jasenka Gudelj - I am originally from Croatia, I teach and research History of Architecture, ranging from modern to contemporary times. I am mainly interested in the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, which I see as a dynamic space where different architectural cultures meet, as suggested by the title of the ERC project I direct (AdriArchCult).

Tell us about your academic path.
I graduated in History of Art and Italian Language and Literature at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, where I also obtained my 2nd level Master's degree. During my PhD in History of Architecture at the Scuola Studi Avanzati di Venezia (School for Advanced Studies - Ca' Foscari, IUAV, VIU), I spent some time studying at the Warburg Institute in London. I was then a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) and the Bibliotheca Hertziana - Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome. I taught History of Architecture at the University of Zagreb before returning to Ca' Foscari in 2020.

What has given you the greatest satisfaction in your career?
The greatest satisfaction, of course, was being the winner of such a prestigious project as the ERC, which gave me the opportunity to create an excellent research team and to invest a lot of energy in the studies I am passionate about. I was also very pleased to receive professional awards such as the Croatian National Science Award and that of the Croatian Society of Art Historians. Naturally, I greatly value the prizes and awards won by my students as they are the result of a stimulating and productive collaboration.   

The area you have always wanted to be involved in but have not yet had the opportunity to explore?
A department that embraces different souls and specialisations such as the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage will help me fulfil my dream of exploring the intersections between the history of architecture and related subjects such as the history of music, film, philosophy, sociology, pedagogy and so on.   

What are you most passionate about in your research?
I enjoy working beyond (and across) the boundaries of national historiographies of art and architecture, as the area I work in has been affected by these with many consequences in terms of interpretation. In doing so, knowing several languages and the various points of view I have become aware of during my time in a number of academic circles in Europe and the United States has helped me.