Victoria Mussi has spent the past two years building the technical foundation of one of New York’s most active independent art platforms. As Audio Visual Lead at SoMad, the platform led by a femme and queer community in Manhattan, she designs the lighting architectures, sound systems, and immersive environments that turn contemporary artworks into full sensory experiences. In production contexts, she also serves as Audio Visual Director, leading the technical and creative implementation of audiovisual systems, live performance environments, and exhibition based programming.
Her recent record is striking. MadWorld “A Bag to Breathe Into” closed earlier this season as one of SoMad’s most successful editions to date, with Mussi leading audiovisual production and technical implementation throughout the festival. Furthermore, she produced the immersive “Life is Drag” residency by Rachel Rampleman, a project that drew strong press visibility and showcased both her creative direction and her production leadership. She also contributed to the music video for Tōth’s song “Touching” featuring Grammy winner Kimbra, designing the lighting rig and engineering the surround sound system for the shoot. Importantly, alongside those productions, her infrastructure work at SoMad has grown into a foundation that supports every show the platform mounts.
Now her calendar tightens further. Within weeks, she will lead audiovisual direction for So Mad So Queer on June 13, the Pride season program curated by Amygdala. Then, from June 25 through 27, she will represent SoMad inside the official program of Upstate Art Weekend with a new film and performance program titled “Know Your Place.” Later in the year, she will design SoMad’s presentations at AIPAD with photographer Yi Hsuan Lai and at NADA New York with kinetic sculptor Keith La Fuente.
Yet Mussi resists the spotlight. Often, the people who build immersive art remain invisible in curatorial credits. She wants to change that. For her, the lighting operator, the sound engineer, and the system programmer deserve recognition as artists in their own right. Indeed, she treats that fight as central to her mission.
In this conversation, Mussi speaks about her beginnings, her infrastructure work, her key collaborations, and her vision for the work ahead. She talks openly about technical scale, restraint, and the collective nature of creation. Above all, she describes a career that she treats as a process in constant construction. So we begin where many of her favorite stories begin, with a curious mind drawn to how things connect.
Beginnings and Practice
New York Art Life: Let us start at the beginning. What first drew you toward the technical side of art?
Victoria Mussi: Honestly, it started with pure curiosity. Since I was young, I felt drawn to how conductors and connections worked. I wanted to understand how signals traveled and how a technical setup could coexist with artistic feeling. So I followed that question everywhere. First, I opened up audio systems just to see inside them. Then, I started experimenting with cables, signals, and small rigs.
Gradually, that curiosity turned into a craft. Eventually, the habit shaped my entire approach. Even now, I treat every project as a puzzle of connections. Above all, I never separated the engineering from the emotion. Instead, I let them grow together. So that early fascination still drives me today. In fact, it feels stronger now than ever.
New York Art Life: You taught yourself everything. How did that path shape the way you work now?
Victoria Mussi: It shaped almost everything. Because I learned alone, I never assumed there was only one correct method. Instead, I tested, failed, and adjusted until something worked. So I became comfortable with improvisation. Today, that comfort helps me on every install. When a problem appears on site, I do not panic. Rather, I trace the signal, find the fault, and solve it in real time.
Moreover, learning alone gave me range. Notably, I never specialized in only one tool. Therefore, I can move between lighting, sound, video, and installation without losing the thread. Naturally, that range fits a place like SoMad, where each project demands something different. Still, that path carried a cost. Yet I would not trade it. Ultimately, those years taught me that I can build almost anything if I stay patient and curious. Today, that flexibility feels like my biggest advantage.
Inside SoMad
New York Art Life: What brought you into SoMad, and how would you describe your role as Audio Visual Lead?
Victoria Mussi: When I found SoMad, something clicked immediately. Here was a place that valued exactly the hybrid work I do. Since 2025, I have served as Audio Visual Lead there. From the start, the team treated technical labor as part of the art, not a service beneath it. Because of that respect, I could finally bring my full practice into one role.
In production contexts, I also serve as Audio Visual Director, overseeing the technical and creative implementation of audiovisual systems, live performance environments, and exhibition based programming. So my responsibilities reach beyond any single show. Today, I manage daily operations across the studio, lead the technical setup for every event, and direct major productions when needed. Ultimately, I chose SoMad because it let me be both an artist and an engineer at once.
New York Art Life: For readers who do not know it, what exactly is SoMad?
