PAOLA MONGELLI
TORINO, 1972

In the 90’s Paola Mongelli graduates in scenic design at the Albertina School of fine arts of Turin, where she attended to Giorgio Avigdor’ s photography class. Thanks to his teachings and later to those of the photographer Enzo Obiso, she starts a research through the black and white picture and she experiences, in her own way, the fine-art printing techniques.

Her first exposition, taking place in 1998, is organized by the Italian Foundation for the photography of Turin and she exhibited the “Teli , come vele” series. What comes immediately to light about this work is the particular attention to the light as a plastic element and the materic quality of the printings, made in limited edition or even in a unique copy , as result of a careful work in camera oscura.

Paola establishes a dialogue made of empathy and contemplation with the subjects of her works. The outcome is a deep reflection on the human condition, which evokes the correlation among man, nature and its elements; a dimension in which the exploration of the self and the observation of the world end to overlie.

Starting from a research on the emptiness and the absence , her works throughout the years extend to different subjects –interiors, nature, portrait, travel- connected by a unique theme: the dialectic between light and darkness , called to give back with images the intensity of the visual and emotional experience.

The travel pictures are born from the personal need of comparing herself with different cultures, other from her own belonging: India, country she has always admired, and the black Africa, where she went thanks to her interest and practicing of the traditional dances of Benin since 1999.

The fascination with writing, especially poetry, leads her to find in the written word an additional source of inspiration and sometimes even a decisive key for the conception of her images. As a matter of fact many are the relationships and close partnerships with poets and writers, such as Dario Capello, author of the essay “Della visione inquieta” (2009), and the Genoese writer Marco Ercolani, with his inspirational research on the theme of darkness.

The Paola Mongelli’ s interest for the face and the human figure increases more and more from the first years of 2000, with her first portraits shot and offered to friends and family.

The exploration of this genre will become an almost exclusive cornerstone of her work in the years to come, giving birth to the series of portraits dedicated to her father. Some of those will be selected in 2008 by Knorr for the advertising campaign. In the same period she starts also the collaboration with the Anna Contestabile photography agency and with other advertising companies.

Paola Mongelli is also committed to didactic activities: she organizes numerous seminars and academic classes about photography and education of vision (European Institute of Design, Intercultural centre, Collegio univeristario Einaudi of Turin). From 2010, with the artistic formative project “ Necessità del volto”, created together with the artist Petra Probst, she conducts research and teaching activity.

In 2012 Paola acquires her first digital device and she begins to explore the world of movement and color. Simultaneously, as the result of a balance effect, she makes a parallel activity through the drawing and the art performance, which focus on the themes connected to the face, the gaze and the sphere of sensations and movements.

Her works are included in many private collections and foundations.

solo exhibitions

2022
Kandinskyana, curated by Gabriele Perretta, Galleria Losano, Pinerolo

2021
Kaleidos time, Stone Oven House, Rorà – Turin

2019
Kandinskyana, curated by Galerie Negpos, Bibliothèque Universitaire Vauban, Nîmes

2018
Birth, Mongelli/Bersezio UNICA Project, CSAfarm Gallery, Turin

2015
Evocazione.Il viaggio intatto, Sinapsi Festival, Luserna San Giovanni-Turin
Quale terra, curated by Maria Teresa Roberto, Galleria Paolo Tonin, Turin

2014
Paola Mongelli.Il bianco e il nero, Galleria Civica Filippo Scroppo, Torre Pellice-Turin

2012
Made in Benin, Mirafiori Motor Village, Turin

2011
Benin, curated by Egi Volterrani, VisionQuest Gallery, Genova

2009
Mio padre (è un cuoco), curated by Rolando Bellini, Dieffe Arte Contemporanea, Turin

2006
Anima e corpo, curated by Gabriella Serusi, Maché, Turin

2004
India, Galleria Joyce Co, Genova

2003
Neve, curated by Rolando Bellini, Mood Café, Turin

2001
Senza titolo, Galleria Alberto Weber, Turin

1998
Senza titolo, curated by Fondazione Italiana per la Fotografia, Circolo SottoLaMole, Turin

group exhibitions

2023
Analogie, PHOS Centro Fotografia Torino
Blu policromo, curated by Sara Liuzzi-Emanuela Romano, A Pick Gallery, Turin
Coltivare relazioni, curated by Tea Taramino-Roberto Mastroianni, Palazzo Barolo, Turin

