IDA Art Residency 2026
The second edition of the IDA artist residency will take place from June 15 to 29, 2026, and from September 26 to October 10, 2026, in Ebbio, Tuscany, Italy. Designed as a program dedicated to artistic research and interdisciplinary exchange, the residency offers an environment conducive to contemporary creation. Each session will welcome two artists, selected for the quality of their work and the relevance of their research project. Open to artists of all geographical origins and disciplines, the residency encourages innovative approaches and critical dialogue. Four resident artists will be selected by an international jury committed to supporting emerging talent and promoting constructive exchange:
Phyllis Kao, auctioneer
George Nelson, journalist
Romero Paprocki, gallery owner
IDA, art consulting agency
Following the success of its first edition, supported by the French Embassy in Rome and the Fondazione Nuovi Mecenati, the 2026 program reaffirms IDA's commitment to promoting artistic creation and encounters between artists and cultural actors.
Phyllis Kao
Phyllis Kao is an art industry veteran and auctioneer, and currently one of the principal auctioneers for the international auction house Sotheby’s. She has gained recognition for her charismatic performances, multilingual abilities, and for changing expectations of authority in a male-dominated industry. Ms. Kao grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and holds a degree in History and French from Columbia University. Before entering the auction world, she aspired to be a classical violinist, a rigorous experience that helped her develop stage presence and manage performance pressure. Her career in the auction industry spans nearly two decades, where she has held a variety of positions at major auction houses, including Specialist in Chinese Art and Director of Business Development. As a principal auctioneer, Ms. Kao works with every category of art in an international auction house, allowing her to work with masterpieces, experts, and major players in every field. In addition to her auction activities, Ms. Kao is a committed philanthropist, regularly donating her time and auctioneer skills to charitable causes globally.
George Nelson
George Nelson is the UK reporter for ARTnews, and the former Russia correspondent for The Art Newspaper. He often reports on the fakes and forgeries and corruption blighting the Russian modernist market. He’s happiest plumbing the depths of the subterranean, double-dealing, and fraudulent art world, and writes a column on the convergence of luxury and art. Before becoming a journalist, he worked at Christie's in London and for an Old Masters dealer. George set up ROBOTA, a platform promoting emerging artists from Russia and Eastern Europe in the UK, in 2020.
Romero Paprocki
Romero Paprocki was founded in 2020 by Guido Romero Pierini and Tristan Paprocki who first collaborate by choosing spaces for their museum-like scale in order to offer a first visibility to emerging artists and match with the quality of the works that are being displayed in them. After the opening of the first gallery venue in Le Marais in 2022, they focused on mid-career artists with a steady desire to formulate a discourse both scenographic and legible at the artists' service. Romero Paprocki continues its mission to host compelling exhibitions for its diverse cast of rising artists, while fostering creativity and keep inspiring the Parisian community, and beyond, thanks to international art fairs.
IDA
IDA connects creators & collectors through meaningful, innovative art projects. As a consulting agency specializing in tailored artistic strategies for brands, institutions, & private collectors, IDA supports access art, from acquisitions & commissions to curation, exhibitions, & cultural events. With an international network of artists, galleries, & auction houses, the agency delivers solutions adapted to each client.Founded by Florence Marmiesse and Camilla D’Alfonso, IDA bridges strategic expertise with artistic insight. With over 19 years of experience at Sotheby’s, Artcurial, and Almine Rech, Florence brings deep market knowledge. A photographer & curator with exhibitions in New York, Milan, Havana, & Los Angeles, Camilla contributes a strong creative vision shaped by collaborations with Gian Paolo Barbieri, Harri Peccinotti, and Patrick Demarchelier.