Victoria Mussi: SoMad is many things at once. First, it is a gallery. Then, it works as a residency. Beyond that, it serves as a digital archive and a full production house. A femme and queer community leads the whole platform. The founders opened it in 2018, and it has grown into one of the city’s most relevant independent institutions. Importantly, SoMad prioritizes artists from underrepresented communities. So the program feels alive, political, and deeply personal.
Because the space wears so many hats, my role stays varied. One week, I light a formal photography show. The next week, I put on a surround-sound club night. Meanwhile, the institution continues to document everything for its archive. That mix is rare. Generally, most galleries pick one identity and stick with it. SoMad, however, refuses to sit still. Ultimately, it gives emerging artists a real bridge to exhibitions, collectors, and international fairs.
New York Art Life: What does a project look like from start to finish?
Victoria Mussi: It usually starts with a conversation. First, I sit with the artist and listen to the concept. Then, I ask how they want the work to feel. Because feeling guides everything, I never lead with equipment. Instead, I translate emotion into a technical plan. Next, I map the space. I study sightlines, surfaces, power, and acoustics. After that, I design the lighting, sound, and any projections or videos. Throughout, I keep checking the plan against the artist’s intention.
Once installation begins, I work hands-on. Specifically, I run cable, mount fixtures, and calibrate every light myself. Meanwhile, I balance the audio so the room feels right. During the live moment, I often operate the systems in real time. So I adjust intensity, color, and volume as the work breathes. Finally, I document everything for the archive. Honestly, the most rewarding part comes at the end. When the audience walks in and the room transforms, I know the translation worked.
New York Art Life: You have built much of SoMad’s technical infrastructure yourself, and that work sits at the center of your practice. Tell us about it.
Victoria Mussi: Yes, and that work means a great deal to me. When I arrived, I saw the space could do more. So I started designing systems that would last. First, I built an internal live-streaming network using an SDI signal to connect the stage to the upper floors. Because of that, performers backstage can finally watch and hear the show as it unfolds. Then, I redesigned the audio distribution across the second floor into two independent speaker networks. Meanwhile, I added acoustic panels to improve the room’s acoustics.
Next, I created a wireless DMX lighting system with more than fifteen fixtures. Therefore, we can program entire lighting scenes and run them in real time. I also built a projection network with several projectors feeding into a single central matrix. In addition, I installed a broadcast monitor that gives our video work its own analog texture. Beyond that, I put together a dedicated lighting studio on the third floor, where seven professional fixtures let us shoot photography, video, and performance in one room.
Yet the infrastructure goes beyond hardware. Importantly, my work also extends to supporting exhibition and event production, contributing to the organization’s operational growth, and helping shape aspects of SoMad’s identity, presentation, and branding. So every system I build also strengthens what SoMad can offer artists for years to come. Ultimately, those systems make our most ambitious programs possible.
Recent Collaborations
New York Art Life: Among your recent collaborations, Life is Drag stands out as one of the most significant. Tell us about that project.
Victoria Mussi: Life is Drag, the residency by Rachel Rampleman, is one of the most meaningful works I have contributed to. Importantly, it generated strong press visibility and reflected both my creative and production roles at once. I was deeply involved in leading the show’s development and worked closely with Rachel throughout the process, from concept to execution.
For each act, I shaped a distinct lighting mood and audio environment. So every performance carried its own emotional charge inside the same space. Because Rachel’s practice moves between portrait, performance, and pageantry, the technical plan had to flex constantly. Therefore, I built a setup that could shift quickly between intimate moments and full stage spectacle. Honestly, that project deepened my relationship with the artist, the team, and the work itself. Ultimately, Life is Drag represents the kind of close, sustained collaboration I most want to keep building.
New York Art Life: You also contributed to the music video for “Touching” by Tōth, featuring Grammy winner Kimbra. What was your role there?
Victoria Mussi: That shoot represented SoMad in a very different context. Specifically, I served as Producer Assistant for the production, representing SoMad and the space, and was responsible for the full audiovisual system design. Above all, the lighting setup was central. I controlled it via CRMX wireless systems, with antennas distributed across the luminaires for precise, flexible operation. The rig included two ARRI Orbiter fixtures, four ARRI S30 panels, two moving spotlights, eight Astera fixtures, and two Nanlite units.
Together, that flexible rig gave the video its rich, colored atmosphere and significantly enhanced its cinematic quality. Meanwhile, the space was configured with a fully engineered surround-sound system, including subwoofers and a calibrated speaker array that I designed to deliver an immersive audio experience throughout the room. So I provided full technical and production support to the directors and artists. Ultimately, the goal was to ensure the space operated at a professional broadcast and live performance standard.
