IT, °1993 - Lives and works in Antwerp
davidezulli93@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/davidezulli_/
My practice, more than focusing on a specific theme, is based on a methodology that uses speculative fiction as a medium to explore the world around me. I make installations, sculptures, paintings, and drawings using speculative narratives I draw from theory, fiction, cinema, and roleplaying games. These inspirations function as an imaginative framework that I adopt to tackle specific contemporary issues, such as climate change, the dichotomy of artificial and natural, and the neglect of certain parts of cities.
I imagine the urban areas as a virtual archeological site in which I can find important information for the narratives in my works. For this reason, I try to preserve in my artwork a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, as they are reminiscent of an ancient part that never actually took place. One of the concepts that has influenced my practice in this sense is unmonumentality, as described in the exhibition Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century (New Museum 2007). The show described "the present as an age of crumbling symbols and broken icons," a feeling that I often try to present in my narratives. Part of my background is connected to graffiti. Being part of the graffiti community allowed me to observe and explore the city from a totally different perspective. To experience its structures, train stations, and hidden underground networks in a manner that goes beyond the passive everyday use, allowing me to see a clear link between the city and the concept of unmonumentality.
I use the frictions and dissonances I observe in urban areas as links between the ruins of our time and the fiction I create. In more recent works, I started to connect certain issues and components, in an attempt to write a "new mythology." As can be seen in "Unknown Journeys" (VSA Festival 2019), I am combining artificial and natural findings with tropes from gaming culture, fantasy novels, and science fiction to produce new myths. This brings to life a layering of different symbols, both real and invented, which provides the viewer with multiple suggestions and creates narratives that appear uncannily familiar yet dismal.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
2024- Combat Art Prize- Group exhibition with the nominated finalists for the Combat Art Prize 2024- Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori ex Granai di Villa Mimbelli (Livorno, IT).
2024- PANTA RHEI’- curated by Jeffe De Brabandere. A show with the work of all current FAAR-members in the former gallery of Geukens & De Vil (Antwerpen, BE).
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024- ‘Voyage Voyage’- The Platform (Antwerpen, BE).
2024- Flasher! Art Space during ‘Impossble Enought to be An Art Space’ at Lichtekooi (Antwerpen, BE).
2023- ‘Faar and Beyond’- Group exhibition at Atelier Faar (Antwerpen,BE).
2023- ‘Punto Zero’- curated by Curatorial School of Art Venice (Venice, IT).
2023- ‘Home-Made as Us’- Group Exhibition , Creativr Factory (Turnhout,BE). 2023- ‘Unchained’ -Group Exhibition at Arttelex (Antwerpen,BE).
2022- Drawing Art Prize Exhibition - CultuurCentrumDe Ververij (Ronse,BE).
2022- REA! Art Fair, Fabbrica del Vapore (Milano,IT).
2022- ‘Ravager of Time’ - Group Exhibition, Faar Atelier (Antwerpen,BE).
2022- ‘Exponetianl Growth’- Group Exhibition, Gallery Gallery (Antwerpen,Be). 2022- ‘Demolution’ - Group Exhibition at KL8 (Bruxelles,BE).
2021 - Biennale Monza- La Biennale delle Accademie curated by Daniele Astrologo Abadal IX Edition (Monza, IT). 2021- Jachtbak- Duo Exhibition with Rachel Daniels- (Hasselt,BE). 2021- ‘Kabinet’ - Group Exhibition curated by Aaron Victor Peetersen (Genk, BE).
2021 - ‘Miniheim’-Forbidden City- Group Exhibition (Antwerpen, BE).
2020 - Sottosopra- Online exhibition curated by Davide Rivalta, Anna de ManincorABABO (Bologna, IT).
2019 - Video Sound Art Festival Ninth Edition - Curated by Laura Lamonea and Thomas Ba at Liceo Scientifico Volta (Milano, IT).
2019 - ‘Lo Studio’- solo exhibition- at Cultural association SUB STRATO (Varese, IT).
2019 - Art Expo, Group exhibition in collaboration with LUCA sint-lucas Beeldende Kunst (Ghent, BE). 2019 - ‘Link’- Group Exhibition- DeSerre (Hasselt, BE).
2019 - ‘Dionysos’- Group exhibition- deVelnix (Tongeren, BE).
2018 - ‘Container’- Group exhibition- Pxl-MAD School of art (Hasselt, BE).
2018 - Collaboration with Luca Bertolo, Il Padre- Ipercorpo curated by Davide Ferri (Forlì, IT). 2018 - ‘Nouvelle Vague 9’- curated by Bruno Bandini (Ravenna,IT).
2018 - ‘Teseo e il Minotauro’- curated by Sara El Kachtaoui at Cultural association SUB STRATO (Varese,IT).
2017 - Take me (i’m yours), Group exhibition curated by Christian Boltanski in collaboration with ABABO, ( Bologna, IT).
AWARDS
2023- Combat Art Prize published (IT).
2021 - Biennalde di Monza delle Accademie Italiane- Special mention (Monza, IT) 2020 - Daolio art prize for public art- Special mention (Bologna, IT).
EDUCATION
Sept 2018 - Feb 2021 Master degree in sculpture at ABABO Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna (Bologna,IT). Sept 2018 - June 2019 Erasmus project painting at Pxl-MAD (Hasselt, BE).
Sept 2014 - Feb2018 Bachelor degree in painting at ABABO Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna (Bologna,IT).