Alexandra F. Coego
Journalist & Writer
Arts & Culture Focus
cultureI contribute to The Art Newspaper with in-depth articles on Spain’s cultural heritage and arts policy. My reporting has included an analysis of Spain’s stalled plans for a national Civil War museum and the political disputes surrounding its construction, as well as coverage of the ongoing debate over how Spain confronts the legacy of Franco’s dictatorship. I reported on the allegations of political interference following the dismissal of several museum directors and examined the challenges of implementing Spain’s Statute of the Artist amidst EU-wide labour reforms.
Other stories include coverage of the new Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid, Spain’s most ambitious museum project in decades, and its implications for regional cultural tourism, as well as the potential benefits of the new Camino pilgrimage routes for historic heritage sites. I also interviewed Juan Ignacio Vidarte, the outgoing director of the Guggenheim Bilbao, on the museum’s legacy and future challenges.
For the full archive of my work, click here.
politicsBetween 2015 and 2019, I served as a correspondent for La Voz de Galicia, reporting extensively on French politics during a transformative period in the country’s history. My work included over 200 articles and analyses, covering major events such as the 2015 Paris attacks and the end of the two-party system in France, the dismantling of the Calais refugee camp, and the rise of the far right, including an in-depth breakdown of Marine Le Pen’s presidential program. I reported on the 2017 presidential elections and the early years of Emmanuel Macron’s first mandate, as well as cultural milestones like Simone Veil’s entrance into the Panthéon and the Louvre’s efforts to return artworks stolen in Nazi-occupied Paris.
I continue to contribute to La Voz de Galicia on a freelance basis, most recently reporting from the Polish-Ukrainian border on the threats facing Ukrainian cultural heritage during the war.
For the full archive of my work, click here.
FICTION I’m a Curtis Brown Creative alumna and I was longlisted in the 2023 Bloom Writing Contest of the European Society of Literature for my short story Everything I know about the way.
I’m currently working on my first novel, for which I was selected to join the Curtis Brown Creative 2023 program Write Your Novel with Charlotte Mendelson.
Find out more about my work on fiction here.
Strategy I’m a specialist in strategic communications and visual and digital storytelling, with extensive experience advocating for cultural heritage and global causes. My experience spans campaign management, executive advising, and content production, including film and podcast.
As Head of Communications and Public Relations at the International Council of Museums, I developed and led strategies that engaged audiences worldwide. Much of my work focused on advocacy campaigns, notably to assist museums in unblocking emergency funding during the Covid-19 pandemic and to bring awareness to threats to cultural heritage in regions affected by war and disasters. I also delivered workshops and talks with partner organisations, including the OECD, the United Nations, and Interpol.
When I’m not sat at my desk writing, you’ll find me travelling with my father’s 1994 Nikon.
