A native of Genoa, Italy, where he was born in 1940, Giulio Paolini is presently based in Turin, where he continues his artistic practice. Since emerging within the Arte Povera movement during the mid-1960s, his artistic output has fostered an ongoing conversation with the concepts of History and Time. His aesthetic is defined by a consistent repertoire of media—ranging from Plexiglas and photographic prints to plaster casts and drafting paper—that are assembled into multifaceted, coherent compositions. These works serve as intricate assemblages of fragments, layered with profound allusions to both literary traditions and the broader canon of art history.
Throughout his career, Paolini’s work has been the subject of extensive solo exhibitions at prestigious international venues. Notable retrospectives include those hosted by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (1980), Lisbon’s Fundação C. Gulbenkian (1995), MAMCO in Geneva (1999), Kunstmuseum Winterthur (2005), Rome’s MACRO (2013), the Whitechapel Gallery in London (2014), the Center for Italian Modern Art in New York (2016), and Milanese institutions such as the Museo Poldi Pezzoli (2016) and Fondazione Carriero (2018).
Beyond his solo institutional presence, Paolini has been a consistent participant in major global showcases, featuring in several editions of Documenta (1972, 1977, 1982, and 1992) and the Venice Biennale (spanning 1970 to 2013). Furthermore, he has been an active contributor to the performing arts as a set designer since 1969, a highlight of which was his 2005 collaboration for Richard Wagner’s *Die Walkürie* at the Teatro di San Carlo. His professional achievements have been further distinguished by several honors, including the 1975 Premio Fontana, a 1981 DAAD Fellowship, and his 1995 appointment as a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
www.ftn-books.com has several scarce Paolini publications available.
