FAIRY TALES AND REALITY: THE CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION OF GIUSEPPE VENEZIANO
After exploring various expressive languages, Giuseppe Veneziano has discovered painting and sculpture as the means through which he can authentically express his inner self. His first exhibition takes place at the age of 35, and throughout his artistic journey, he has managed to develop a language that is immediately recognizable and accessible to everyone, not just to industry experts. This expressive form proudly celebrates his Sicilian roots, as he was born in Mazzarino. In fact, his palette is not inspired by American Pop art, but rather draws from his homeland, folklore, and the characteristic Sicilian carts.
Giuseppe Veneziano is a surprising artist; his paintings, although they tackle political themes, are not laden with ideology and highlight a profound truth: behind good, there is always evil. As he himself states in an interview with Matteo Dall’Ava for the magazine The Artbook, “Good exists because evil exists. They are entities that, unfortunately, must coexist. If everything were good, we would have no awareness of evil.” The art of Giuseppe Veneziano gives shape to what we often do not see or prefer to ignore; his paintings do not offer certainties but generate questions. This is precisely his greatness: with the stroke of his brush, he strikes at the raw nerves of society, generating intense and urgent discussion points.
ITALIAN NEWBROW
Prague Biennale, fourth edition. In this context, the idea of Italian Newbrow blossomed, an artistic movement involving Ivan Quaroni along with Giuseppe Veneziano and a group of young Italian artists.
The term Newbrow was created as a response to lowbrow, which refers to a group of artists from the American pop surrealist scene, known for their playful and irreverent approach to art. The concept of lowbrow involves reclaiming images and styles considered “low,” such as comics, cartoons, and pop culture. In contrast, Newbrow seeks to highlight an innovative way of making art that challenges traditional distinctions between high and low culture. This movement does not merely reproduce elements of pop culture but reinterprets them, creating works that speak directly and engagingly to a broader audience.
Italian Newbrow, therefore, represents a new artistic landscape that reflects the changes in contemporary society, increasingly immersed in the era of the internet and social media. Artists within this movement draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, tapping into both “high” elements and “popular” ones, thereby creating works that are accessible yet rich in meaning. In this way, Italian Newbrow invites everyone to reflect on what art truly is, breaking down barriers and making it accessible to anyone, regardless of their cultural background.
OGNI FAVOLA È UN GIOCO, A RETELLING OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
The exhibition Ogni Favola è un gioco represents an extraordinary synthesis of Giuseppe Veneziano’s artistic work. Fairy tales have always played a central role in the artist’s imagination, which he reinterprets through the lens of Disney cartoons.
The exhibition is configured as a skillful play of contrasts between the apparent innocence of the characters and the codes of modern culture, current events, and religion. It is no coincidence that the title is derived from a song by Edoardo Bennato, a piece that invites us to consider fairy tales as narrative systems capable of illuminating the complex and contradictory nature of society. What fairy tales once did—organizing fears, desires, and values through symbolic figures and archetypal situations—is now the task of popular culture. Veneziano, by utilizing references to contemporary culture, places himself within this tradition, narrating the urgencies and fears of modern life through iconographies that are immediately understandable to anyone.
As Quaroni writes in the critical text accompanying the exhibition, “These works demonstrate how the systematic practice of iconographic rewriting, which consists of the brilliant reinvention of entrenched images, allows the artist to circulate both ancient and new models within a visual code suited to modern times, which favors formal clarity. The flat areas, sharp contours, and recurring color schemes are the precision tools through which Veneziano highlights the character of his figures and the nature of their relationships.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF SNOW WHITE
In Giuseppe Veneziano’s artistic imagination, the character of Snow White emerges not only as a central figure but also as a powerful and significant symbol of profound cultural transformation. The innocent Disney princess, who once represented the classic archetype of the damsel in distress, now stands as an emblem of the radical changes that characterize contemporary society.
She is no longer simply a princess waiting to be rescued by her prince charming; instead, she evolves into a strong and independent woman, free from any constraints and traditional bonds. Snow White manifests as a femme fatale, bold and audacious, capable of navigating the complexities of the modern world with a certain brutality and bravado.
Her figure thus becomes a reflection of the new power dynamics and aspirations of women, who are reclaiming their space and voice in an ever-evolving society.
THE ART OF VENEZIANO IN THE SQUARES, IN THE PALACES, AND AT THE LUCCA FILM FESTIVAL
In the Piazza del Duomo of Pietrasanta, one of the most enchanting places in Tuscany, a monumental blue banana made its appearance in 2021. This sculpture was created by Veneziano for the exhibition “The Blue Banana,” organized by the Municipality of Pietrasanta and curated by Andrea B. Del Guercio.
But that’s not all. Veneziano is an artist with multiple shades, capable of blending economic-political references with elements of modern pop culture. “The Blue Banana” also serves as a nod to the great icons of American Pop Art, particularly Andy Warhol, who used the image of a banana as the cover for the Velvet Underground’s album.
In 2022, Veneziano’s paintings were the stars of the solo exhibition “True Stories,” held in the elegant rooms of Palazzo Pallavicini in Bologna. Here, 70 of his works interacted with the stuccos and frescoes of the palace, creating a vibrant and unprecedented atmosphere.
Recently, a series of 20 paintings by the artist was exhibited at Palazzo Guinigi, in the heart of Lucca, during the Lucca Film Festival 2025. The festival dedicated the exhibition “Art Fiction” to him, curated by Alessandro Romanini, which highlights the strong influence of cinema in his works. The title “Art Fiction” clearly communicates the intention to connect the artistic realm with the narrative one, an intention that lies at the core of Veneziano’s entire poetic approach, where art and narrative reinterpret the surrounding reality.
BIOGRAPHY
Giuseppe Veneziano’s works are ironic and biting, they investigate the world and society taking inspiration from news, film, history, fiction, politics and art history. By overturning the parameters of reality and of fiction Veneziano creates a short mental circuit in which our time is represented with all its contradictions and banality. The goal that he aims for as an artist is to provoke, in the sense of generating emotions in the observer, any feeling or reaction that is not indifference. An architect by training, he chose to dedicate himself entirely to art, establishing himself as one of the leading figures of the New Pop and Italian Newbrow movements. His painting combines pop culture, art history, and current events, often through provocative iconographic mashups.
Giuseppe Veneziano photo by © Livio Mallia