New York, it’s a cold February evening in 1957. In an Upper East Side apartment , the carpets are being rolled up, the furniture is being moved, the rooms are being temporarily emptied. The man doing the work is a young man originally from Trieste, with previous experience as a gallery owner in Paris, on the central Place Vendôme. His name is Leo Castelli , his young wife’s name is Ileana . Together, without any theoretical emphasis, they are opening a space that no one, at the time, would yet call a home gallery , but which in fact is already a forerunner of one: a home that opens itself to art in an intimate and informal way, where collectors are received over food, conversation, and drinks, alternating more formal gatherings with wild and unconventional evenings. After all, that was a particularly delicate and fertile time for New York. Following Jackson Pollock ‘s early work , while Robert Rauschenberg began to merge painting, objectivity, and reality, the emerging American scene was seeking spaces, methods, and new sensibilities to interpret rapidly changing times. Castelli responded to this need with a simple, pragmatic, and unrhetorical gesture: show the works, circulate them, create connections. And, initially, gradually getting to know New York, the new global art center after the slow decline of Paris, he chose the very walls of his home to begin exhibiting. The rest (Warhol, Lichtenstein, the triumph of Pop Art) would come later.
Cut. We are in Dubai , autumn 2025. In a large apartment of almost 200 square meters, located on the 22nd floor of a skyscraper in the city center, less than a kilometer away from the Museum of the Future , the city’s major center dedicated to technological visions and possible futures, a gallery owner opens the doors of his home, transforming it into an exhibition space: the Star Home Gallery . The gallery owner is called Alessio Musella , an Italian with a background in architecture, marketing, communication, and art dissemination, developed in international contexts.
Musella is a transversal figure , difficult to reduce to a single label. An architect by training , in the 1990s he worked as a planner and interior designer between the Middle East, the United States, and Europe, commuting primarily to Saudi Arabia for almost ten years . He himself explains it in more than one interview: “Even back then, I included a work of art in every project of mine whenever possible.” Not an ornament, but a point of balance, something that changes the perception of space. “Back then, I would place a work in a room; today, I create a room to place a work in,” he would later say. Hence the broadening of his scope: territorial analysis, communication, strategic marketing , work as a mediator between different worlds (artists, collectors, companies), and a constant presence between Pietrasanta , Forte dei Marmi , and international circuits, always with the idea of building bridges rather than rigid affiliations. Musella was a gallery owner , dealer , publisher , but above all, a practitioner who made communication a substantial part of his work on art. “If you don’t tell your story, you don’t exist,” he often repeats, without indulging in facile slogans.
During the lockdown , this position took shape in Art&Investments , a platform born (in his words) as a reaction: “I was tired of seeing many in the art world using the closure as an excuse to complain, without looking for alternatives.” The project quickly evolved from a showcase to an editorial space, with interviews and texts designed to “give a voice to those who too often have no voice,” using deliberately accessible language. Shortly after, Exit Urban Magazine arrived , a four-page monthly paper magazine with Neo-Pop graphics and an unconventional format: an object that combines paper and contemporaneity, and which Musella defends without hesitation. “Success often lies in simplicity and ease of understanding ,” he says, emphasizing his decision to take art off its pedestal. His idea of art remains consistent throughout: “Art is a mirror of the times,” but also “a personal investment, to grow, to never stop asking questions.” And again: “There is no such thing as good or bad art, only the kind that comes to you.” Hence a rejection of both elitism and purely financial reduction: the market counts, but it cannot be the only yardstick.
The Dubai home gallery was born precisely from this vision. Not as a nostalgic gesture, nor as an image-making operation, but as a living space where new pop , contemporary painting , sculpture, technology, and new visual solutions can meet a changing audience, including new, younger collectors, less tied to established rituals. A space where, to use his words again, “talking about art should simply be a key .” It is from this set of experiences, convictions, and experiences that this interview with Alessio Musella begins, to understand how the idea of opening a home gallery in Dubai was born, what the projects and future prospects are.
Alessio, tell us what Star Home Gallery means to you and what inspired you to open it in Dubai?
It’s an innovative art gallery concept, an intimate and dynamic space where art blends with the home environment, creating a more personal and less formal experience . I chose Dubai for its dynamism, its openness to innovation, and its strategic position as a bridge between different cultures.