2022
Libri di Versi 14, curated by Sandro Pellarin, Antiche carceri, San Vito al Tagliamento/Portogruaro/Thiene
Shelter /Slovo Novo Forum, curated by Stone Oven House, Budva, Montenegro

2021
+DIVENIRE, Dove inizia il nuovo esodo, curated by Gabriele Perretta, Corciano
20X20Eventi2020!, Unimediamodern Contemporary Art, Genova
Collezione pubblica d’arte contemporanea, ex Canonica del comune, Rittana – Cuneo
Shelter /Slovo Novo Forum, curated by Stone Oven House, Budva, Montenegro

2018
A piece each one…, CSAfarm Gallery, Turin

2017
Virtuality ladder, Palazzo delle Stelline, Milan

2015
Ricerche non conformi. Portrait&Self-portrait, Studio Paola Mongelli, Luserna San Giovanni, Turin

2014
Oltre il buio.Il teorema di Bavcar, curated by Contemporart, Villa Piaggio, Genova

2013
Illustrating Florence, curated by Roberto Mutti, XI Florence Biennale, Fortezza da Basso, Florence
Arteplurale, curated by Tea Taramino, Promotrice delle Belle Arti, Turin
Dal Mar Rosso a Yerushalaim, curated by Patrizia Fischer and Roberto Vaio, Crypt of S.Michele Arcangelo, Turin

2012
Don’t forget… Arte per la Resistenza, curated by P.Fischer, Sala Bolaffi, Torino
Necessità del volto, curated by P.Mongelli and P.Probst, Casa del Conte Verde, Rivoli

2011
Il mestiere di vivere, Libreria Antiquaria Biggio, Turin
Lo Stato dell’Arte-Piemonte, 54° Biennale di Venezia, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi, La Castiglia, Saluzzo
Erba e fior che la gonna, curated by Caterina Gualco and Clelia Belgrado, VisionQuest Gallery, Genova

2010
Bad Girls, curated by C.Gualco and C.Belgrado, UnimediaModern Contemporary Art/ VisionQuest Gallery, Genova

2009
Bergamo Artefiera, Dieffe Arte Contemporanea, Bergamo

2008
Art Verona, Dieffe Arte Contemporanea, Verona
On the move, curated by Valentina Micheletto, UnimediaModern Contemporary Art, Genova

2007
Ex Voto, curated by Alberto Weber, Palazzo Libera, Villa Lagarina, Trento/ Castello di Rivalta, Turin

2006
Kafka. L’infinita metamorfosi di un processo, curated by A.Weber, La Castiglia, Saluzzo
Premio Odisseo-II Edition, curated by GAI, Gas Art Gallery and Franco Turcati ADV, Unione Industriale, Turin
Jack in the box, curated by L.Castellini, Oratorio della Beata Vergine, Vigoleno
Suoni e Visioni, curated by Fabrizio Boggiano, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Hamburg/Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Villa Croce, Genova/ Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Copenhagen/ Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, San Marino
Uno-I passi della fotografia, curated by Emanuele Catellani and Luisella D’Alessandro, Galleria Zuma, Turin

2005
X Premio Unicaja di Fotografia, curated by Fundaciòn Unicaja, Almerìa/ Malaga/ Antequera/ Ronda/ Càdiz/ San Sebastiàn
Gamberi di fiume, Luisella D’Alessandro collection, curated by Marisa Vescovo, Galleria Carlina, Turin/ Galleria Space4free, Milan
Blog on Rimbaud, curated by Franz Paludetto and Carlo Fatigoni, Castello di Rivara

2002
Semi, Galleria Alberto Weber, Turin
Photocells, curated by F.I.F.and Label Magazine, Spazio & Ricerca, Turin
Arte e Natura, curated by Victor de Circasia, Martini Arte Contemporanea, Cavagnolo

