Velasco Vitali

Velasco Vitali, born in Bellano, Italy, in 1960, is a painter and sculptor who lives and works in Milan. His artistic career began with an encounter with Giovanni Testori and participation in the "Artisti e Scrittori" exhibition in Milan. After early solo exhibitions, his painting focused on the tragedy that affected Valtellina in the late 1980s, culminating in the "Paesaggio Cancellato" exhibition in 1990. In the late 1990s, Vitali was invited to the Rome Quadriennale and began exploring the ports of the Mediterranean and southern Italy, leading to projects such as "Isolitudine" (2000) with Ferdinando Scianna and "MIXtura" (2003) with Franco Battiato. His work was included in the MACRO collection in 2005. He has exhibited at the Venice Biennale (Italian Pavilion, 2011) and the Gherdeina Biennale of sculpture (2014). A documentary titled "Il Gesto Delle Mani," released in 2015, portrays him during the creation of a bronze sculpture. Vitali has maintained a focus on dog sculptures for approximately 15 years, utilizing various materials in their creation. These sculptures often evoke stray dogs found in Mediterranean cities, reflecting themes of survival and improvised spaces. His artistic approach often involves staging visual creations that encourage contemplation, rather than presenting explicit interpretations or narratives.