Gianni Mantovani was born in 1950 in Concordia (Modena), where he still resides. He studied at the Art Institute of Modena and at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna.
At the age of 17, he won a competition held among students of Italian Art Academies at the Palazzo dei Musei in Modena and later participated, representing the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, in the “Third Printmaking Exhibition” at the National Print Cabinet at the Farnesina in Rome.
At the age of 23, he began teaching Painting at the Artistic High School of Bologna. In the mid-1980s, his artistic research turned towards abstract art in line with the critic Giorgio Cortenova (Director of the Gallery of Modern Art in Verona), who theorized “Archaic Abstraction,” presenting him at the Pinacoteca of Macerata and the Civic Gallery of Vicenza. During this period, he exhibited works with abstraction that became increasingly lyrical, curated by Claudio Cerritelli (Professor at the Brera Academy), exhibiting in Florence, Genoa, Trieste, Verona, Rome, and Sofia (Bulgaria).
In 1994, he became a tenured professor of “Painting” at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna after winning the national competition for the Fine Arts Academies, where artistic qualifications are fundamental for the assignment of points. For several years, he was Secretary of the Institute of Painting. The University of Bologna offered him contracts to teach specialization courses (SISS) for future teachers of Artistic Education and Painting. For years, he worked with Concetto Pozzati, who held one of the most prestigious painting chairs in Italy.
In 1994, he participated in the exhibitions “Cinderella’s Revenge” and “Spectacles” alongside Armani, Ferré, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, which were exhibited worldwide, at the Cristinerose Gallery in New York, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and Smith’s Galleries in London.
His works have been published in important books on both national and international levels, including “Painting in Italy – The 20th Century” by Enrico Crispolti and Carlo Pirovano, “Figures of the 20th Century,” and “Plexus Black Box” from the University La Sapienza of Rome. The book “A regola d’Arte” on Modenese art of the 19th and 20th centuries states: “Mantovani is considered one of the most vibrant and modern minds in Modenese painting.” In the book “The Field of Culture in Modena,” it is noted that “Mantovani is among the artists who will be remembered in the future.” Articles about him have been published in prominent magazines and newspapers, including Flash Art International, Giornale dell’Arte, Arte Mondadori, Segno, Juliet, and Il Sole 24 Ore.
His works are permanently held in museums across Italy, including the Civic Museums Palazzo Buonaccorsi in Macerata, the Villa Croce Museum in Genoa, the Museum in Motion in Piacenza, and the Magi Museum of the 20th Century in Pieve di Cento (Bologna).
The 1990s saw Mantovani develop an interest in African Art, and works from his collection were exhibited in Paris, Genoa, and Milan, and published in books and magazines in France, England, Belgium, and the United States. This interest significantly contributed to accelerating a creative turning point, where his new paintings became charged with simple, fantastic images. Landscapes, flowers, and nature were depicted through primary and essential forms, drawing from memories and a dreamlike vision.
Exhibitions have been organized in public and private spaces: Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome (FAO World Food Summit), Romberg Gallery in Latina, Mazzocchi Gallery in Parma, “Casa Cini” Cultural Institute in Ferrara, Italian Cultural Institute in Berlin, Angoulême Municipal Gallery (France), University of Poreč (Croatia), Pico Castle in Mirandola, Castelfranco Emilia Civic Museum, National Pinacoteca of Bologna, Palazzo d’Accursio in Bologna, Unimediamodern Gallery in Genoa, Sforzesco Castle Pinacoteca in Vigevano.
Mantovani increasingly addresses environmental issues and feels the urgency to address the problems related to climate change and global warming, with the support of FAI, WWF, and Legambiente.
He exhibited in Asunción (Paraguay), where the Italian Ambassador selected Gianni Mantovani’s artwork as his favorite.
Recently, he participated in an exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the historic Bocca Bookstore in Milan (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II).
Among others, the following critics and writers have dedicated writings and notes on his work: Renato Barilli, Mario Bertoni, Luigina Bortolatto, Maria Campitelli, Toti Carpentieri, Renata Casarin, Giorgio Celli, Claudio Cerritelli, Vittoria Coen, Diego Collovini, Giorgio Cortenova, Enrico Crispolti, Roberto Daolio, Gianfranco Ferlisi, Michele Fuoco, Armando Ginesi, Antonio E. M. Giordano, Walter Guadagnini, Massimo Mussini, Filiberto Menna, Nicola Micieli, Luigi Meneghelli, Marco Meneguzzo, Sandro Parmiggiani, Marilena Pasquali, Concetto Pozzati, Giuliano Serafini, Sandro Ricaldone, and Matteo Vanzan.
