Maurizio Donzelli

Born in Brescia in 1958, he lives and works in Brescia.

Intellectual artist with training ranging from philosophy to anthropology has developed a research that has at its center the problem of the image understood as a potential place of concentration, migration, and alteration of visual memory, declined into works that develop into distinct cycles and experience different materials and techniques to continue to deepen and return to the public an infinite potential of suggestions and iconic references that sink into the dynamics of time and history and range in geographies even distant.

n this composite atlas of images, the Drawings and Tapestries, the Mirrors and the cycle of O, monochrome gold, the Nocturnes, the Pinwheels, and the Lux Drawing highlight the cruciality of thought that is behind the artistic process and bring back to the center of reflection the imaginary principle of doing.  The creative act doesn’t end with the return of the work to the world but continues in the reciprocity between this and the viewer, in a making and discarding the image as a seductive device.

These aspects have led many scholars, intellectuals and critics to deal with the work of Donzelli over the years, in exhibitions such as: Immaginale, Galleria Massimo Minini, Brescia e L’insieme vuoto, Marignana Arte, Venezia, both in 2022; In Nuce, Museo Civico Medievale, Bologna, for ARTCITY 2021; Metamorphosis, Villa Olmo, Como, 2021; Thresholds, MAC-Museo di Arte Contemporanea, Lissone, 2020; Diorama, Open Source First Shenzhen Biennale, Luohu Art Museum, Shenzhen, China, 2018; Giardini Cosmici, bipersonal with Aldo Grazzi, Palazzo Ducale, Mantua, 2017; Ad Altemps, Nazionale Romano di Palazzo Altemps, Rome, 2015; Metamorfosi, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2012.

The collectives: a political project born from his idea and linked to the position of art in the two years of the pandemic, GestoZero, traveling to the Museo Santa Giulia, Brescia, Museo del Violino, Cremona, Ex Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena, Bergamo, 2020-2021; Intuition, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2017 and Proportio, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2015.

The artist translated his thought also through teaching, teaching for seven years “Theory of Perception” and “Psychology of Form” at the NABA Academy in Brescia.

Over the years, theoretical reflection has been the subject of several publications, including: Spettacolo di Niente, 2003, Mazzotta, printed on the occasion of its homonymous exhibition at the Calcografia Nazionale di Roma; Lo Sguardo Del Disegnatore, editions l’Obliquo 2002; Metamorfosi, Mousse publishing 2012; Diramante, Bandecchi and Vitali Firenze 2015; La Linea Del Tutto Mousse publishing 2016.

Among others: Peter Assmann, Ilaria Bignotti, Bartholomew F. Bland, Paolo Bolpagni, Vito Calabretta, Daniele Capra, Luca Cerizza, Alberto Dambruoso, Daniela Ferretti, Luigi Ficacci, Angela Madesani, Massimo Minini, Mauro Panzera, Roberto Pinto, Francesco Poli, Francesco Tedeschi, Clarissa Tempestini, Valerio Terraroli, Tommaso Trini, Gabriele Salvaterra, Andrea Viliani, Mauro Zanchi.

Maurizio Donzelli’s works are housed in numerous public and private collections both in Italy and abroad.