Paolo Parisi

Paolo Parisi (Catania, 1965) lives and works in Florence.

The experience of art as a cognitive practice and the variation of perception – linked to changing one’s point of view – are fundamental aspects of his work. Glass in a given shade can change the color of daylight; sound recorded by probes placed beneath a volcano’s crust can make the movement of matter audible; sculpture made of layers of corrugated cardboard sheets can take place inside of a structure, as if a natural cavity. Paolo Parisi’s work explores painting and the relationships it can establish with its surroundings, creating a physical experience for the viewer that involves establishing new relationships between content and container. Since the beginning of his career the artist has focused on creating artistic images out of non-arbitrary assumptions that intentionally exclude any psychological interference by using cartography, architectural survey and the camera lens.

Since 1993 he has combined his artistic career with teaching, at the Accademia di Belle Arti (in Bologna and, since 2010, in Florence), holding numerous conferences, workshops and lectures all over the world. His interest in conveying the shared experience of art is also what led to him becoming one of the founders of the non-profit artist-run space Base / Progetti per l’arte in Florence, which, since it was set up in 1998, has explored the role of contemporary art in today’s society, and how self-determination can exist beyond the constraints imposed by the art market and the prevailing economic system.
Since the 1990s he has exhibited in numerous Italian and foreign galleries and museums. Prominent solo exhibitions have been held at: Museo Novecento, Florence (2019); Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania (2011); Museo d’arte contemporanea della Sicilia Palazzo Riso, Palermo, (2011); Centro Pecci, Prato (2008); Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich (2006); Quarter, Florence (2005); GCAC Castel San Pietro Terme (2002); Aller Art Verein, Bludenz (2001). He has participated in group exhibitions at, amongst others: Museo Geologico Gemmellaro, Palermo – official collateral event of Manifesta 12 – (2018); M.A.C.RO, Rome (2017, 2009, 2007); Fuori Uso, Pescara (2016); Museo d’Arte contemporanea MSU, Zagreb (2015); CNEAI, Chatou, Paris (2013); Klaipêda Culture Communication Center, Klaipêda (2013); Magazzino d’arte moderna, Rome (2010); XIV Biennale Internazionale di Scultura, Carrara (2010); Villa Romana, Florence (2008); Primo Marella Gallery, Beijing (2007); Manifesta 7 – official collateral event of Manifesta 7 – advertising spaces of Bolzano and Rovereto (2007); Museum of Fine Arts, Hanoi (2007); White House, Singapore (2007); Korean Design Center di Seoul (2007); Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Tokyo (2007).