Biography

Nicolò Degiorgis, born in 1985, is known for his multifaceted roles as a visual artist, publisher, photographer, and curator. His artistic practice is inherently interdisciplinary, encompassing a diverse array of mediums that include books, installations, collages, photographs, videos, and maps. 

He is recognized for his conceptually driven works that meticulously chart territories and the communities inhabiting them. His primary motivation, deeply rooted in documentary traditions, is to observe and illuminate how marginalized and minority communities forge sustainable environments for themselves amidst challenging circumstances. This dedication to revealing overlooked realities positions his art as a potent form of social commentary.

His artistic inquiry consistently delves into themes of migration, the fluidity and rigidity of borders, the complexities of identity, and the pervasive impact of power structures on individual and collective lives.

He is particularly adept at translating intricate societal issues into compelling visual narratives, often employing innovative book design and exhibition strategies that are not mere aesthetic choices but are integral to the message itself. His work actively engages with and critiques the mechanisms of representation, fostering critical reflection on urgent contemporary challenges. He consistently attempts to challange conventional viewing habits and subverting ideological narratives aiming to provoke thought and potentially instigate dialogue.

Degiorgis’s professional journey rapidly gained momentum with a six-month internship atMagnum Photosin Paris, a crucial experience for a photographer whose practice is firmly rooted in documentary traditions. This was followed by aFabricascholarship from Benetton’s research and communication center in Treviso (2008-2009), which provided an early platform for experimental and socially conscious work. In 2009, his academic and artistic interests converged when he received a research fellowship from the Department of Political and Social Sciences at theUniversity of Trieste, specifically focusing on immigration issues. This deliberate and early commitment to social documentary and research-based artistic practice laid the groundwork for his later in-depth, multi-year projects. The same year, he was granted a one-year artist-residency in Venice at the artfoundation Bevilacqua La Masaunder the mentorship of Angela Vettese, and started exhibiting his work.

He joined the Italian photo agency Contrasto in 2009, embarking on an intense period of editorial assignments for major international magazines, documenting diverse global events from art biennales to the Arab Spring. This early foundation in both rigorous research and practical photojournalism explains the depth and authenticity seen in his later, more conceptual projects that delve into complex social phenomena.

His talent garnered early industry recognition, with Photo District News ranking him among the “thirty emerging photographers to watch” in 2011.

Artistic Practice

Nicolò Degiorgis’s artistic methodology is deeply rooted in documentary traditions, consistently working in series to observe how marginalized and minority communities carve out sustainable environments. This systematic approach allows for a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of his subjects. His practice is inherently interdisciplinary, utilizing a diverse array of mediums including photography, installations, books, collages, videos, and maps. These mediums are chosen specifically to conceptually chart the territory and the communities where he lives, transcending simple documentation. He employs sophisticated processes that critically question the conventional use of images within media channels, seamlessly moving between rigorous archiving, meticulous photographic documentation, and innovative editorial projects. His “visual short-circuits” using AI-generated collages further demonstrate a willingness to manipulate and question visual information, moving beyond traditional documentary.

Recurring thematic concerns are central to Degiorgis’s oeuvre. A central and recurrent theme is the nuanced idea of “the other,” “the different,” and “the foreigner,” with a sharp focus on concepts such as the sense of belonging, the construction and dissolution of borders, and the psychological and physical experience of distance.

His work, as powerfully demonstrated in E se l’orizzonte non fosse il confine?, deeply reflects on migration, deterritorialized identities, and bodies in transition, aiming to re-humanize the phenomenon of migration beyond the often-reductive portrayals by media and propaganda.

Degiorgis meticulously explores the profound impact of power—in its political, social, and economic manifestations—on the lives of individuals and communities. His practice is deeply invested in critiquing how power structures manifest through media and official representations. He is committed to producing images that not only highlight but often actively subvert the ideological and propagandistic contaminations that permeate dominant media and cultural platforms. He posits that there are always two points of view in any story: an external one, which often leads to experiences of exclusion, marginalization, or stigmatization, and an internal one, characterized by survival instinct, cohesion, and collective action.

His seminal work, Hidden Islam, directly addresses the everyday struggle of Muslim migrants to find safe and legitimate spaces for faith expression in Italy. This project critically exposes the reality that despite a significant Muslim population, official mosques are scarce, leading to the creation of makeshift places of worship under social and political pressure. The project explicitly adopts a human rights perspective, highlighting the denial of basic religious freedoms.

Through his direct engagement as a teacher at the Bolzano Penitentiary Institute, he delves into the complex themes of prisons and detention. His Prison Museum project utilizes photography and texts produced by inmates to “show and testify the actual carceral situation” and to provoke reflection on the “vital limits of detention”.

His work isn’t just about social issues; it is about how social issues are framed and perceived, challenging the viewer’s own ingrained visual habits.

