We’re Living in a Moment for ‘Great Art’ Creation, Says Collector Valeria Napoleone

After more than three decades of collecting, Valeria Napoleone isn’t changing her perspective.

The Italian art collector, whose self-estimated 580-piece collection consists primarily of female artists, has moved around and currently calls New York City home, but has a broadstroke view on her art assemblage ahead of her 60th birthday later this year.

“I rotate and change things quite often,” she said. “I want to live with my art, and when you change a piece, it resets the room.”

Sculpture is a particular focus for Napoleone, who’s helped elevate a range of emerging female sculptors over the past decade through her collaboration with SculptureCenter in New York.

Her ongoing collecting includes creators such as Italian artist Margherita Manzelli, Dutch painter Lily van der Stokker and German artist Nicole Wermers.

Napoleone is also the co-chair of New York University’s President’s Global Council and funds an annual professor role at the intersection of art and gender studies. Her homes in New York and London are revolving testaments to support of female-created and female-powered art, and she teased an upcoming project in Milan that will be another significant moment to showcase portions of her collection.

“What I buy in the U.S. mainly stays here, and it’s the same in the U.K. and Europe, but my largest storage area is in the U.K.,” she said.

Napoleone’s prominent role as a voice for female artists, both emerging and established, comes at a moment when new channels of accessibility and growth for these artists are being challenged by rollbacks in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in higher education alongside a general overall slowdown in the art market.

Mansion Global caught up with Napoleone on a video call while she was at her New York City residence.

Mansion Global: How do you stay motivated to find emerging female artists to add to your collection?

Valeria Napoleone: Sometimes, I feel like, “do I need another piece?” I want to contribute, and always be impactful with what I do. I like to collect artists in the middle of their career, and the motivation is just to support and be impactful.

It’s important to give to the artist to make a difference, and as a collector sometimes I think ‘no, I don’t need another one,’ but it’s not an option to not continue collecting.

Is there an artist you haven’t collected yet, but would like to?

(American sculptor) Cady Noland. In the mid-1990s, women were trying new languages across art, and I found that very inspiring. Cady is the godmother of that generation, and her work isn’t only rare, but it’s also very expensive. I also don’t have to own everything in life, and her work might be something I can admire from a distance.

You once mentioned that you ‘generally only buy pieces that contribute massively to contemporary discourse.’ How do you define that portion of the discourse?

Our family’s agenda is to bring together exceptional female artists. Some are political, some are formal, but each of them have their own voice. I don’t look at this in terms of gender politics, but rather with new languages and new ideas.

I want to be surprised by the way the artist takes me into the issues. It’s a very personal reaction, but it has to tick boxes. I buy what I deeply connect to.

As an active member of leadership within higher education, are you concerned about how active attacks on DEI and similar initiatives might affect the accessibility and growth of female artists?

I think female artists have resilience. They’ve been totally ignored forever, and if anything this moment will make them more eager to get their voice out there. Usually, great art comes from moments of crisis and significance because there’s this sense of urgency. Female artists have been suffering forever, and they will continue to work and be recognized.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

From late 2026 and into 2027, PONANT Explorations Group will base two ships in French Polynesia, offering travellers a choice between a culturally immersive classic and a far more exploratory deep-Pacific experience.

The move builds on more than 25 years of operating in the region with the iconic m/s Paul Gauguin, while introducing the expedition-focused Le Jacques Cartier to venture into lesser-known waters.

Together, the two vessels will cover all five Polynesian archipelagos — the Society, Tuamotu, Austral, Gambier and Marquesas Islands — as well as the remote Pitcairn Islands.

THE PAUL GAUGUIN: CULTURAL IMMERSION, POLYNESIAN STYLE

Long regarded as the benchmark for cruising in French Polynesia, m/s Paul Gauguin will remain based year-round in the region.

Renovated in 2025, the ship continues to focus on relaxed, culturally rich journeys with extended port stays designed to allow guests to experience daily life across the islands.

A defining feature of the onboard experience is the presence of the Gauguins and Gauguines — Polynesian hosts who share local traditions through music, dance and hands-on workshops, including weaving and craft demonstrations.

The atmosphere is deliberately intimate and internationally minded, catering to travellers seeking depth rather than distance.

Across the 2026–27 seasons, the ship will operate 66 departures, primarily across the Society Islands, Tuamotu and Marquesas, with select voyages extending to Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

LE JACQUES CARTIER: EXPLORATION AT THE EDGE

Le Jacques Cartier introduces a more adventurous dimension to PONANT’s Polynesian offering, with itineraries focused on the least visited corners of the South Pacific.

The ship will debut three new “Discovery” itineraries, each 14 nights in length, which can also be combined into a single, extended 42-night voyage — the most comprehensive Polynesian itinerary currently available.

In total, the combined journey spans six archipelagos, 23 islands and the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory rarely included on cruise itineraries.

Unlike the Paul Gauguin’s cultural focus, Le Jacques Cartier centres on exploration.

Each day includes one guided activity led by local experts, with excursions conducted via tenders, local boats and zodiacs. Scuba diving is available on board, supported by a resident instructor.

Across the 2026–27 period, the ship will operate nine departures, offering a deliberately limited and low-impact presence in some of the Pacific’s most isolated communities.

THREE NEW DISCOVERY ITINERARIES

The new itineraries aboard Le Jacques Cartier include:

– Secret Polynesia: Unexplored Tuamotu, the Gambier Islands and the Austral Islands
– From Confidential French Polynesia to Pitcairn Island
– Polynesian Bliss: Marquesas and Tuamotu

Each voyage departs from Papeete, with prices starting from $15,840 per person.

SCOUTING THE PACIFIC’S MOST REMOTE COMMUNITIES

In preparation for the new itineraries, PONANT Explorations Group undertook extensive scouting across the Austral and Tuamotu Islands to develop activities in collaboration with local communities.

José Sarica, the group’s R&D Expedition Experience Director, worked directly with residents to design experiences including welcome ceremonies, cultural workshops and visits to marae, the region’s sacred open-air temples.

Six new ports of call have been confirmed as part of this process, spanning both the Tuamotu and Austral archipelagos.

SIX NEW PORTS OF CALL CONFIRMED

New stopovers include:

– Mataiva, known for its rare mosaic lagoon
– Hikueru, home to one of the largest lagoons in the Tuamotus
– Makemo, noted for its red-footed boobies and frigatebirds
– Raivavae, famed for its crystal-clear lagoon pools
– Tubuai, rich in marae and spiritual heritage
– Rurutu, known for limestone caves and seasonal humpback whale sightings

A DUAL EXPERIENCE, ONE DESTINATION

By pairing its long-established cultural voyages with expedition-led exploration, PONANT Explorations Group is positioning French Polynesia not as a single experience, but as two distinct journeys — one grounded in tradition and comfort, the other pushing into the furthest reaches of the Pacific.

For travellers seeking either immersion or discovery, the South Pacific is about to feel both familiar and entirely new.