You have a long history of exhibition projects, galleries, collaborations in Milan and Pietrasanta, and numerous publishing projects in the art world: how did this experience prepare or inspire the birth of the Star Home Gallery?
My professional career has provided me with a comprehensive vision of the market and its dynamics , leading me to seek an exhibition format that transcends traditional rigidity, placing human experience and storytelling at the center.
Why did you choose the home gallery format instead of a traditional gallery? What does it offer that you can’t find elsewhere?
I chose this format because it breaks down the distance between artwork and viewer, typical of traditional galleries. It allows for a more relaxed relationship and deeper dialogue , demonstrating how art can truly live in collectors’ homes.
What kind of audience are you meeting in Dubai, and what trends in art collecting and consumption are you observing?
I’m meeting a cosmopolitan, curious, and rapidly evolving audience . I’m noticing a growing, albeit slow, interest in contemporary art, with a strong propensity for investment and a search for pieces that combine aesthetics and conceptual value .
From your perspective, how is the art market in Dubai evolving, and what dynamics do you find most interesting or significant today?
The market is booming, rapidly evolving and playing an increasingly central role as a global hub. The interaction between luxury, technological innovation, and contemporary art is the most significant dynamic.
What do you think is the role of technology in art in Dubai—from digital to new media—and how does (or will) this landscape enter into dialogue with the Star Home Gallery’s offerings?
Digital and new media are crucial, reflecting Dubai’s avant-garde nature. Star Home Gallery intends to engage with this landscape by hosting projects that explore the boundaries between physical and digital art , such as NFTs and augmented reality.
In a context where innovation is so present, how do you imagine a home gallery could fit in, stand out, or complement the city’s cultural offerings?
A home gallery can stand out by offering a curated and intimate experience, a haven of quality and sophistication. It complements the offering with highly selected pieces and a more boutique approach .
Can you tell us how Lorenzo Marini’s inaugural exhibition came about, and what path you envisioned to present it to the Dubai public?
It was born from the desire to showcase an Italian artist with a universal language and a strong visual impact. I imagined a presentation that would emphasize the energy of his work in a domestic context, creating a stimulating contrast.
Which works did you choose for this first exhibition and what common thread links the works on display?
I have chosen his most representative works of Type Art , the common thread is the celebration of the typographic sign not as a reading tool, but as a pure art form, color and composition.
How would you describe Lorenzo Marini’s work and his research on Type Art to a visitor who is unfamiliar with it?
Marini breaks down the alphabet and typographic characters, frees them from their semantic function, and transforms them into abstract, dynamic images . Type Art is his quest to restore the letter’s aesthetic and formal dignity.
What aspects of his approach to typography interest you most and do you think can resonate with the Dubai context?
The energy, dynamism, and formal clarity of his typographic work. I believe his research into design and visual composition is perfectly in tune with Dubai’s architecture and innovative, international spirit.
What kind of programming do you envision for the coming months?
I intend to alternate solo exhibitions of contemporary artists , with a focus on the dialogue between Italy and the Middle East , and special projects that include design and intersections with digital.
Which artists—Italian or international—would you like to host and who you feel resonate with the spirit of the space?
I would like to host artists, both Italian and international, who explore the relationship between sign, material and space , with a predilection for contemporary languages that have a strong conceptual component and refined execution . The collector seems to be returning to his origins, preferring the artist’s technical ability as a driving force for a broad-spectrum creativity.
What media are you interested in exploring in the gallery: painting, photography, installation, digital, performance… or do you prefer to be open to everything? And what style or trend do you feel is closest to the spirit of the gallery?
I want to remain open to all forms of expression —painting, photography, installation, digital—as long as they are guided by authentic research. The style I feel closest to is one that combines formal rigor, innovation, and powerful narrative .
What would you like to see happen in this home gallery? Encounters, conversations, returning collectors, cultural exchanges… what do you hope this place will foster?
I hope that Star Home Gallery will become a hub for encounters, cultural exchange, and constructive dialogue. I would like it to generate new connections , returning collectors, and, above all, a heartfelt and participatory experience of art. In short, the Home Gallery is designed to foster a cohesive community that recognizes the value of art as a human experience, a cultural engine, and a conscious investment. Finally, a preview: in summer 2026 , Pietrasanta will also host a Star Home Gallery location , with the same concept and approach.