Gianni Mantovani
Gianni Mantovani was born in 1950 in Concordia (Modena), where he still resides. He studied at the Art Institute of Modena and at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna.
At the age of 17, he won a competition held among students of Italian Art Academies at the Palazzo dei Musei in Modena and later participated, representing the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, in the “Third Printmaking Exhibition” at the National Print Cabinet at the Farnesina in Rome.
At the age of 23, he began teaching Painting at the Artistic High School of Bologna. In the mid-1980s, his artistic research turned towards abstract art in line with the critic Giorgio Cortenova (Director of the Gallery of Modern Art in Verona), who theorized “Archaic Abstraction,” presenting him at the Pinacoteca of Macerata and the Civic Gallery of Vicenza. During this period, he exhibited works with abstraction that became increasingly lyrical, curated by Claudio Cerritelli (Professor at the Brera Academy), exhibiting in Florence, Genoa, Trieste, Verona, Rome, and Sofia (Bulgaria).
In 1994, he became a tenured professor of “Painting” at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna after winning the national competition for the Fine Arts Academies, where artistic qualifications are fundamental for the assignment of points. For several years, he was Secretary of the Institute of Painting. The University of Bologna offered him contracts to teach specialization courses (SISS) for future teachers of Artistic Education and Painting. For years, he worked with Concetto Pozzati, who held one of the most prestigious painting chairs in Italy.
In 1994, he participated in the exhibitions “Cinderella’s Revenge” and “Spectacles” alongside Armani, Ferré, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, which were exhibited worldwide, at the Cristinerose Gallery in New York, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and Smith’s Galleries in London.
His works have been published in important books on both national and international levels, including “Painting in Italy – The 20th Century” by Enrico Crispolti and Carlo Pirovano, “Figures of the 20th Century,” and “Plexus Black Box” from the University La Sapienza of Rome. The book “A regola d’Arte” on Modenese art of the 19th and 20th centuries states: “Mantovani is considered one of the most vibrant and modern minds in Modenese painting.” In the book “The Field of Culture in Modena,” it is noted that “Mantovani is among the artists who will be remembered in the future.” Articles about him have been published in prominent magazines and newspapers, including Flash Art International, Giornale dell’Arte, Arte Mondadori, Segno, Juliet, and Il Sole 24 Ore.
His works are permanently held in museums across Italy, including the Civic Museums Palazzo Buonaccorsi in Macerata, the Villa Croce Museum in Genoa, the Museum in Motion in Piacenza, and the Magi Museum of the 20th Century in Pieve di Cento (Bologna).
The 1990s saw Mantovani develop an interest in African Art, and works from his collection were exhibited in Paris, Genoa, and Milan, and published in books and magazines in France, England, Belgium, and the United States. This interest significantly contributed to accelerating a creative turning point, where his new paintings became charged with simple, fantastic images. Landscapes, flowers, and nature were depicted through primary and essential forms, drawing from memories and a dreamlike vision.
Exhibitions have been organized in public and private spaces: Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome (FAO World Food Summit), Romberg Gallery in Latina, Mazzocchi Gallery in Parma, “Casa Cini” Cultural Institute in Ferrara, Italian Cultural Institute in Berlin, Angoulême Municipal Gallery (France), University of Poreč (Croatia), Pico Castle in Mirandola, Castelfranco Emilia Civic Museum, National Pinacoteca of Bologna, Palazzo d’Accursio in Bologna, Unimediamodern Gallery in Genoa, Sforzesco Castle Pinacoteca in Vigevano.
Mantovani increasingly addresses environmental issues and feels the urgency to address the problems related to climate change and global warming, with the support of FAI, WWF, and Legambiente.
He exhibited in Asunción (Paraguay), where the Italian Ambassador selected Gianni Mantovani’s artwork as his favorite.
Recently, he participated in an exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the historic Bocca Bookstore in Milan (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II).
Among others, the following critics and writers have dedicated writings and notes on his work: Renato Barilli, Mario Bertoni, Luigina Bortolatto, Maria Campitelli, Toti Carpentieri, Renata Casarin, Giorgio Celli, Claudio Cerritelli, Vittoria Coen, Diego Collovini, Giorgio Cortenova, Enrico Crispolti, Roberto Daolio, Gianfranco Ferlisi, Michele Fuoco, Armando Ginesi, Antonio E. M. Giordano, Walter Guadagnini, Massimo Mussini, Filiberto Menna, Nicola Micieli, Luigi Meneghelli, Marco Meneguzzo, Sandro Parmiggiani, Marilena Pasquali, Concetto Pozzati, Giuliano Serafini, Sandro Ricaldone, and Matteo Vanzan.