Virgilio exhibits in Galleria Gagliardi since 2009.
Virgilio was born in 1967.
As observed by Franco Basile in the following text for a recent exhibition “He chose to sign his work with the name of the poet Dante raised as a symbol of human wisdom. Virgil, an established name even for not wanting to appear to be a faceless signature and to establish himself as a holder of a ticket for a journey without dates and without a precise destination.”
Self-taught, after graduating from an art school, Virgil often visited museums, where he gradually learned to draw from the works of the great masters of the past.
He studied “Il Libro dell'Arte" by Cennino Cennini and the "Trattato sulla pittura" by Leonardo Da Vinci: important texts which allowed him to acquire the basics of painting techniques from the past. Virgil’s work is a puzzle without an aid, as he likes to call it: a labyrinthine game in which the observer can never find the beginning or the end. When the solution seems to appear, there is something that emerges from detection and finally the observer is obliged to start over.
In brush point, precise and detailed, with visual interpretations and flemish memory codes, Virgilio, realizes works in which recreates universes rich both of history and actuality. Behind the fifteenth-century appearance, (Virgilio is a pseudonym) a cultured and refined Artist hides, seizing contemporary aspects, with crops of disquieting reflection: a balanced alchemy made of codes and definitions. Minutely drawn, his rabbits, carrots, lamps, apples, act as symbolic pretext to further meanings to be decoded. Sectioned fruits, pierced by needles and nails, with coded messages hanging, parchment's esoteric fragments, mysterious drawers, keyless padlocks, laced tablecloths. Verbal messages joined by resembled improbable and hybrid animal, beings reborn by means of mechanical grafts, cryptic suggestions as to create with the observer, the mystery of sense old play in the imaginary world of a scientist testing the impossible.Colors are meticulously applied, a surgical paint, cold and able to reveal universal concepts. The last canvas hosting for the first time a solo exhibition of the Artist, are connected to the "Place of the Happening" theme.The imaginary objects, legumes, the bionic fruits and the ambiguous animals, live a life in a life, dipped in a diverted and fantastic world, protected by a glass bell. Separated by that transparent cap, they offer themselves to the investigating eye of the spectator. A place in which, as an opposite canon, time is a different time and the event shows as in a parallel reality.The planes explored by the Artist are cryptic and alchemic, because they contain lives of a fantastic universe. The mutual relations between false and true, mystic and profane, are entwined and fused, connecting the visual and the verbal set, granting to the observer a variety of meaning interpretations. A journey in the medieval allegory seen with the eyes of a new artistic generation man.
Virgilio Rospigliosi is an Italian visual artist, painter, performer and intuitionist philosopher. Over time he has also tried his hand at bodyart, choreography and musical composition. Self-taught, from a young age he frequented Italian museums, in particular the Uffizi Gallery in Florence where he studied and assimilated the painting technique from the works of the masters of the past. Study pioneering cinema, especially German Expressionist. In the early 80s its first experiments began. Biological cataloging in vaseline oil. The installations, which he creates in his studio and then photographs. The “Informatic Landscapes - Idiosyncrasies” are born. Also in those years he refined his pictorial technique by faithfully reproducing works by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens. The intent was to appropriate the copied work by defunctionalizing it and intervening with ironic / desecrating actions, often anticipating different themes and modes of expression by many years. From the mid-90s to the early 2000s he worked assiduously for private individuals and on some occasions for the church. At the same time he deepens various artistic expressions. Photography, video, installations, performances and music. To support himself and finance the research he invents "Dead Painting-Art for the masses", which he defines as a "performance with a temporal action without an end", and through which he collaborates with important art galleries using various pseudonyms. In the summer of 2000 he participated in an artistic event with an installation designed in 1998 and which will cause discussion, to the point that he will be forced to remove it. The work represented an original variation, little understood and decidedly strong, of the Last Supper of Christ (The Last Supper 1998-2000). On that occasion he is noticed by the writer Giorgio Soavi who commissions his portrait from him and with whom he establishes a deep friendship. In 2002 he began to work on that philosophical dimension that he would later define with the neologism "Atomideogenesi". In 2003 Luciano Inga Pin visited the artist's studio several times, inviting him to exhibit in his gallery in Milan. On more than one occasion he is selected by Philippe Daverio, with whom he collaborates on various artistic projects. In 2013 Umberto Eco dedicated an interview to him. In 2019 he chooses to abandon the art market and relations with galleries, to devote himself to research, the dissemination of "Atomideogenesi" and the archiving of substantial and unprecedented artistic production.
Exhibitions
1991
Ultima Cena. Chiesa S. Giuseppe. La Spezia. (SP). IT
1992
Crocifissione. Frati passionisti. Borghetto Vara. (SP). IT
1993
Mose' e il roveto ardente. Chiesa S. Carlo Borromeo. Borghetto Vara. (SP). IT
1994
Calandriniana. Sarzana. (SP). IT
Progetto Virtuale. Castelnuovo Magra. (SP). IT
ArteExpoUS. Los Angeles. U.S.A
1995
Calandriniana. sarzana. (SP). IT
1996
Strutture su carta. Carrara. (MS). IT
1997
Trittico in B/N. Chicago. U.S.A
2000
Ultima Cena "The Last Supper". Fosdinovo. (MS). IT
2003
Proposte, Galleria Forni. Bologna. (BO). IT
St' Art Strasburgo, Galleria Forni. FR
Artefiera Bologna, Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
Miart MIlano, Galleria Forni. (MI). IT
2004
Poltrona Frau, Galleria Forni, Dubai. Arabia Saudita.
