Giuseppe La Spada is an intermedia artist whose research explores the human-nature relationship, with the aim of sensitising the public to environmental issues. In particular, the water element flows throughout his entire artistic practice, becoming each time the subject or the context, at times even the medium.
Always interested in the synesthetic experiences resulting from the interplay between artistic languages, today he focuses on photography, video and installations - three-dimensional, interactive or process-based.

Art, spirituality and sustainability are woven together into his works through a relentless research on the human existence on the planet Earth. For him, Art should be functional and develop into a ‘social architecture’. For this reason, his practice also includes conferences and participatory projects geared towards the young generations, aimed at fostering a new ecological awareness.

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Born in 1974 in Palermo, he grows up in Milazzo.
In 2002 he graduates with honors in Digital Design at Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, where he remains as a professor until 2004. In 2006, he is awarded the prize for best career in Visual Arts by the same institution In 2007 he wins the prestigious Webby Award for the netart category, with the website Mono No Aware, an ecological web project to support the project Stop Rokkasho founded by Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2008 he works alongside Sakamoto and Fennesz on the Cendre tournèe, ending with the unforgettable final show at Ground Zero, New York.

In 2009 he worked on Afleur, an art project that later on resulted into a live show and an ecological object-book (2010). The work was also a part of the art exhibition Digitalife 2, among the works of Marina Abramovic, Christian Marclay, Carsten Nicolai, Ryoichi Kurokawa and many other eminent contemporary artist. His photo was chosen as the rappresentative picture of the event.

In 2011 he stages an impressive tree in Piazza Duomo, Milan with the participation of more than 600 people, to raise public awareness on the problem of pollution.
In 2012 he curates With All Your Senses, an event for Ca' Del Bosco where he creates an interactive multisensorial artwork well appreciated by critics and press. In the same year, alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto, he created the video Hana no ame for the project Kizuna World in order to fundraise for Japan Earthquake victims.

In 2014 his digital manipulation is exhibited in Tate Loud Collective, at Tate Britain.
In 2015 his artwork Migrants is digitally displayed at Louvre, Exposure Award, while in October of the same year the artist presents Sublimis, at Triennale, Milano. This interdisciplinary project related to Humans and Water is developed in collaboration with established international scientists and artists, as Ryuichi Sakamoto who created for the occasion the indent music composition Shizen no Koe. The same project is also presented in Seaport Museum, New York, in 2016.

In 2016 the Ecomuseo del Mare in Palermo hosts his solo exhibition, Underwater.
In 2017 Shizen no Koe, his interactive water installation, is displayed during 'Festival for the Earth' at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II.  
In 2018 he takes part in Idesign show, Manifesta 12 Collateral in Palermo with Fluctus, a huge plastic installation. In the same year, his work is also featured in the exhibition Re-Use, among artists as Man Ray, Duchamp, Manzoni, Christo, Pistoletto, Penone, Tony Cragg, Damien Hirst. [etc.]

In 2019 he exhibited the project 'Trajectories Liquid' with photos of world ski champion Federica Brignone, portrayed while skiing underwater. From the same year, he directed Franco Battiato's video 'Torneremo ancora'.In 2020 he conceived “Being Ecosophy” for the Creval Foundation, a digital platform hosting artworks and educational tools aimed at creating a new ecology of thought. In 2022 he collaborates on the sound installation “Playback” curate

d by Ryuichi Sakamoto for the Dumb Type collective, an installation featured at both the Japan Pavilion of the “59th Venice Biennale,” the “Haus der Kunst” museum in Munich and the “Artizon” museum in Tokyo.

In 2023 he exhibited a retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Alcamo and the International Center of Photography 'Letizia Battaglia' in Palermo, of 2024 solo exhibitions at the “Palazzo della Cultura” in Catania and the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, Serbia and the installation in Indonesia at the World Water Forum made with the Global Network of Water Museums (UNESCO-IHP).

Member of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (New York).

Currently, he lives and works in Sicily embracing his relentless research on the human-nature relationship as both an aesthetic artistic mission and a truly ethic one, with the aim of giving a real contribution to the human society.

