Biography

Giovanni Cocco (Sulmona, 1973) is a versatile visual artist and photographer. His images brim with edginess. Whether from the series “Burladies”, where his camera paints the women of burlesque in hues of vibrant, almost exagerated splashes of color or from his newest series “Plantarium”, where still lifes of plants sway with movement.

From 2013, Giovanni Cocco has turned his eye to the phenomenon of displacement, selecting a series of European cities which, as a phenomenon of capitalism, are emptying and depopulating . Beginning with Venice, in the series “A che ora chiude Venezia” the result is an observation of the beauty of these same sites, of its people, of architecture. Offering a suspended view of our reality that translates into deep conceptual shapes.

His work has been presented in installations and exhibitions worldwide, including Art Basel Scope Miami, ZonaMaco foto, Mexico City, MART – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Trento and Rovereto (Italy) and MACRO – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome (Italy).

BOOKS

Monia
200 self published copies, text Caterina Serra.
March 2016

AWARDS

2019
– “Displacement” – New Town No Town, Festiavl Riaperture, Ferrara, Italy

2018
– “Burladies” – Magazzini Fotografici, Naples, Italy

2017
– “Displacement” – New Town No Town, Spazio MAW, Sulmona, Italy
– “Monia” – Pinacoteca Civica, FolloWme Festival, Follonica, Italy
– “Monia” –  Museo di Casa Romei, Riaperture Festival, Ferrara, Italy.

2016

– “Monia” Reminders Photography Stronghold Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
– “Displacement” finalist Emerging Photographer Grant, Burn Magazine – Magnum Foundation.
– “Displacement” 3rd place Medphoto Award.
– “Displacement” shortlist Athens Photo Festival.
– “Displacement” selected at American Photography Award 32.

2015
– “Monia” finalist at Lugano Photo Days.
– “Monia” Winner of the Reminders Photography Stronghold.
– “Monia” Winner in the personal category, PDN Photo Annual.

2014
– “Toiling Tunisia” finalist at premio PHE Ojodepez.
– “Toiling Tunisia” selected at American Photography Award 30.

2013
– “Toiling Tunisia” finalist at Leica Photographer Awards.
– “Forgotten Memories” Honorary Mention, Anthropographia Award.
– “Monia” Honorable Mention, Foto Visura Grant.
– “Forgotten Memories” selected at American Photography Award 29.
– “Forgotten Memories” Runner up International Street Photography Awards.
– “Monia” Shortlist price Pix Palace-Visas De L’Ani.
 – “Forgotten Memories” shortlist Prix Lucas Dolega.
– “Burladies” First Prize in the Scenic Category Golden camera.

2012
– “Monia” Honorable Mention Prix Roger Pic Paris.
– “Monia” Runner up Emerging Photographer Grant, Burn Magazine – Magnum Foundation.

2010
– “Monia” Second prize International Winephotocontest.

2008
– “Vanishing” First prize International Winephotocontest.

SOLO EXHIBITION

2016
– “Monia” Reminders Photography Stronghold Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.

2015
– “Displacement” MACRO, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome, Italy.

2014
– “Moving Walls” Festival Lector in Fabula, Conversano, Italy.
– “Moving Walls” International Month of Photography, Guatemala city, Guatemala.

2012
– “Monia” SCAM Roger Pic, Paris, France.

2011
– “Burladies” Photographia, Milan, Italy.
 – “Burladies” Summer Jamboree #12, Senigallia, Italy.

2010
– “Burladies” MART – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Trento and Rovereto, Italy.
– “Burladies” ArteFoto, Ancona, Italy.
– “Burladies” 10B Photography Gallery, Rome, Italy.

SELECTED GROUP SHOW

2015
– “Monia” Kolga Tbilisi Photo in Batumi. Georgia.
– “Moving Beyond Borders” Centre Culturel Jacques Franck, St Gilles, Brussels.
– “Monia” Photon Festival at the State Small Theater. Vilnius, Lituanie.
– “L’Esodo” Exhibition en plein air. Fotoleggendo, Rome, Italy.

2014
– “Monia” Perugia Social Photo Fest, Perugia, Italy.
– “Monia” Les Boutographies jury’s projection, Montpelier, France.
– “Monia” Organ Vida, International Photography Festival, Zagreb, Croatia.

2013
– “Forgotten Memories” FotoLeggendo, Roma, Italy.
– “Burladies” Center of Modern Art M17, Kiev, Ukraine.
– “Kosovo – Cultural Genocide” ICN Space, London, England.

2012
– “I See” Griffin Museum, Boston, MA.

2011
– “Lampedusa” Foiano Fotografia, Foiano, Italy.
 – “Burladies” Ilexphoto, Mia Fair, Milan, Italy.
 – “Burladies” Ilexphoto, Artissima, Torino, Italy.
 – “Burladies” Sete Festival, Paris, France.

2009
– “Rockabillies” Gallery Dimensione Massima 10 x12, FotoGrafia Festival, Rome, Italy.

2007
– “Italian Muslims” Fotografia International Festival of Photography, Rome, Italy.

2006
– “Sarajevo lives again” Festival L’oeil en Seyne, Toulouse, France.

SELECTED CURATED BOOK

American Photography 30
The book presents the winning images from the annual competition in New York City.
Creative direction and design Rober Newman. 2014

American Photography 29
The book presents the winning images from the annual competition in New York City.
Co-Chair Emeriti Kathy Raian and Fred Woodoward. 2013

Burn.02
Curator/publisher David Alan Harvey, Magnum Foundation. 2012

EXHIBITION CATALOGS

2015
– ”Il Presente” Fotografia, International Festival of Rome, Macro – Contemporary Museum of Modern Art – in Rome. Curator Marco Delogu.

2014
– “Reflections” 6th International Photography Festival Organ Vida, Zagreb. Curator Morana Matcovic.
– “Resisto” Perugia Social Photo Fest. Curator Antonello Turchetti.
– “Stories without borders” Lector in Fabula, Conversano, Italy. Curator Rocco De Benedictis.

2013
– “A occhi aperti” Fotoleggendo photography festival. Artistic director Tiziana Faraoni.
– “Take Reportage Festival” special number – catalogue – for the Reportage PhotographyFestival. Curator Stephen Dupont and Anna Maria Antoniette D’Addario.

2012
– “Ilex Catalogueone” Curator Deanna Richardson.

2006
– “L’oeil en Seyne” Des lumières et des feux. Curator Alain Mingam.

CLIENTS

L’Espresso, Vanity Fair Italy, D La Repubblica delle Donne, Internazionale, Io Donna, Il Venerdì, Newsweek, Sportweek, Le Monde, Bloomber Businessweek, Burn, National Geographic Traveller, Finantial Times, PDN, GQ Italy, Maryclaire, Ojodepez Magazine, La Cimade, Touring Club, CNN world, Il Fotografo, ll Manifesto, MARE.