St' Art Strasburgo, Galleria Forni. FR
Artefiera Bologna, Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
Miart MIlano, Galleria Forni. (MI). IT
2005
Alchemica-Mente, Galleria Il Tempietto. Brindisi. (BR). IT
Artefiera Bologna, Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
Miart .MIlano, Galleria Forni. (MI). IT
2006
57° Premio Michetti, Francavilla al mare. A cura di Philippe Daverio. (CH). IT
St' Art Strasburgo, Galleria Forni. FR
Artefiera Bologna, Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
Flowers, Galleria Forni. Bologna. (BO). IT
Miart .MIlano, Galleria Forni. (MI). IT
Meccanica del sogno, Galleria Forni. Bologna. A cura di Franco Basile. (BO). IT
2007
Bologna si rivela, Bologna. A cura di Philippe Daverio. (BO). IT
13x17, Bologna. A cura di Philippe Daverio. (BO). IT
Miart .MIlano, Galleria Forni. (MI). IT
Lo Strano caso della logica, Galleria Davico. Torino. (TO). IT
Hypnos e Thanatos, Adria-Bari. A cura di Alberto Agazzani. (BA). IT
2008
La materia fluttuante, Galleria Spazio Rosso Tiziano. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Roncaglia Biennale D'Arte, Modena. (MO). IT
Una sua opera è stata acquistata dal museo MIM di S. Pietro in cero. (PC). IT
Nature morte e sepolte, Galleria Via Mazzini. Sarzana (SP). IT
2009
Universi Alchemici, Galleria Gagliardi. S.Gimignano (SI). IT
Contemplazioni, Rimini. A cura di Alberto Agazzani. (FO). IT
Altre contemplazioni, Catania. A cura di Alberto Agazzani. (CT). IT
Ilemorfismi, Galleria Forni. A cura di Daniela Del Moro. Bologna. (BO). IT
2010
Grottesco Surreale e fantastico. galleria Davico.torino. (TO). IT
Arteforte. fiera d arte moderna e contemporanea. in-door art gallery. Forte dei Marmi.(LU). IT
Fiera d arte moderna e contemporanea. in-door art galley. Reggio Emilia. (RE). IT
Collettiva. 90 anni della Galleria Rotta Farinelli. Galleria Rotta Farinelli. Genova. (GE). IT
2011
Collettiva. Galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Artefiera Cremona. Galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Il Pensiero incompiuto.Cantine. Galleria Forni. Bologna. (BO). IT
Ritratti Statici. L'Aquilegia. Sarzana. (SP). IT
Expo' Piacenza. galleria Nuovospazio.Piacenza. (PC). IT
2012
Baf-Bergamo. Galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Arte Cremona. galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Vincitore Primo premio AAM Milano 2012. (MI). IT
Il rumore dipende dall' origine. Galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
Voci. Collettiva. A cura di Stefania Ghiglione. Genova. (GE). IT
Expo' Piacenza. Galleria Nuovospazio. Piacenza. (PC). IT
2013
BAF Bergamo. Galleria Nuovospazio. (PC). IT
Artecremona. Galleria Nuovospazio. (PC). IT
Marabu'. Vizi e virtù. Galleria dell'incisione. (BS). IT
Contrasti. Dialoghi dal figurativo al concettuale. Galleria Benappi. Torino. (TO). IT
Oltre lo sguardo. Poetica della visione. Galleria Lo spazio assente. Sarzana. (SP). IT
IV Biennale di Lodi. Spazio Bipielle. Banca Popolare di Lodi. (LO). IT
La cultura e' un reato. Ten Art Gallery. (MI). IT
2014
Tagli Temporali. Galleria Capoverso. (GE). IT
65° Edizione Premio Michetti. Francavilla al mare. (CH). IT
Arte Informatica. Commissione Costa Crociere (Costa Diadema) (GE). IT
Arte Padova. Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
St'Art Strasburgo. Galleria Forni. FR
2015
St'Art Strasburgo. Galleria forni. FR
Non solo vero. Chivasso. (TO). IT
Arte Verona. Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
2016
Arte Genova. Galleria Vallardi. (SP). IT
Art for the masses. Galleria Vallardi. (SP). IT
Il realismo magico di Cargiolli e Virgilio. Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
Arte Verona. Galleria Forni (BO). IT
Artefiera Bologna. Galleria Forni. (BO). IT
St' Art Strasburgo. Galleria Forni. FR. IT
2017
Art Karlsruhe 2017. Deutschland. (Galleria Forni)
Sacro e Profano "Il dubbio è la fede". Comune di Sarzana (SP). IT
Wopart 2017. Lugano (Galleria Forni) CH
50 anni Galleria Forni. (Galleria Forni) (BO). IT
Nativita'. (Galleria Nuovospazio) (PC). IT
2018
Konzept Kammer (Opere scelte dal 1982 al 2018-1°parte). Sarzana (SP). IT
Vincitore 1°Premio Stefano Ussi. Casa di Dante (FI). IT
Idea e Materia (Atomideogenesi). Circolo degli Artisti - Casa di Dante. (FI). IT
2019
Looking for Monna Lisa. Pavia. A cura di Valerio Dehò. Castello Visconteo. (PV). IT
2021
Summer School Startè. Sarzana. A cura di Valerio Dehò e Paolo Asti. Fortezza Firmafede. (SP). IT