Concept
Matteo Montani is a contemporary Italian painter and sculptor born in Rome in 1972. Matteo Montani completed his classical studies in Rome prior to joining the Academy of the Arts of Rome in the Painting and Sculpture sections, where he qualified in 1997. Between 1988 and 1996, Montani worked as an assistant in Alfredo Pirri’s studio. As a student he helped artists Günther Förg and Michelangelo Pistoletto in the preparation of their exhibitions. Following his first gallery exhibition held in Milan at the Studio Casoli in 2000, Montani won the Suzzara Prize in Italy and the next year he was the Winner of the national selection in the Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the following years, a number of Italian galleries held several solo exhibitions of Montani’s works, most notably Fabio Sargentini’s historical gallery L’Attico, presenting works by Gilbert & George, Joseph Beuys, Jannis Kounellis, Gino De Dominicis or Sol LeWitt. In 2008, Montani took part in the Rome Quadriennale. Over 2010 and 2011, Matteo Montani also exhibited his production abroad in solo exhibitions in Greece with the Kalfayan Gallery, in New York at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò and in several German cities, amongst which Würzburg at the Museum Am Dom for his 2011 Seelenlandschaft exhibition featuring monumental paintings. Montani has taken part in many group exhibitions with artists such as Mimmo Paladino, Markus Lüpertz, Mark Francis, Jannis Kounellis, Vasco Bendini, Ian Davenport, and international art fairs such as Bologna Arte Fiera, Turin Artissima, Art Los Angeles, Pulse Miami, Art Dubai, while his collaboration with well-established galleries has grown - the Marilena Bonomo Gallery for exhibitions with Kiki Smith, sculptor James Brown, photographer Elger Esser, the Otto Gallery, or the PACI Contemporary gallery. He was also invited to exhibit in several museums, most notably the Museum of Art of Ravenna MAR. In 2013 he won the Jury Special Prize of the Premio Michetti.