New York Art Life: At SoMad in 2025, you produced “Acts of Service” by Keith La Fuente alongside “Rubber Rubber” by Yi Hsuan Lai in a shared gallery. Tell us about that double presentation.
Victoria Mussi: That production taught me a great deal. First, Keith La Fuente’s “Acts of Service” centers on kinetic sculptures and painting, with significant moving and structural elements. So I designed eight Aputure Light Globes specifically for the show, along with the supporting structure for the installation. Importantly, the lighting had to balance the painting and the sculptures, which meant carefully shaping how each work would read from across the room.
Meanwhile, Yi Hsuan Lai’s “Rubber Rubber” shared the gallery. Therefore, I had to design one continuous environment that held two distinct artistic voices without flattening either of them. That balance was the hardest part. Because both artists work in very different visual registers, the lighting and the structural framework had to give each work its own breath. Ultimately, the production strengthened my belief that great exhibition design depends on listening to the artist first and shaping the room second.
New York Art Life: MadWorld “A Bag to Breathe Into” closed earlier this season as one of SoMad’s most successful editions yet. What was your role in that festival?
Victoria Mussi: That edition holds real meaning for me. Specifically, I led the audiovisual production and the technical implementation of the entire festival, which received critical coverage in publications including Artwrld. So I designed and operated the lighting, the sound, and the spatial environments across multiple floors of the building. Because the program ran over several days and brought together many artists, the technical plan had to stay flexible without losing precision. Each artist had different needs. Therefore, I built a system that could shift quickly between very different works while keeping the experience feeling continuous.
Earlier, I was also invited to serve on the festival’s final jury, alongside other artists and members of the curatorial team. So I helped select the works that ultimately made it into the program. Honestly, jurying taught me how to read a submission with both creative and technical eyes at once. By the time the festival opened, I knew every work and every room intimately. Ultimately, the success of that edition came from the whole team, yet I am proud of the technical layer that held it all together.
The Year Ahead
New York Art Life: At NADA New York later this year, you will work again with Keith La Fuente. Tell us about that fair project.
Victoria Mussi: Keith’s practice continues to grow, and I am thrilled to bring his work to NADA. Importantly, his work is built around kinetic sculptures and painting, so my role at the fair sits in exhibition design and installation rather than in sound or audiovisual systems. First, I will lead the design of SoMad’s booth, shaping how the works appear in space. Then, I will run through every sculpture with Keith to understand its movement and its placement.
Next, I will lead the installation of the booth at NADA, from the structural setup to the final calibration. Because these pieces actually move, the handling has to stay precise. Furthermore, the booth design has to support how each sculpture reads from multiple angles, so I will work closely with the artist on the layout. Our presentation builds on the success of “Acts of Service,” which I also produced. Ultimately, I want Keith’s work to meet the highest professional standards for collectors and curators.
New York Art Life: Beyond major fairs like AIPAD and Miami Art Week, your work increasingly shapes SoMad as an organization. Tell us about that side of your practice.
Victoria Mussi: Yes, that side of my practice has grown a lot. At AIPAD, I represent SoMad with photographer Yi Hsuan Lai inside the Park Avenue Armory. Then, at Miami Art Week, I will bring SoMad into another high stakes collector context. Each fair asks me to adapt our infrastructure to a new room and a new audience, so the variety keeps me sharp.
Still, the most important shift in my work this year is less visible. Specifically, my work has moved beyond individual events into something more structural. Increasingly, I am developing audiovisual systems, supporting exhibition and event production at a strategic level, and contributing to SoMad’s operational growth. Furthermore, I help shape aspects of SoMad’s identity, presentation, and branding. So while the headline events matter, the through line is really the long arc of building an institution that supports artists year after year.
New York Art Life: Two SoMad events sit just weeks away in June. First, So Mad So Queer arrives on June 13. Then, the SoMad program at Upstate Art Weekend runs from June 25 through 27. What can you share about both?
Victoria Mussi: Both events arrive close together, and both matter deeply to SoMad. First, So Mad So Queer on June 13 is our Pride season program, curated by Amygdala. There, I will serve as Audio Visual Director for a live gathering that puts queer artists at the center of the night across multiple floors of the SoMad building. Meanwhile, I will design the lighting, the sound, and the spatial flow throughout the space. Because the audience moves through the building in waves, the technical plan has to feel both immersive and easy to navigate. Honestly, So Mad So Queer is one of my favorite nights of the year, so I take real care with it.