Contract Professor of Digital Animation at Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (Milan) 2010 - 2019
 Contract Professor of Art Direction for Photography at Istituto Europeo di Design (Milan) 2011 - 2022













Exhibitions Solo shows:



•  Acqua e Donna | 27.03 to 19.04.2024 |  Italian Cultural Institute Belgrade (SRB)

• Acqua e Donna | 18.01 to 31.01.2024 | Palazzo della Cultura  Catania (ITA)

• Acqua e Donna | 09.11 to 11.12.2023 | Centro Internazionale di Fotografia Palermo (ITA)

• Umi No Ne | 25.08 to 30.09.2023 | Museo Arte Contemporanea Alcamo (ITA)

•  Traiettorie Liquide | 06 to 07.11.2019 | Museum Oceanographic in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II Monaco (FRA)

• Traiettorie Liquide | 24.10 to 04.11.2019 | Festival della Scienza Galata Museo del Mare Genova(ITA)

• Traiettorie Liquide | 04.10.2019 | Festival dello sport  Trento (ITA)

• Traiettorie Liquide | 09.07 to 19.07.2019 | Banca Generali  Bologna (ITA)

• Traiettorie Liquide | 10.06 to 02.07.2019 | Banca Generali  Torino (ITA)

• Traiettorie Liquide | 23.05 to 03.06.2019 | Banca Generali Roma (ITA)

• Fluctus | 02.08 to 02.09.2018 | Duomo Antico Milazzo (ITA)

• Mare Nero | 02.02 to 19.02.2018 | Palazzo Muzio - Fai Sondrio + AmyD Gallery  Sondrio (ITA)

• In a Changing sea | 10.11 to 11.11.2017 | Museum Oceanographic - NM Contemporary Gallery (double solo)  Monaco (FRA) (double solo)

• Shizen no Koe | 11.11.2017 | Museum Oceanographic in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II Monaco (FRA) (double solo)

• In a Changing sea | 09.03 to 12.03.2017 | Mia Fair Milano -
AmyD Gallery Milano (ITA)

• La luna e il mare | 13.07 to 31.08.2017 | Luisa Catucci Gallery - Berlin (GER) (double solo)

• Underwater | 17.05 to 29.05.2016 | Eco Museo del Mare  Palermo (ITA)

• Sublimis Preview | 25.04.2016 | South Street SeaPort Museum New York (USA)

•  Ab Origine | 10.02 to 15.04.2016 | Porto4  Marghera (ITA)


• Sublimis | 19.10 to 28.10.2015 | Triennale Museum Milan (ITA)

• Underwater | 07 2014| Marina Corta Lipari (ITA) 

•Sicily goes by | 07 2012 | Castello di Spadadofora (ITA)



• Underwater | 3.12.2011 to 31.3.2012 | 7.24x0.26 Gallery Milano (ITA) 

• Sicily goes by | 1.10 to 31.10 2007 | Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City (USA) 




Group shows: 




• Paris Photo OFF | 09.11  to 11.11.2018 | Galerie Joseph Turenne Paris (FRA) 

• Etherea | 08.11 to 16.11.2018 | Mediateca Santa Caterina  Milano (ITA)
• In a Changing Sea | 27.10.2018 to 10.02.2019 | Museo Casa Robegan - Treviso Ricerca Arte  Treviso (ITA)

• Mare Nero In a Changing sea | 25.10 to 04.11.2018 | Festival della Scienza - Fai + AmyD Gallery Genova (ITA)

• Fluctus | 25.10 to 04.11.2018 | Santa Maria dello Spasimo - I Design Manifesta12 collateral Palermo (ITA)

Intelligenze Marine | 15.09 to 25.09.2018 | Palazzo Ducale Genova (ITA)

• Natura Mirabilis | 24.08 to 30.09.2018 | Luisa Catucci Gallery  Berlin (GER)

• Wave | 16.07 to 22.07.2018 | Voies Off Festival - Imagenation •  Arles (FRA)

• Fall | 06.06 to 10.06.2018 | Paratissima Art Fair - Imagenation  Milano (ITA)

• Wave | 11.05 to 13.05.2018 | International Photo Exposition - Imagenation Paris (FRA) 

• Various Artworks | 09.03 to 12.03.2018 | Mia Fair Milano - Luisa Catucci Gallery Berlin (GER)   

• Mare Sopra Mare Sotto | 26.05 to 26.05.2017 | Acquario Civico Milano (ITA) 

• Artists4Whale | 2.06 to 18.06.2017 | Forte Santa Tecla • Sanremo (ITA)

•  Exposure Award | 13.07.2015 | Louvre Paris (FRA)

• Tate Loud Collective | 8.11.2014 | Tate Britain London (UK)

• Between VISUAL and SPATIAL | 10.02 to 11.02.2012 | Tokyo (JAP)

• Digital Life 2 | 26.10 to 11.12 2011 | Ex Gil Roma  (ITA)



Lectures

Arte, Spiritualità, Sostenibilità


02.09.2019 | Marevivo Sicilia • Eraclea Minoa (ITA)
15.04.2019 | Multhesius Kunsthochchule  • Kiel (GER)
20.03.2019 | Facoltà di Architettura • Palermo (ITA)
15.12.2016 | Villa Napoleonica • Porto San Giorgio (ITA)
4.10.2016 | Camera Dei Deputati • Roma (ITA)
2016 | Studio Porto 4 • Marghera  (ITA)