Degiorgis frequently triggers “visual short-circuits” aimed at dismantling or critiquing the “democratic message entrusted to the representations of a sovereign power, such as maps, flags and statistical events”. This conceptual strategy is vividly exemplified in Mare Vostrum, where military symbolism is conceptually juxtaposed with flags and a boat through a series of four digital collages, notably created by artificial intelligence using stock images. His work frequently employs a sophisticated interplay of visual contrasts, scales of light and dark, and extensive experimentation with various exposure techniques and visual languages. These artistic choices are designed to sharpen the viewer’s perception and refine their judgment, encouraging a deeper engagement with the subject matter. The innovative design of his photobooks, such as the distinctive gatefolds in Hidden Islam, is a cornerstone of his conceptual approach, integrating the theme of “hiding” directly into the interactive and physical experience of the book itself.

Publishing and Curatorial Work

At the core of his professional identity is Rorhof, an independent publishing house based in Bolzano, Italy. The unique structure of Rorhof as a social cooperative underscores a fundamental ethical and community-oriented dimension. He holds the role of artistic director at Rorhof, implying a hands-on and guiding influence in shaping the creative vision, editorial direction, and overall output of the publishing house. His decision to self-publish the groundbreaking Hidden Islam through Rorhof, after no other publisher was “prepared to take my project to the level I wanted”, powerfully highlights Rorhof’s essential role as a courageous platform for challenging and innovative projects that might not conform to, or be embraced by, more conventional publishing models. This demonstrates a holistic approach where he controls not just the creation but also the dissemination of his socially engaged art.

Degiorgis served as a distinguished guest-curator at Museion, Bolzano-Bozen, in 2017. This curatorial role directly influenced and informed subsequent projects, such as Prison Museum, which meticulously traces a visual dialogue between the Bolzano prison and Museion itself. He also undertook a tenure as a publisher in residence at the prestigious Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunste in Amsterdam in 2018, further broadening his international curatorial and institutional experience. His residency project at the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design in Grenoble, thoughtfully structured in close collaboration with Museion, was among the esteemed winners of the Italian Council competition in 2017.

Teaching

Since 2013, Degiorgis has maintained a deeply committed role, teaching photography inside the prison of Bolzano. This direct and sustained engagement as a teacher of visual expression at the Penitential Institute of Bolzano-Bozen  has proven to be a profound and continuous source of inspiration for his artistic work. His role as a photography teacher at the Bolzano Penitentiary Institute is not a side activity but a fundamental source of inspiration and a direct link to his socially engaged art. Most notably, it directly led to the development of the Prison Museum project, which uniquely features authentic photos and texts produced by the inmates themselves. This directly illustrates how his pedagogical work informs and becomes an integral part of his artistic output, demonstrating a unique model where teaching serves as a form of research and collaborative art-making with a marginalized community. This specific role exemplifies his unwavering commitment to direct social engagement and his belief in utilizing art as a powerful tool for empowerment, self-expression, and giving voice within marginalized communities, highlighting art’s potential for rehabilitation.

He is also a founding member of Zona, an association dedicated to developing projects that raise social awareness, and of the design collective Institute of Friends, further underscoring his collaborative and deeply socially engaged practice.

Awards and Collections

Nicolò Degiorgis’s career has been marked by consistent and significant recognition, underscoring the impact and vision of his work. A chronological overview of his achievements begins in 2008-2009, when he was the recipient of a Fabrica scholarship, awarded by Benetton’s renowned research and communication center. This was followed in 2009-2010 by a research fellowship from the Faculty of Political and Social Science at the University of Trieste, specifically focusing on immigration issues. In 2009, he was also granted a coveted one-year artist-residency at the art foundation Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice. Early industry recognition arrived in 2011, when he was ranked among the “thirty emerging photographers to watch” by the influential US photo magazine Photo District News. 

His seminal work Hidden Islam received international acclaim in 2014, winning the prestigious Author Book Award at the Rencontres d’Arles festival, the Aperture Pairs Photo First Book Award and Gold at the German Photobook Awards. In 2017, he was identified as one of the seven distinguished winners of the Italian Council competition, a program promoted by the MiBACT (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism), for his innovative residency project at the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et de Design in Grenoble. This project was thoughtfully structured in collaboration with Museion and was later designated to become part of the Museion Collection. In 2017 he was also awarded the Historical Book Award at the Rencontres D'Arles for The Pigeon Photographer, the Italian Photobook Award Bastianelli for Prison Photography and was selected as a FOAM Talent by the Photography Museum Amsterdam. He also undertook a tenure as a publisher in residence at the prestigious Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunste in Amsterdam in 2018. Later on, in 2021 his book Prison Museum won the Italian Art Book Award. In 2022, he was awarded the first prize at the Premio Piero Siena 2022 for his work Mare Vostrum, which entered the MAXXI Collection, and most recently, in 2023 his solo show for Galleria Eugenia Delfini won the New Entries Fund at the Artissima Art Fair in Turin.

His books are to be found in numerous private and public libraries, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library at Yale University and the Library of Harvard University, Tate Modern in London, the Kandinsky Library at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Albertina Museum in Vienna.