Biography

Giuseppe La Spada is an interdisciplinary 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.

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 carrier 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 Manifesta 12 Collateral in Milazzo and 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.]

Currently, he lives and works in Milan 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.

• Member of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (New York)
• 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 in Milan 2004 - present

Exhibitions

Solo shows:

• 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

• 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 - Mare e Sostenibilità per le scuole

• 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

• 04.2019 | La Storia in piazza • 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)

Honours and Awards

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 - 2019  WEBBY AWARDS

2018 WORLD WATER DAY PHOTO CONTEST
2018 MAREVIVO MARINE LITTER ART
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