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Almine Rech

Francesco Vezzoli

Francesco Vezzoli was born in 1971, in Brescia, Italy. He studied at the Central St. Martin’s School of Art in London. 

One of the most successful Italian artists in the world, his work can be described as a series of strong allegories about contemporary culture with a rich subtext of elaborate references involving video installations, petit-point embroideries, photography, live performances, media experiments and -most recently- classical sculpture.

His works have been selected four times at the Venice Biennale: at the 49th, 51st and 52nd art editions held in 2001, 2005 and 2007, respectively, and at the 2014 Architecture Biennial. His works have also been featured in other international exhibitions such as the Whitney Biennial 2006, the 26th Biennale in Sao Paulo, the 6th International Biennale in Istanbul and Performa (2007 and 2015).

He has also held solo shows around the world in venues such as the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; MOCA, Los Angeles; MOMA PS1 in New York; MAXXI, Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI sec, Rome; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Kunsthalle, Wien; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; The Garage CCC, Moscow; The Power Plant, Toronto; Jeu de Paume, Paris; Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin; Museo Serralves, Porto; Fondazione Prada, Milan; Le Consortium, Dijon; Fondazione Museion in Bolzano and NMNM- Nouveau Musée National de Monaco.

His work has been shown, among others, at: the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London, le Grand Palais in Paris, Museo del Novecento in Milan, Palazzo Grassi - François Pinault Foundation in Venice, Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, the Migros Museum in Zurich, Neues Museum in Weimer, Pirelli Hangar Bicocca in Milan and Musée National Picasso in Paris. 

Most recently he produced a special performance for the 40th anniversary of Centre Pompidou and curated an exhibition about Joris-Karl Huysmans at Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

Selected artworks

  • Francesco Vezzoli, The Eternal Kiss, 2015

    Francesco Vezzoli The Eternal Kiss, 2015

    Roman heads (woman head circa 117-138 A.D.; man head circa 2nd Century A.D.), white Carrara marble, watercolour, black African marble plinth

    49 x 35 x 49 cm
    19 1/4 x 13 3/4 x 19 1/4 Inches

  • Francesco Vezzoli, ‘Olga Forever (Olga Picasso en mariée, Boisgeloup), 2012

    Francesco Vezzoli ‘Olga Forever (Olga Picasso en mariée, Boisgeloup), 2012

    Huile sur toile, collage de toile imprimée
    Oil on canvas and laserprint collage

    206 x 134 x 7 cm (framed)
    81 1/8 x 52 3/4 x 2 3/4 Inches (framed)

  • Francesco Vezzoli, ‘Olga Forever (Olga Picasso, Villa Belle Rose, Juan les Pins, 1925)’, 2012

    Francesco Vezzoli ‘Olga Forever (Olga Picasso, Villa Belle Rose, Juan les Pins, 1925)’, 2012

    Huile sur toile, collage de broderie en soie et coton
    Oil on canvas, cotton and silk embroidery collage

    48 x 30 cm
    18 7/8 x 11 3/4 Inches

  • Francesco Vezzoli, MANIFESTO FEMMINISTA CHE PIANGE (LE DONNE PROTAGONISTE DELL’ITALIA CHE VUOLE CAMBIARE), 2017

    Francesco Vezzoli MANIFESTO FEMMINISTA CHE PIANGE (LE DONNE PROTAGONISTE DELL’ITALIA CHE VUOLE CAMBIARE), 2017

    Inkjet print on paper, water-based permanent marker
    framed with black wooden frame

    170 x 120 x 6 cm
    66 7/8 x 47 1/4 x 2 3/8 in

    Edition of 1 + 1 AP - Edition 1

  • Francesco Vezzoli, MANIFESTO FEMMINISTA CHE PIANGE (LA DONNA NELLA FABBRICA E NELLA SOCIETA’), 2017

    Francesco Vezzoli MANIFESTO FEMMINISTA CHE PIANGE (LA DONNA NELLA FABBRICA E NELLA SOCIETA’), 2017

    Inkjet print on paper, water-based permanent marker
    framed with black wooden frame

    170 x 120 x 6 cm
    66 7/8 x 47 1/4 x 2 3/8 in

    Edition of 1 + 1 AP - Edition 1

Gallery exhibitions

Museum exhibitions

Selected press