Then, only twelve days later, the Upstate Art Weekend program runs from June 25 through 27. For that edition, we revised the selection. Specifically, in partnership with Upstate Films, SoMad will present “Know Your Place,” a free outdoor screening and public program exploring questions of land, belonging, access, and memory. The program features six films drawn from the 2025 and 2026 MadWorld Open Call submissions. I served on the final jury alongside invited artists and members of the curatorial team to choose them.
The evening opens with a conversation between SoMad Artist in Residence Regan De Loggans and Esther, The Bipedal Entity!, centered on Regan’s installation “Thank You, Come Again.” That piece is a communal Bandeira woven from consumer plastic, constructed on a loom made from reclaimed police barricades. The conversation explores land, belonging, tokenization, representation, and the art world’s relationship to social justice discourse.
The selected films come from Alexandra Kumala, Vardit Goldner, Shayna Strype, Pablo Nez Garcia, the collective Anxious to Make, and Yue Nakayama. Together, they move through documentary, puppetry, animation, and mockumentary, examining how colonial histories shape environmental destruction and social systems. Ultimately, the evening closes with a historical drag performance by Esther, followed by food, drinks, dancing, and a community gathering.
A Connection to Brazil
New York Art Life: You remain connected to Brazil. What does that connection look like in your practice today?
Victoria Mussi: Brazil made me, so I will never leave it behind. Even now, I research and develop collaborations with Brazilian artists. My goal is simple, though ambitious. Specifically, I want to open more structural access to international visibility for talent emerging from Brazil. So I am actively looking for ways to connect those artists with rooms like the ones I now work in.
Therefore, I think of myself as a bridge between contexts. Meanwhile, I want the exchange to flow in both directions. Clearly, I do not want to extract talent and disappear. Instead, I want to build something lasting and reciprocal. Above all, I have a genuine desire to represent my origins while creating space for other Brazilian artists to gain this kind of visibility. Ultimately, that mission keeps me honest about why I do this work.
New York Art Life: You speak often about the underrecognition of technical producers. Why does that matter?
Victoria Mussi: It matters because the labor is real and the credit goes missing. Often, lighting operators, sound engineers, and system programmers shape the entire experience of a work. Yet curatorial credits rarely name them. So their contribution stays invisible. Frankly, I find that imbalance unfair. After all, a concept only becomes an experience through technical translation.
Increasingly, contemporary art turns immersive and visual. Because audiences now consume art through digital circulation, the technical producer has become inseparable from the artistic outcome. Therefore, the old hierarchy makes less and less sense. Still, change comes slowly. Meanwhile, I’m trying to model a different approach at SoMad. There, we treat the technical team as authors, not assistants. When you respect the labor, the labor rises to meet you. For example, I credit my whole technical team by name whenever I can. Ultimately, I want the field to tell the truth about who builds the work.
New York Art Life: Does a bigger technical scale always mean stronger art?
Victoria Mussi: Not at all, and I feel strongly about this. Honestly, I feel equally moved by minimalist works that do not depend on heavy technical resources. There is a very specific power in the simple and the intimate. Often, restraint creates more tension than spectacle ever could. So I never measure a work by how much equipment it uses. Instead, I ask whether the form serves the idea.
Sometimes, a single light and a quiet sound say everything. Meanwhile, a huge immersive rig can feel empty if the concept is thin. Therefore, I treat scale as a choice, not a goal. Because of that belief, I adapt to each work on its own terms. A work should not lose strength from the absence of technical resources. On the contrary, it can and should find ways to exist in different contexts. Ultimately, the strongest work earns its power through clarity, not volume.
New York Art Life: Finally, how do you see your own career evolving from here?
Victoria Mussi: I see it as a process in constant construction. Honestly, I never imagined a fixed endpoint. Instead, I want to keep expanding my practice while contributing to something collective. So I refuse to chase a single title or trophy. For me, growth means range, depth, and generosity. Today, I build immersive environments for other artists. Tomorrow, I may push further into my own work as well.
One dream I keep returning to is a music residency at SoMad. I have been talking with the team about the possibility, hoping that one day we can open a dedicated spot for sound. Because sound deserves the same care we give to image, I want musicians to have a place to experiment with signal, atmosphere, and the room itself. Meanwhile, I want to keep mentoring and supporting voices that rarely get heard. Because the field keeps shifting, I feel a real responsibility to shape it well. Therefore, I will continue to advocate for technical artists and the recognition they deserve. Ultimately, I see my career as a living structure, always under construction, and always reaching for the next room to light, to fill, and to share.
