Michelangelo Galliani Italy, b. 1975

Born on 10 October 1975 in Montecchio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, where he still lives and works. Michelangelo Galliani began to work as a sculptor at an young age. The artist attended, first, the Paolo Toschi Art Institute in Parma and, later, the Institute for Art and Restoration of Palazzo Spinelli in Florence, finally earning a diploma in Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara. Galliani, in addition to his activity as a sculptor, is Professor inMarble and Semi-Precious Stones Techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino.

Galliani tenaciously challenges the stone and its hardness by carving it manually and methodically with surgical instruments. This unusual technique represents an important milestone in the development of his conceptual work and the creation of an original and refined style. Galliani focuses on expressions, twisting bodies, soft features and divine elegance, combining different traditions and technical accuracy: the result is a fascinating production where the works of art represent a varied interpretation, irrational and aesthetically appealing of classical sculpture. Although the artist uses in most sculptures the technique of the 'unfinished' to make them similar to ancient finds recently discovered, their dramatic expressions ensure that the work appears complete to the observer.

Without the use of preliminary sketches, the sculptural fragments are juxtaposed with metals such as brass, lead and iron, in order to obtain a contemporary and distinctive identity; through this technique, Galliani emphasizes the study that is the basis of his works, offering, at the same time, original compositions that deftlymanage the relationship between 3D sculptures and flat surfaces.

The artist has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, both in Italy and internationally, exhibiting in London, Spain, Turkey and China. In 2005 he exhibited at the Biennale Giovani in Monza and in 2004 at the Quadriennale in Rome; in 2008 he won the Fabbri Award in Bologna. In 2014 he was selected as a finalist at the Open Art International Art Competition in Milan; in 2015 his works were in the foreground at the Italian Art Expo curated by Vittorio Sgarbi. In 2019 he won the prestigious Franco Cuomo International Award in the Art section for his original sculptural production and the special sensitivity with which he explores new ways of expression. 

From 23 April to 27 November 2022 the artist participated in the Venice Biennale with the Pavilion of the Republic of San Marino at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose with his project Il Giardino Imperfetto, curated by Prof. Pasquale Lettieri.

Among the recent solo exhibitions, Noctilucent (2023), organized by Alkedo aps in collaboration with Galleria Giovanni Bonelli, Cris Contini Contemporary and Terre Medicee, at the Spazio Cappella Marchi in Seravezza (LU); Underground Fever (2023), organized by Cris Contini Contemporary at the evocative The Crypt Gallery in London; Sagitta (2024), as part of the exhibition ‘Of the human dimension. Contemporary Art and Visions along the Via Emilia’,curated by Maria Chiara Wang, at the Studio la Linea Verticale in Bologna; Alkemica/Martirio e Rinascita (2025), organised by Cris Contini Contemporary at the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome.