Irene Fenara’s practice focuses on optical and electronic devices—from Polaroid cameras to surveillance systems—which she deliberately misuses, profaning their original function and transforming them into tools for observing the world in search of poetic meaning. By shifting technologies away from their intended purpose, she reveals unexpected relationships between vision, control, and imagination. She was awarded the Francesco Fabbri Prize for Contemporary Art in 2019 and was a finalist for both the Cairo Prize and the ING Unseen Talent Award that same year. Her work has been exhibited at institutions including Fondazione Prada Osservatorio, MAMbo Bologna, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, and Kunst Merano Arte. She graduated in Sculpture and Visual Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna and lives and works in Bologna.