Damiano Fasso

"Delving into the flashy world of mass-produced pop culture, Damiano Fasso focuses on revealing the scandalous contrasting aspects behind seemingly innocent and joyful imagery. The artist even uses materials with contradicting connotations in order to pursue this absurd duality, he combines glitter and plastic with gunpowder or even dangerous poisons. Sugar-sweet candy serves as the background of a photograph depicting the death of a toy robot and neon-coloured cartoon-like characters and animals are accompanied by repeating text implying ideas of destruction and brutality. Damiano Fasso poetically suggests that “death becomes pop”. A Western gaze might not always be able to immediately decipher the echoing phrases on the artist’s pieces, as they are written in Chinese and Japanese, the artist paying homage to the cultures that heavily influence his practice. These pictorial forms portraying fantastical creatures, remind one of the nineties ‘Super Flat’ concept of Takashi Murakami, as the one-dimensional characters almost always inhabit canvases, as a painterly flat figures or for instance manga characters, existing within the physical limits of the artwork’s edges. Some stylistic choices - characteristic of Asian contemporary art as well - originating in fact from traditional practices, a modern-day narrative of a world of injustice disguised in pretty hues - luring in the masses.
The artist also photographs little figurines, astronaut toys and odd robot puppets, constructing scenarios through careful planning and miniature set design. Camouflaged in video-game-like aesthetics, magnified details of simple, everyday contexts and ambiguous writings sending encrypted warning messages to the viewer. An ironic effect is generated through the apparent conflicting visuals and subject matter, reflecting on the loss of innocence and a fragile sense of security that we encounter daily in the real, human world." (Paola Shiamtani, 2020, ReA! Art Fair Exhibition Catalogue, Ed.Rea Arte, Milano, 225 p. ISBN 978 88 94571400)

Degree in Art History at the Università Cattolica in Brescia in 1999;
Degree in Decoration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice (2009-2011)

INTERVIEW for ACROMO magazine, 2020
INTERVIEW for JaamZin magazine, 2020
REA! Art Fair, Milano, Fabbrica del Vapore, 2020
THESSALONIKI ART FAIR, 2017 stand Ufofabrik
INTERVIEW for Duckout! Magazine, 2017
ARTE PADOVA, 2017 stand Ufofabrik Gallery
DETROIT FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL 2005, MONA Museum of New Art, Detroit, U.S.A.
INTERVIEW for Arte Cairo, 2010

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020
DAMIANO FASSO - Digital exhibition curated by JaamZin Creative
2019
NATURAL MADNESS - Ex forno MAMbo, Bologna, curated by Luca Ricci
2018
DIAPHAINEIN - Libreria Universitaria San Leonardo - Treviso, curated by Massimiliano Sabbion
2014
POP UP! - Vainart, Mestre(VE), curated by Giovanna Quarto
2013
EXPLOSIVE GAME &C - Esterno59 Arte Contemporanea - Treviso, curated by Giovanna Quarto
2011
TOXIC DREAMS - Art Way Gallery, Treviso, curated by Carlo Sala
2009
SECRET GARDEN - Library hall Montebelluna(TV), curated by Carlo Sala
DAMIANO FASSO - Jesolo(VE), Magnolia, curated by Christine Polin
2006
DAMIANO FASSO - Lido18, Jesolo(VE), curated by Christine Polin
2005
NUOVA POP ART ITALIANA: Damiano Fasso+Murgia - Treviso, Galleria Polin

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020
IL MONDO CHE VORREI, Milano, ExFabbricaDelleBambole
GREEN iDEAL, Torino, Politecnico, curated by Francesca Canfora
NEEDS, Paratssima, Bologna, Magazzini Romagnoli
2019
WELCOME TO THE MACHINE, curated by Francesca Canfora, Torino, Politecnico
DI QUESTO MONDO E DI ALTRI, curated by Lucia Melioli e Alessandra Villa, Torino, Ex Accademia Artiglieria
DIGITAL HUMANITY, Paratissima, Milano, Fabbrica del Vapore
PARATISSIMA TALENTS, Novara, Castello Visconteo
EXPeauSITION, Paratissima, Magazzini Romagnoli, Bologna
2018
LUPUS IN FABULA, Caserma La Marmora, Torino, curated by Elisa Muscatelli & Carolina Marchigiani
8 RASSEGNA DI ARTE CONTEMPORANEA, Treviso, Casa dei Carraresi, curated by Daniel Buso
TROUGH THE BLACK MIRROR, Paratissima, Milano, BASE
ANIMALI NOTTURNI, Paratissima, Bologna, IAAD
2017
DOPPIO MISTO, Vicenza Arte, curated by Mauro Defrancesco & Marco Antonio Patrizio
HYBRID festival Madrid, curated by Ufofabrik
2016
THE ARTBOX PROJECT MIAMI 1.0, Spectrum Art Fair, Miami (U.S.A.), curated by The Artbox Gallery

2014
FATTO A PEZZI - Vainart, Mestre (VE), text by Fabio Pinelli
2013
TIME MACHINE - Circuiti Dinamici, Milano, curated by Anna Epis & Aldo Torrebruno
2011
ARTE A SUD - Isca sullo Ionio (CZ), curated by Francesca Londino, Settimio Ferrari
DONNA E MUSA - Treviso, Casa dei Carraresi, curated by Christine Polin
2010
IN CHARTIS MEVANIAE - TERRITORI, VIAGGIATORI STRAORDINARI - Bevagna (PG) Museo Civico, curated by Carlo Sala, Franco Troiani
ELABORARE IL LUTTO. ARTE ORFANA DELLA SPECIE - Venezia, Magazzino3, curated by Gaetano Mainenti, Atej Tutta
URBAN CREATURES - Venezia, SpazioEventi Mondadori, curated by Francesca Londino & Settimio Ferrari
EMERGENZA arte FESTIVAL - S. Maria di Sala (VE), Villa Farsetti, text by Carolina Lio
GLOBAL VILLAGE, Alkmaar(NL), curated by Stichting White Cube

2009
PARTICOLARI COMMESTIBILI - Medesano(PR), Attic Studio, curated by Maura Lari & Roberto Pinetti ARTE E(') POTERE - Ferrara, Castello Estense, text by Rossella Fasano
POP ART ITALIANA - Treviso, Galleria Polin
LOOKING FOR VENICE - Treviso, Galleria Polin
EMERSIONI. GIOVANI ARTISTI VISIVI SULL'ACQUA - Vicenza, Spazio Informagiovani, curated by Meccano14

2008
SGUARDI MULTIPLI - Rossano(CS), Palazzo San Bernardino, curated by Carolina Lio,Francesca Londino
L'INSOSTENIBILE LEGGEREZZA DELL'ESSERE - La Spezia, Galleria 911, curated by Carolina Lio

2007
SCULTURE & SCULTURE - Jesolo, Palazzo del Turismo, curated by Carlo Sala
L'ENIGMA DELLA SFINGE - Daverio(VA), Silbernagl Undergallery, curated by Igor Zanti

2006
TRANSITABILITA' - Treviso, Fondazione Benetton, curated by Valerio
TERZO PIANETA A DESTRA - Albignasego(PD), Galeria arti contemporanee, curated by Carolina Lio

2005
NUOVI SEGNALI- Padova, Palazzo del Liviano, curated by Guido Bartorelli & Stefania Schiavon
PARENTELE FANTASTICHE - Ravenna, Sala dei Mosaici,curated by Patrizia Bondi