biography.

BRUNA ESPOSITO was born in Rome in 1960, where she lives and works. In 1979 she graduated from the IV Liceo Artistico in Rome, where she studied with Carmengloria Morales. In 1980 she attended the Faculty of Architecture at La Sapienza University, Rome, and later studied aerial dance in New York with Batya Zamir. In 1984 she was selected to take part in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Studio Program. In the late 1980s she moved to West Berlin, where she was awarded two scholarships by IBA Berlin in 1987 and 1988, for the project and feasibility study for Two public biotoilets.

She has worked with artists, poets and musicians including Paola d’Agnese, Federico Fusi, David Hammons, Enzo De Leonibus, Stefano Maria Longobardi, Kristine Lovejoy, Progetto Neola, Annie Ratti, Andries van Rossem, Barbel Rothaar, Stalker-Osservatorio Nomade and Penelope Wehrli.

Her work draws on numerous material and sensorial elements, such as our sense of smell and hearing, and tends to be made using simple materials and techniques. Her practice includes drawing, photography and collage, as well as sculpture, video, installations, live performance, artistic actions and site-specific projects.

Awards and recognition for her work: In 1999 she was awarded a Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, for the Italian Pavilion dAPPERTutto, created with other Italian female artists, as well as the Italian Studio Program PS1 Award in New York. In 2000 she was awarded the Premio per la giovane arte italiana, (the Young Italian Artist Prize) by the Centro nazionale per le Arti Contemporanee (National Centre for Contemporary Art) in Rome. In 2011 she was shortlisted for the Italian Chamber of Deputies Award for the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy at the Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome; Italian Council IX, 2020; Termoli Prize, 2021.

International biennials include: XIII Havana Biennial, Cuba (2019); XIII International Biennial of Cuenca, Ecuador (2016); Prospect 1, New Orleans, USA (2008); Rome Quadriennale (1996 – 2008); Gwangju Biennial, South Korea (2004); Istanbul Biennial (2003); Venice Biennale (1999 – 2005); Sonsbeek9 in Arnhem, the Netherlands (2001); and Documenta X in Kassel (1997).

Solo exhibitions: altri venti – ostro, STUDIO STEFANIA MISCETTI, Magazzino Italian Art and Bienalsur (2020-2021); ¿Qué puede el humo hacerle al hierro?, MUNTREF, Buenos Aires (2020);  Perle Rare, Fondazione San Fedele, Milan (2019); inconveniente, Fondazione Raccolta Cardinale Lercaro, Bologna (2018); Allegro non troppo, Studio Stefania Miscetti, Roma (2017); Bruna Esposito. e così sia…, MAXXI, Roma (2017); davvero, FL Gallery, Milan (2016); inconveniente, FL Gallery, Milan (2014); Out of the Blue, Olnick Spanu Art Program, Garrison, USA (2013); Alla turca, FL Gallery, Milan (2006); Tulipano Nero, Z33 Hasselt, Belgium (2004); Passiflora, Museolaboratorio Ex Manifattura Tabacchi, Città Sant’Angelo (2003); Madre Patria, Castel Sant’Elmo, Naples (2002); Bruna Esposito, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea del Castello di Rivoli (2002).

Selected group exhibitions:  Classic Reloaded. Mediterranea, Bardo National Museum, Tunis, Villa Audi Mosaic Museum, Beirut, and Villa des Arts in Rabat (2018-19); Intuition, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice (2017); The Raft. Art is (not) Lonely, Mu.Zee, Ostend, Belgium (2017); L’altro sguardo. Fotografe italiane 1965-2015, Triennale di Milano, Milan (2016); ArtClub#5, I Giovedì della Villa, Académie de France at Rome, Villa Medici, Rome (2016); Start up. Quattro agenzie per la produzione del possibile, Fondazione Baruchello, Rome (2016); Lallazioni. Bruna Esposito e Annie Ratti, Auditorium Parco della musica, Rome (2015); Au rendez-vous des amis, Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini Collezione Burri, Città di Castello (2015).