Giulio Paolini is a distinguished Italian artist, born on November 5, 1940, in Genoa, Italy. His artistic journey began after he graduated from the Giambattista Bodoni State Industrial Technical Institute for Graphic and Photographic Arts in 1959, where he specialized in graphics. Paolini's early exposure to art, frequent visits to museums and galleries, and his interest in modern graphics and architecture during his studies, laid the foundation for his future work. Paolini's career took off in the early 1960s when he began to explore the components of the picture, focusing on the painter's tools and the space of representation. His first significant work, "Disegno geometrico," created in 1960, was a seminal piece that involved the squaring in ink of a canvas painted with white tempera. This act of marking the canvas became a recurring theme in his work, symbolizing the conceptual foundation of his artistic practice. In 1964, Paolini had his first solo exhibition at La Salita gallery in Rome, which was a pivotal moment in his career. The exhibition featured rough wooden structures that suggested an exhibition in the process of being set up, challenging traditional notions of art presentation. This show caught the attention of critics Carla Lonzi and Marisa Volpi, who soon wrote the first critical texts on Paolini's work. Paolini's work is often associated with the Arte Povera movement, although his practice is more accurately described as conceptual. He is known for his complex research centered on the artist's tools and the figure of the artist as an operator of language. His work employs citation, duplication, and fragmentation as means to create a 'theatre of evocation,' where the distance between a finished model and the making of the work is staged. Throughout his career, Paolini has been interested in the intellectual process of artistic creation. His work frequently addresses the relationship between artist and object, exploring themes such as the nature of images, the making of art, and the role of the artist. He believes that a work of art is not just itself in the 'here and now' but also a record of earlier traditions, leading him to investigate art's relation to the past. Paolini's artistic expression includes staged and juxtaposed tableaux of fictions, relics, citations, and optical illusions. His work is a meditation on the creative act, the private space of the studio, and the coming into being and exhibiting of the artwork itself. He has also delved into the non-authorial nature of the artist, which has become increasingly central to his work. Paolini's exhibitions have been numerous and widespread, with major solo shows at institutions such as the Whitechapel Gallery in London, the Museo Novecento in Florence, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. He has also participated in significant international events, including several editions of the Venice Biennale and documenta in Kassel. His work is represented in several international public and private collections, and he has been the subject of critical study and retrospectives. Notably, the Whitechapel Gallery in London presented a major UK exhibition of his work in 2014, which included key works from the 1960s to the present day and a new installation created especially for the show. Paolini's contributions to the art world have been recognized with honors such as being nominated as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1995 and then Officer in 2002. He, along with his wife Anna, founded the Giulio and Anna Foundation in 2004, further cementing his legacy in the art community. Today, Giulio Paolini continues to live and work in Turin, Italy, where he remains a pivotal figure in contemporary art. His work continues to inspire and provoke thought about the nature of art, the role of the artist, and the ever-evolving dialogue between past and present in the world of creative expression.

Giulio Paolini Quotes and Sales of Works

Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current market values.

If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the artist, contact us immediately.

If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the works:

Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back, and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work and any kind of available documentation (purchase receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme professionalism.

If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us and let us know your request. We will inform you about the available works. We also offer the possibility to subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, through which you will be informed at the beginning of each month about the latest acquisitions of the art gallery.

You can send us pictures of the work:

• by mail –>  [email protected]
• by WhatsApp –> +39 3205747749