Nicolò Degiorgis 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, rooted in documentary traditions, is to observe 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.
Biography
Born in 1985, his upbringing between Ticino in Switzerland and South Tyrol in Italy, two distinct border regions, instilled in him an early awareness of multilingualism and the nuanced complexities of belonging to a dominant culture versus a cultural minority.
His academic path started at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, where he graduated in ‘Languages and Economy and Law from East-Asia’ from the Department of Asian and North African Studies in 2008. This interdisciplinary background provided him with a unique and informed lens through which to examine diverse cultural dynamics and global migration patterns, particularly relevant to understanding the cultures often at the center of his work. Following his studies in Venice, he further expanded his global perspective by moving to Hong Kong to work for a trading company and subsequently to Beijing to continue his studies at Capital Normal University.
Degiorgis’s professional journey rapidly gained momentum in 2007 with a six-month internship at Magnum Photos in Paris, followed by a Fabrica scholarship 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 the University 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 art Foundation Bevilacqua La Masa under the mentorship of Angela Vettese, and started exhibiting his work.
He joined Italian leading 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. His talent garnered early industry recognition, with Photo District News ranking him among the “thirty emerging photographers to watch” in 2011. 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.
Artistic Research
Nicolò Degiorgis’s 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 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.
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 work 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 explores the profound impact of power—in its political, social, and economic manifestations—on the lives of individuals and communities. His practice is 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 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 by frequently triggering “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”.
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 books, 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.