Vanni Cuoghi Biography
Vanni Cuoghi was born in Genoa in 1966 and currently lives and works in Milan. He graduated in Decorative Painting at the State Institute of Art of Chiavari (GE) and in Scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, Milan. From 1989 to 1992 Cuoghi worked as an illustrator for various Italian magazines and attended the Disney Academy. Until 2002 he decorated and frescoed the interiors and exteriors of churches and noble palaces, reinterpreting the styles of the great Baroque decoration. Among Cuoghi's important public exhibitions we remember "Allarmi" in 2004 curated by Norma Mangione, Ivan Quaroni, Alessandro Trabucco and Irina Zucca Alessandrelli at Caserma De Cristoforis in Como, and "Sirene" in 2004 curated by Alessandro Trabucco at Galata del Mare Museum of Genoa. In 2006 Cuoghi was invited by Maurizio Sciaccaluga to participate in "Ars in Fabula" at the Palazzo Pretorio in Certaldo (Fi). He was a finalist at the "Premio Celeste" at the Marino Marini Museum in Florence, at the "Premio Cairo" at the Palazzo della Permanente in Milan, at the "Premio Fabbri" at the Monte Foundation in Bologna. Cuoghi participated in the exhibition "Arte Italiana 1968-2007 Pittura" curated by Vittorio Sgarbi and was included in the book "Laboratorio Italia" published by Johan & Levi, selected by Ivan Quaroni. One of his paintings was chosen as the logo to represent the summer events of the city of Milan. In 2008 Cuoghi frescoed the entire façade of the Church of Santa Caterina da Genova with the story of the Saint's life, participated in the fourth edition of "Allarmi" in Como and exhibited at the Frieze Art Fair in London. It was also present at the St. Petersburg Biennial (Russia) in the section curated by Enzo Fornaro and exhibited in China at the Beijing 2008-Artathlos exhibition curated by Piero Addis at the Haidian Exhibition Center. In Shanghai he exhibited in the collective "Maestri di Brera" at the Liu Haisu Museum. In 2009 Cuoghi participated with the Italian Newbrow group, curated by Ivan Quaroni, in the fourth Prague Biennial (Czech Republic) and in the Youth Biennial at the Serrone della Villa Reale in Monza. The city of Como selected images of his work to publicize the ES-CO event. Cuoghi created eight large panels for the Costa Fascinosa cruise ship and a set of sixteen majolica parade plates in collaboration with the Gatti workshop in Faenza. He was invited by Luca Beatrice to participate in the "Popism" exhibition at the 63rd edition of the Michetti Prize in Francavilla Al Mare. In July he participated with the Italian Newbrow group in a public exhibition at the Fortino in Forte Dei Marmi, curated by Ivan Quaroni, who invited him to participate in the Italy-China Biennial at the Villa Reale in Monza. In November Cuoghi participates in the "Homo Faber" exhibition at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, invited by Mimmo Di Marzio. In 2013 he was included in Claudio Borghi Aquilini's book "Investire nell'arte", published by Sperling & Kuupfer. In September, at the Civic Museums of Crema, he inaugurates a personal exhibition entitled "Aion" curated by Ivan Quaroni. In 2017 he held a solo exhibition entitled "Il Sole Invisibile" at the Francesco Messina Museum in Milan. The exhibition was designed specifically for the space and proposed a reflection on drawing as an autonomous language. In 2018, in collaboration with the Nava-Arosio studio and Tessuti Rubelli, Cuoghi painted four Pila 47 armchairs which were exhibited at the Rotonda Appiani in the Villa Reale in Monza. At the end of May 2019 he inaugurated "The Eye of the Storm", a solo exhibition at the Rossi-Martino Gallery in Hong Kong. In October he inaugurates the personal exhibition "Esuli Pensieri" at the Balestra Foundation in Longiano.
