Francesco Zorzi is a multidisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam working with a wide variety of mediums, informed by his background in design, his love for the world of Color and his fascinations into the mechanics of vision, perception and interpretation of reality.
His works are united by the quest for the qualities of what makes us ‘human’, reflecting on how we interact with what’s in front of our eyes, how we make sense of it and how we explore the inner-worlds we create with it.
His explorations - whether dissecting Colors or Shapes - can be seen as an ongoing study on the structure of their inner components and the interaction between each other.
These abstract configurations are like fragments of a kaleidoscope in perpetual movement without a beginning or an end, offering the viewers a moment of reflection, new playgrounds for exploration and wonder.

His visually ambiguous wax-crayons works, are an investigation on Color in itself: its visual perception as well as the duality of Color as both lightwave and matter. Each artwork is the result of a complex layering of various wax-crayons sticks of different tones, applied next to and on top of each other, creating an ever evolving, ever pulsating flux of constant dynamic movement.
The appearance of their colors and the structure of their wax influence directly the ways they interact and ‘talk’ with each other, mutually attracting or repelling one another.
They can create harmony or tension. Sometimes they blend and dance together at different speed, in an homogenous flow or in multiple streams and directions.

These brightly-hued abstract artworks are as much about color as they are of about emotions altogether: on one side they explore the phenomenological impact color has on human perception (seen from the point of view of the viewer being in front of the artworks); on the other they interact with the ineffable emotions and sensations guiding the process of mixing the crayons (seen from the point of view of the artist producing the artworks).
The colors of each artwork are immersive, physical and tactile, just like the process of its creation:
Ethereal and vibrating but also palpable and present at once.


Grants & Support:


2018-19
Grant / Embassy & Consulate General of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy (NL)
‘Macula - The Theater is in The Mind’
‘Macula - Il Teatro è nella Mente’
Short Film  
2019
Support / Rosco (UK) - Material partner for installation specific installation:
‘Phantom Grid’ at ∆x Displacement Cinquemostre 2019
AAR - American Academy in Rome (IT)
2018
Support / Cernit (BE)  - Material partner for the installation, site specific:
‘Macula / The Theater is in The Mind’,
AAR - American Academy in Rome (IT)


 

Fellowships:
2018
AAR - American Academy in Rome,
Tiffany & Co. Fellowship, Rome (IT)


 
Residencies:

2016
W&T - Walk & Talk Azores
Public Art, Ponta Delgada, Azores (PT)


 

Exhibitions:

2024 
(forthcoming)
If You Asked Me About A Flower
What Would I Say
FZ Atelier, Amsterdam (NL)
2018
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind
AAR - American Academy in Rome, Rome (IT)
2017
Macula, New Grammar
Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)


 

Group Exhibitions:

2021
Reflections & Frames
Sound Light Color Atelier, Amsterdam (NL)
Mosaic - Lonesome Confetti
Contemporary Art Biennial, 
Le Latitudini dell’Arte, Netherlands & Italy
Pulchri Studio, The Hague (NL)
2019
Fluxes - Public Art (painting & live painting performance)
NDSM Open 2019, Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)
2019
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind / Open Studios 2019
AAR - American Academy in Rome (IT)
2019
∆x Displacement - Cinquemostre 2019
AAR - American Academy in Rome (IT)
2017
New Grammar - Painting & live painting performance
NDSM Open 2017, Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)
2016
Trilha (Trail) - Public Art (painting & installations)
Walk&Talk Azores, Ponta Delgada, Azores (PT)


 

Work in Public Space:

2019
Fluxes - Painting, site specific 
Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)
*commissioned by: Art City NDSM
2019
Lagoon (L’Argo) - Painting , site specific
Perestrello, Municipio V, Rome (IT)
*commissioned by: Embassy and Consulate
General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
in Italy (NL)
2016
Trilha (Trail) - Painting & installation, site specific
Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)


 

Live Painting Performance:

2021
Painting Flashes - Milieu 
Milieu + De Ceuvel, Amsterdam (NL)
2019
Painting Fluxes - NDSM Open 2019
Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)
*commissioned by: Art City NDSM
2019
Painting Lagoon (L’Argo)
Perestrello, Municipio V, Rome (IT)
* coimmissioned  by: Embassy and Consulate
General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy (NL)
2017
Painting New Grammar - NDSM Open 2017
Art City NDSM, Amsterdam (NL)
*commissioned by: Art City NDSM


 

Film Screenings:

2019
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind
Macula - Il Teatro è nella Mente
LFF19 - Lago Film Fest, Treviso (IT)
nominated:  Best Original Soundtrack Award
nominated: Veneto Director Award


 

Artist Book - self published:

2019
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind
Edition of 50
presented at LFF19- Lago Film Fest, Treviso (IT)


 

Press & Work Presentations:

2019
Artribune - Cinquemostre 2019 Δx Displacement
Aarome.org - Cinquemostre 2019 Δx Displacement
Aarome.org - AAR Open Studios 2019
AAR magazine 2019 - American Academy in Rome 2019
LFF19 - Macula - The Theater is in The Mind
interview: Mattia Coletti
L’Argo - Public Art Installation / with Orizzontale Architects
NDSM press 2019 - NDSM Open 2019  
2018
Studio Viewing - Francesco Zorzi
interview: Greta Madline,
photography: Coco Olakunle


 

Lectures:

2019
LFF19 - Director’s Talks
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind,
Macula - Il Teatro è nella Mente
interview by Matteo Zadra
2018
AAR - American Academy in Rome,
Shoptalk Francesco Zorzi & Victoria Moses
Macula - The Theater is in The Mind
2017
Pecha Kucha Amsterdam (NL) - The Macula Project
2017
Fabrica (IT) - The Thermal Paper Project
2016
Walk&Talk Azores (PT) - Quarteirão & Public Art


 

Published Work on Books:
2021
So What - Artwork & Essay txt,
Vuoto 2 / Controverso
Published by Orizzontale + Atto
ISBN 9788894576917
 

Education:
2008 - 2011
MA - Product Design, Politecnico School of Design, Milan (IT)
2008
AHO Oslo School of Architecture & Design, Oslo (NO)
2004 - 2008
BA - Industrial Design, Politecnico School of Design, Milan (IT)
  FRANCESCO ZORZI (Italy) Francesco Zorzi is a multidisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam working with a wide variety of mediums, informed by his background in design, his love for the world of Color and his fascinations into the mechanics of vision, perception and interpretation of reality. His works are united by the quest for the qualities of what makes us ‘human’, reflecting on how we interact with what’s in front of our eyes, how we make sense of it and how we explore the inner-worlds we create with it. His explorations - whether dissecting Colors or Shapes - can be seen as an ongoing study on the structure of their inner components and the interaction between each other. These abstract configurations are like fragments of a kaleidoscope in perpetual movement without a beginning or an end, offering the viewers a moment of reflection, new playgrounds for exploration and wonder. His visually ambiguous wax-crayons works, are an investigation on Color in itself: its visual perception as well as the duality of Color as both lightwave and matter. Each artwork is the result of a complex layering of various wax-crayons sticks of different tones, applied next to and on top of each other, creating an ever evolving, ever pulsating flux of constant dynamic movement. The appearance of their colors and the structure of their wax influence directly the ways they interact and ‘talk’ with each other, mutually attracting or repelling one another. They can create harmony or tension. Sometimes they blend and dance together at different speed, in an homogenous flow or in multiple streams and directions. Sometimes they clash and come into conflict with one another. These brightly-hued abstract artworks are as much about color as they are of about emotions altogether: on one side they explore the phenomenological impact color has on human perception (seen from the point of view of the viewer being in front of the artworks); on the other they interact with the ineffable emotions and sensations guiding the process of mixing the crayons (seen from the point of view of the artist producing the artworks). The colors of each artwork are immersive, physical and tactile, just like the process of its creation: Ethereal and vibrating but also palpable and present at once.