Filippo MinelliItaly

Filippo Minelli (b. 1983, Brescia, Italy) is best known for his series of photographs, Silence Shapes, which shows brightly colored smoke bombs exploding in abandoned landscapes and non-descript urban environments. The smoke bombs lend beauty to the surroundings while at times, they also infuse the landscape with a whiff of danger.

The Italian artist was inspired by political demonstrations that he glimpsed on TV while channel surfing on mute. Smoke-granades had just been set off, shrouding the participants in smoke. The image caught his attention: Minelli felt there was something mysterious and thrilling about it. His images have an ambiguous character; they do not overtly suggest protest or war but something less tangible — politics at a more introspective level.

Minelli studied New Media at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. His works have been exhibited in solo shows at institutions such as Postmasters in Rome (2022), Art Curator Grid in Lisbon (2021), and URVNT in Madrid (2020). He has also participated in group exhibitions at the Mima Museum in Brussels (2020), the Centre d’Art Terres de L’Ebre in Amposta (2015), and the Museo Pecci in Milan (2011).