1. ESSENTIAL BIOGRAPHY
Painter, sculptor and engraver, founder of the filtranisme, Joseph Pace (b.Morbegno, Italy) grew up in Africa in Congo- Kinshasa and studied at the universities of Rome and Paris. His work is held in major museums and institutions worldwide. As an academic, he carried out teaching and research activities in sociology and art at Sapienza University of Rome and Universiity of São Paulo. He lives and works in Rome.
In 2018 and 2021, the Pantheon in Rome dedicated to him two major exhibitions, “Joseph Pace, Sacra Sacrorum” and “Joseph Pace, Ave Crux, Spes Una”. In 2014, the Museum Boncompagni Ludovisi for Decorative Arts of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art of Rome, organized the exhibition “Joseph Pace, L’Eva Futura”.
Pace is renowed for his large paintings and for his iconic jewelry sculptures, first installed in Brazil in 2014 at the Afro Brasil Museum in São Paulo for the 2014 FIFA Footbal World Cup. His work has been shown in important museums and institutions worldwide.
2. FILTRANISME
“Joseph Pace is one of the major exponents of “filtranisme”, the neo-existentialist philosophical and artistic current that he founded in Paris in the mid-1980s […]. […]. Filtranisme is artistically expressed through the work of Joseph Pace […]. His works of the MIDAS Series are created with thousands of pieces of vintage costume jewelry which he searches for all over the world, thus also carry out a cognitive investigation into the field of “industrial archaeology” applied to the decoration of the body […]. Through different techniques, Pace put together different creatives and users generations […]. — Mariastella Margozzi, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art of Rome
3. ARTISTIC RESEARCH
His research develops througth Thematic Series
- Paysages Filtranistes (dedicated to the relationship man and nature, 1985-1990)
- Woods – Ciclo dei Legni (1990-)
- Factor ‘C’ Studies (1990-1993)
- IDM Series (Irremovability of Memory, 2014-)
- ATONS Series (dedicated to electronic music, 2014-)
- MIDAS Series (bijoux assemblage, 2014-)
- ENGRAVING Series (digital engraving dedicated to urban outskirt, 2014-)
- SACRED ART Serie (dedicated to the Old and New Testaments and to the restoration of ancient gemmated works)
He is the author of war dramas such as Raimond n’est pas retourné, Meeting with the prompter, The tales of the well
4. MUSEUM AND INSTITUTIONAL EXHIBITIONS
Recent exhibitions – Academia de Arte de Rio de Janeiro (2024), CRC of São Paulo (2023), Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum for the Decorative Arts (2022), National Archaeological Museum of Civitavecchia (2022), Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina (2022).
Selected exhibitions – Pantheon of Rome (2021), Itapevì Art Museum (2021), Bardo National Museum of Tunis (2021), Copertino Castle (2021), CRC of São Paulo (2020), Boncompagni Ludovisi Museum for the Decorative Arts (2020), Itapevì Municipal Chamber (2020), Norman-Swabian Castle of Bari (2019), National Historical Library of Agriculture (2019), Pantheon of Rome (2018), Itapevì Municipal Chamber (2018), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2016), Florence Biennale (2015), Italian Circle of São Paulo (2015), Paradiso sul Mare of Anzio (2015), Afro-Brasil Museum of São Paulo (2014), Venanzo Crocetti Foundation Museum (2014), Italian Embassy in Brasilia (2013), Diocesan Museum of Amalfi (2013), CRC of São Paulo (2013), Italian Embassy in Brasilia and Octavio Cafè of São Paulo (2012), Forte Sangallo of Nettuno (2012), Municipal Theatre of Jaguariuna (2011), Forte Sangallo of Nettuno (2011), International Film Festival of Ostia (2010).
Sacred art exhibitions – Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina (2022, 2023), Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres (2021), National Historical Library of Agriculture (2019), Basilica of Santa Maria ad Martyres (2018), Florence Biennale (2015), Diocesan Museum of Amalfi (2013).
5. PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Pantheon of Rome, Italy (.) Museum Boncompagni Ludovisi of Decorative Arts and Italian Fashion of the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna of Rome, Italy (.) Museu de Arte do Parlamento de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (.) Diocesan Museum of Amalfi, Amalfi, Italy (.) Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil (.) Italian Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil (.) Camara Municipal de Itapevi, Brazil (.) Museu de Arte de Itapevi, Brazil (.) Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina, Rome, Italy (.) National Historical Library of Agriculture, Rome, Italy (.) Municipal Theater of Jaguariúna, Brazil (.) Prefeitura de Jaguariúna, Jaguariúna, Brazil (.) Circolo Italiano, Edificio Italia, São Paulo, Brazil (.) Museo Fondazione Venanzo Crocetti, Rome, Italy (.) Coleçao de Arte do CRC Conselho de Contabilitade do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil (.) Instituto de Recuperaçao do Patrimonio Historico no Estado de São Paulo, Brazil.
6. AWARDS AND INSTITUTIONS
Sapienza University of Rome – University of Lorraine – University of Konstanz – IIC Italian Institute of Culture, São Paulo – Parliament of the State of São Paulo – Italian Embassy in Brasilia – Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of the State of São Paulo – Institute for the Recovery of Historical Heritage in the State of São Paulo (IPH) – IIC Italian Institute of Culture, Tunis – ANS National Association of Sociologists – Vatican – UNICEF – Museums – International public institutions.
7. ENCOUTERS AND INFLUENCIES
Kurt Heinrich Wolff (Sociologist, Brandeis University); Jacques Garelli (Yale University and University of Amiens, philosopher, poet); André Gluksmann (Philosopher); Alberto Izzo (Sociologist, Sapienza University of Rome); Mariastella Margozzi (Contemporary Art Historian, National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome, Director of the Museums of Puglia, Director of the Museums of Lazio); Attilio De Gasperis (Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of São Paulo); Sergio Valle Duarte (Artist); Maria Vittoria Longhi (Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, Tunis); Lorenzo Fanara (Italian Ambassador to Tunis), Matilde Amaturo (Director of the Boncompagni Museum of Decorative Arts and Italian Fashion); Lara Anniboletti (Director of the National Archaeological Museum of Civitavecchia); Massimo Canevacci (Anthropologist, University of São Paulo, Brazil); Daniele Micheletti (Archpriest Rector of the Basilica of the Pantheon in Rome); Raffaele Trombetta (Italian Ambassador to Brasilia), Livia Bucci (Art Ambassador); Emanuel von Lauenstein Massarani (Superintendent of the Historical Heritage of São Paulo); Emanoel Araujo (Director of the Afro-Brasil Museum); Terezinha Hilal (President of the Brazilian Society of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro); Albert Russo (Writer); Pablo Maria Landi (Poet); Jean-Marc Mayenga (Physician).