1999
Framework, curated by Rolando Bellini, Galleria Molinella, Faenza

live performance

2013
My mirror, FROM THE BODY, curated by TorinoPERFORMANCEART, MarbleWeeks, Carrara
My mirror, TorinoPERFORMANCEART Festival, Greenbox, Turin
La liste, LA VERIFICA INTUITIVA, in collaboration with Audrey Cottin and Manuela Macco, Fondazione Merz, Turin

publications

2023
A. Balzola, Poetopos. Diario poetico e fotografico di viaggio, Scalpendi

2019
P. Mongelli, Giorgio Avigdor, testo critico mostra Galleria PaoloTonin

2009
D. Capello, Paola Mongelli. Della visione inquieta, Joker Edizioni
R. Bellini, Mio padre è un cuoco, catalogo mostra Dieffe Arte Contemporanea

1998
1998 P. Mongelli, Giorgio Avigdor Fotografo, tesi monografica, Biblioteca F.I.F.

teaching

2022

Temporeale, workshop fotografico, Collegio Universitario Einaudi, Torino
Ritratto fotografico, docenza semestrale, Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti, Genova
Colore di mare, campus residenziale adolescenti, CISS Pinerolo, Casa Valdese, Vallecrosia
Corpografie, laboratorio fotografico, Cooperativa La Carabattola, Collegno
Corpografie: corpo, segno, identità, laboratori al femminile, CISS Pinerolo, Torre Pellice
Giochi d’identità, laboratorio fotografico, CISS Pinerolo, Scuole Medie, Scalenghe

2021
Gli occhi del bosco, campus residenziale adolescenti, CISS Pinerolo, Rifugio Jumarre
Ascoltare la forma, seminario fotografico intensivo in collaborazione con Scuola Gestalt Art Counseling
Stare /Andare verso/Incontro, ciclo di laboratori esperienziali (gesto-scrittura-immagine), con Doriana Crema ed Elena Pugliese

2020
Gli occhi del bosco, campus fotografico residenziale per bambini e ragazzi, Rifugio Gravio, Val Susa(To)
Fotografia&, ciclo di laboratori estivi, con Massimo Tosco, Cristina Giorello, Marzia Laurenti, Magazzino delle Arti, Torre Pellice
Ascoltare la forma, ciclo di laboratori (fotografia e scultura) con Cristina Giorello, Bussoleno

2009/2019
attività decennale di docenza in Fotografia presso Collegio Universitario Renato Einaudi, Torino

2019
Mapping identities, workshop con Sheri Dorn, progetto internazionale TEVIP, Centro Agape, Prali
Voyage autour du visage, laboratorio sul ritratto fotografico presentato da Galerie NegPos, Nîmes
Naturacorpovisione, workshop fotografico residenziale, Cascina Bosa, Berzano San Pietro

2018
Vedere e pensare, tra immagine e parola, laboratori fotografici presso L’Arteficio, Torino
Comtemplative Photography, workshop intensivi in natura, Val Pellice
Luoghi e memoria: il suono delle cose, workshop fotografico residenziale, Villa Rosetta, Salò

2017
L’esperienza del ritratto, workshop fotografico, Soluzioni Artistiche, Torino
Capire una fotografia, corso avanzato, AmaranTO ArteTerapia, Torino

2016
Ricerche non conformi, laboratori avanzati di ritratto e autoritratto, San Pietro in Vincoli / Giardino Anam, Torino

2010/2015
Necessità del volto, progetto laboratoriale patrocinato da Associazione Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Torino

2015
Imparare a fotografare, corso base, Libreria Borgo San Paolo, Torino

2014
Fare una Fotografia, workshop base, Biblioteca Civica C. Levi, Torre Pellice

2010/2013
Necessità del volto, laboratori di ritratto fotografico con Petra Probst, Istituto Europeo di Design,
Torino

2009/2013
corsi di camera oscura, Collegio Universitario Renato Einaudi, Torino

2011
The practice of vision, immagine e movimento, workshop con Manuela Macco e Petra Probst,Greenbox, Torino