We Are Drops 

06.11.2019 | Festival for the Earth • Sanremo (ITA)
25.04.2018 | Gigliopoli • Milazzo (ITA)
11.2018 – 02.2019 | Scuola San Giuseppe • Macerata (ITA)
28.04.2018 | Ignatianum • Messina (ITA)
27.04.2018 | ITTC Leonardo Da Vinci • Milazzo (ITA)
21.04.2018 | Spazio Loc • Capo d’Orlando (ITA)
23.03.2018 | Auditorium • Seregno (ITA)


Marine Litter: Le specie Aliene siamo noi with Dr. Marco Faimali, CNR IAS Genova

23.11.2019 | Focus Live • Museo Della Scienza e della Tecnologia Milano (ITA)
26.09.2019 | Salone Nautico • Genova (ITA)
04.2019 | La Storia in piazza • Palazzo Ducale Genova (ITA)
06.2018 | Nave Marina Militare V.Fasan • La Spezia (ITA)
06.2018 | Acquario Romano • Roma (ITA)
04.2018 | Spazio Loc • Capo d’Orlando (ITA)
03.2018 | Villa Durazzo • Santa Margherita Ligure (ITA)
01.2018 | Museo Galata • Genova (ITA)

Other lectures were held at Università IULM, Camera dei Deputati, 
Facoltà di Architettura ValleGiulia di Roma, Università Iuav di Venezia,  
Università Iuav di Venezia - Facoltà di Design e Arti,
Triennale di Milano, Università Cattolica Milano, Università di Industrial Design
e della Moda di Napoli 'Luigi Vanvitelli'.





Honours and Awards

2024 FESTA DEL MARE “Premio Antonino Giunta”
2021 STROMBOLI AWARD “Media Performance” 
2018 ISOLE EOLIE Recognition Plate
2017 PREMIO TERMINAL
2015 PREMIO GIORGIO LA PIRA
2013 ROMA VIDEOCLIP Winner
2013 MEDIMEX 2013 Nomination
2013 WORLD MUSIC AWARDS ' World’s Best Video' Nomination
2012 ADCI 'Design' Shortlist
2011 ACTIVE DESIGN AWARD
2011 MEDIASTARS for 'Creative Direction'
2010 MEDIASTARS for 'Creative Direction'
2009 INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF DIGITAL ARTS AND SCIENCES (NY) Associate Member
2009 EUROPEAN IMC AWARDS Silver
2009 ADCI 'Integrated Media Category' Shortlist
2009 ADCI 'Social Media Category' Shortlist
2009 CELESTE PRIZE 'Live Media' Shortlist
2009 IMA Outstanding Achievement 'Advocacy Category'
2008 EPICA AWARDS Bronze 'Consumer Sites'
2007 WEBBY AWARDS 'PV Net Art Category'
2007 ADCI Silver Award 'Web site Category'
2007 MEDIASTARS for 'Creative Direction'
2007 CSNA AWARD
2006 ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI DESIGN (Rome) 'Best Visual Art Career'
2006 ITALIAN WEB AWARDS 'Best Art Direction'
2006 ITALIAN WEB AWARDS 'Site of the year' nomination
2006 BARDIWEB 'Best personal site'
2006 MEDIASTARS for 'Creative Direction'
2003 FLASHFESTIVAL 'Audience Award'
2003 AMERICAN DESIGN AWARD 'Platinum Winner'
2003 ITALIAN WEB AWARDS 'shortlist




Juror
2010 - 2025  WEBBY AWARDS
2025 WORLD WATER DAY PHOTO CONTEST
2024 CMCC “MARIA REBECCA BALLESTRA AWARD” Juror
2021 CMCC “MARIA REBECCA BALLESTRA AWARD” Juror
2018 WORLD WATER DAY PHOTO CONTEST
2017 ADCI 'Photography' Category (Milan)
2013 ADCI 'Digital' Category (Rimini)
2012 UKRAINIAN DESIGN AWARDS 'Digital'
2012 ADCI 'Live Advertising' Category (Milan)
2011 ADCI 'Design' Category (Milan)
2010 ADC*E Digital & Interactive Category (Barcelona)
2009 ROMA EUROPA WEB FACTORY 'Video Art' E-guide




Curator

2024 AURA FEST “IL FIUME DEI SOGNI” Artistic Director
2024 SICILIAN PHOTO FESTIVAL Artistic Director
2023 AURA FEST Artistic Director
2021 FONDAZIONE CREVAL “ESSERECOSOFIA” Curator 
2021 MAREVIVO “MARINE LITTER ART” Curator
2019 MAREVIVO “MARINE LITTER ART” Curator
2018 MAREVIVO “MARINE LITTER ART” Curator



Press
︎ Dossier with Press and Project  (ENG Pdf) 

︎ Dossier con Rassegna stampa e Progetti  (ITA Pdf)