ABOUT
Francesco Bendini (b.1996 in Sansepolcro AR IT) is a sculptor and conceptual artist based in Italy. He lives and works between Turin and Città di Castello (PG).
His artistic practice encompasses sculpture and performative processes, often characterized by irony and sarcasm, with themes that blend autobiographical elements with sociological and conceptual contexts. The artist likes to demean Sculpture into anti-monumental forms.
Throughout his young career, Bendini has showcased his work in various solo and group exhibitions. Notable solo exhibitions include "InPresenza", curated by Davide Ferri, at EXATR in Forlì (2023), and "WORK WORK WORK", a debut exhibition with a critic text by Miral Rivalta, at Rotonda Medievale in Città di Castello (2021). He has also participated in group exhibitions such as "La sostanza agitata", curated by Saverio Verini, at Palazzo Collicola in Spoleto (2023) and "Inside show", curated by Pier Luigi Tazzi, at Corte del Terrabilia in Bologna (2021).
CV
Formation
Nov 2023 - Feb 2024 Assistant to the artist Giulia Cenci in Cortona (AR)
2023 Sculpture MA, Academy of Fine Arts Bologna (BO)
Nov 2022 - Jan 2023 Assistant to the artist Davide Rivalta in Bologna (BO)
2021 - 2022 Erasmus to Newcastle University Fine Arts (NCL) (UK)
2020 Sculpture BA, Academy of Fine Arts Bologna (BO)
Solo / Duo exhibitions
2024 Rimpiattino (duo with Edoardo Franco) - Studio FERRARI, Bologna (BO) - with a text by Paolo Bosca
2023 InPresenza, Ipercorpo (solo) - EXATR, Forlì (FC) - curated by Davide Ferri in collaboration with Miral Rivalta
2023 Emergere (duo with Ketty Gobbo) - Zolforosso, Venice (VE) - curated by Leonardo Bentini
2022 CINGOMMA (solo) - AF Gallery, Bologna (BO) - curated by Carmen Lorenzetti
2022 Sì, mi ricordo (duo with Edoardo Sessa) - L’Ariete artecontemporanea, Bologna (BO) - curated by Eleonora Frattarolo
2021 WORK WORK WORK (solo) - Rotonda Medievale, Città di Castello (PG) - with a text by Miral Rivalta
Group exhibitions
2024 Del ludico dunque gioco - Yurta.r.c, Rapolano Terme (SI) - curated by Alessandro Bellucci
2023 Cowboy Crudo - Fuocherello, Volvera (TO) - curated by Miral Rivalta
2023 La sostanza agitata - Palazzo Collicola, Spoleto (PG) - curated by Saverio Verini
2023 Compresenza degli opposti - AF Gallery, Bologna (BO) - curated by Carmen Lorenzetti
2023 Hard City - Vending machine Aldrovandi square 19c, Bologna (BO) - curated by Jacopo Casamenti
2022 00:00:08.00 - Plexus of San Domenico, Cesena (FC) - during Scuola Conia - curated by MEC Project
2021 Turn ON - Windsor Terrace, Newcastle Upon Tyne (NCL) - curated by Oisin Stephenson and Iris Ollier
2021 Inside show - Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna (BO) - curated by Pier Luigi Tazzi
2021 Abecedario d’Artista - Palazzo del Governatore, Parma (PR) - curated by Tørø
2020 PhygitArt - Villa Magherini Graziani, San Giustino (PG) - curated by Koinervetti
2019 III Biennale d’Arte Don Franco Patruno - MAGI ‘900, Pieve di Cento (BO)
2019 To be going to - P420, Bologna (BO) - curated by Francesca Bertazzoni and Davide Ferri
2019 Corrente - Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna - curated by the artist
2018 S’io m’intuassi, come tu t’immii - Mostrami Factory, Milan (MI) - curated by Mostrami
2018 Sull’immagine come linguaggio comune - Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna (BO) - curated by Cecilia Guida
2018 Prima il trucco - Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna (BO) - curated by Donato Ovarini
Residencies / Workshops
2024 Tilia - artist residency at Ex Casa del Custode in Montagnola, Bologna (BO) - curated by EXIT in collaboration with A.S.A.P.
2022 TAI How to // You too - masterclass in Prato (PO) - curated by Chiara Bettazzoni
2022 MIR - artist residency in Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD) - curated by Menti Libere with Eva Comuzzi
2022 Acqua che Sale - contemporary printing workshop - Traffic Festival, San Lorenzo in Campo (PU) - curated by Giorgia Agnese Cereda
2022 Building memories with concrete - CO\DENSA OPEN LAB, 8-13 y/o workshop - Cooperativa DENSA, Perugia (PG) - curated by the artist
2021 Equidistanze - artist residency in Filetto (RA) - curated by Magazzeno Art Gallery
2020 LINK R03 - construction of a permanent work in situ - LINK, Bologna (BO) - curated by INPUT
Catlogues / Publishings / Prizes
2023 Combat Prize - Civic Museum Giovanni Fattori, Livorno (LI) - finalist
2023 MUG Emil Banca prize (finalist) - curated by Licia Mazzoni
2022 Apocalypsebananow - Banane Fanzine - N.5
2022 Young Art Award - 3rd edition - finalist
2022 Emergere - A Priori Magazine - N.0 - collab with Ketty Gobbo and Leonardo Bentini
2021 Ducato Prize - finalist
2021 Art Up - Opentour - Honorable Mention for the video GORGOS, selection jury composed by Lorenzo Balbi, Gloria Bartoli, Marco Ghigi
2020 Nocivelli Prize - Chiesa della Disciplina, Verolanuova (BS) - finalist
Extra
2024 Hawk Tuah - pop-up exhibition at Sacrosanto Caffè San Francesco, Città di Castello (PG) - curated by Giulio Verna
2023 Hyper*Espresso – online exhibition – Pavillion of The Wrong Biennale
2023 The Arches Sound Project - sound piece - Newcastle University (NCL) (UK)
2020 Deliverarte - Milano (MI) - curated by Piano A
2019 The Internet Yami-Ichi - DAS - Dispositivo Arti Sperimentali, Bologna (BO) - curated by Metochè
2019 APArt - Augmented Public Art - creating an AR installation - curated by Net Service Digital Hub
Fairs
2023 Bancarella performance – New Entries - Artissima, Turin (TO) – curated by CRIPTA747
2023 ABABO gallery - Artefiera, Bologna (BO) - stand curated by Maura Pozzati