2019 — Backstage view from the Zolle art residency at Antonello Colonna. Photo by Gianluca Tulli.
2018, Backstage of the performance Pantone/Pantano, Italy. Photo by Chiara Aronne.
2021, Backstage during the creation of the public artwork Anti-Social Car. Photo by Riccardo Lancia.

A versatile talent spanning dance, performance, installation, photography, and video art, Viola Pantano is an Italian artist.

Listed by Exibart among the “222 emerging artists to invest in” since 2008, she has been active on the international scene. Her works have been exhibited in numerous galleries, institutional venues, and museums such as Tese di San Cristoforo at the Arsenale of Venice, the Museo del Novecento in Milan, Palazzo Merulana in Rome, Fondazione Volume in Rome, the Italian Cultural Institute in Vienna and Prague, Castello Cavour in Turin, the Stadium of Domitian in Rome, and the Royal Residence Villa della Regina in Turin.

Since 2010, the artist has participated in major festivals, including the Outdoor Festival in Rome, Artsite Fest in Turin, Oltre Salone in Shanghai, and Art Stays Festival in Ptuj.

Since 2010, she has also been a performer with the contemporary dance company [RITMI SOTTERRANEI], taking part in numerous theatrical productions staged in Italy, France, Denmark, Lithuania, South Korea, and China.

Since 2020, she has been a lecturer in “New Art Technologies” and has conducted collateral workshops at IED – Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome.

In 2022, she presented several public installations, including “Anti-social Car” (winner of the “Lazio Contemporaneo” grant promoted by the Lazio Region in support of artistic production and research) and the permanent installation “Limiti” in the park of Palazzo Brancaccio in Rome.

Viola Pantano’s research focuses on the body as the core of a profound, multidisciplinary investigation that explores the psychological dynamics of action and reaction. Through various media, she creates a visual language that intertwines the physical and emotional dimensions. The body becomes a tool for dialogue, a lens through which to analyze universal themes such as identity, perception, surrounding space, and relationships with others.

Despite the diversity of expressive media, the common thread in her practice lies in questioning human responses to internal and external stimuli, building a bridge between personal and collective intimacy.

Talento multiforme che spazia dalla danza alla performance, dall’installazione alla fotografia e alla videoarte, Viola Pantano è un’artista italiana.

Inserita da Exibart tra i “222 artisti emergenti su cui investire” dal 2008, è attiva sulla scena internazionale. Le sue opere sono state esposte in numerose gallerie, sedi istituzionali e spazi museali come le Tese di San Cristoforo dell’Arsenale di Venezia, il Museo del Novecento di Milano, Palazzo Merulana di Roma, la Fondazione Volume di Roma, l’Istituto di Cultura di Vienna e Praga, il Castello Cavour di Torino, lo Stadio di Domiziano di Roma e la Residenza Reale Villa della Regina di Torino.

Dal 2010, l’artista ha partecipato a festival quali: Outdoor Festival di Roma, Artsite Fest di Torino, Oltre Salone di Shanghai e Art Stays Festival a Ptuj.

Dal 2010 è interprete della compagnia di danza contemporanea [RITMI SOTTERRANEI], con la quale ha preso parte a numerose opere teatrali andate in scena in Italia, Francia, Danimarca, Lituania, Corea del Sud e Cina.

Dal 2020 è docente di “nuove tecnologie dell’arte” e in workshop collaterali presso lo IED Istituto Europeo del Design di Roma.

Dal 2022 ha presentato diverse installazioni pubbliche come l’opera “Anti-social Car” (vincitrice il bando “Lazio Contemporaneo“ promosso dalla Regione Lazio a sostegno della produzione e della ricerca artistica) e l’opera permanente “Limiti“  nel Parco di Palazzo Brancaccio di Roma.

La ricerca di Viola Pantano si focalizza sul corpo come fulcro di un’indagine profonda e multidisciplinare che esplora le dinamiche psicologiche di azione e reazione. Attraverso media diversi, l’artista crea un linguaggio visivo che intreccia dimensione fisica ed emotiva. Il corpo diventa uno strumento di dialogo, una lente attraverso cui analizzare temi universali come l’identità, la percezione, lo spazio circostante e il rapporto con l’altro.

Nonostante l’eterogeneità dei mezzi espressivi, il filo conduttore della sua pratica risiede nell’interrogarsi sulle risposte umane a stimoli interni ed esterni, costruendo un ponte tra intimità personale e collettiva.

Solo and group exhibitions, national and international

Solo Exhibitions – Selected

– Anemos, Palazzo La Rocca, Ragusa Ibla, curated by Massimo Siragusa and Stefania Paxhia (2024)
– La stanza di un pazzo, Centro Lucia, Brescia, a production by Stefano Francioni (2024)
– Systema (participatory performance), MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome (2023)
– Systema (participatory performance), Futuro Festival, Rome (2023)
– Anti-Social Car (public artwork), Villa Comunale, Frosinone, curated by qwatz–contemporary art platform (2022)
– Limiti (permanent floor-based public artwork), Parco Brancaccio, Rome (2021)
– Unconventional Timeless, Spazio Kryptos, Milan, curated by Antonio Barrella (2021)
– Our First Million, Resilienza d’artista, Benito Stirpe Stadium, Frosinone, curated by Carlotta Mastroianni (2021)
– Zolle, Antonello Colonna, Labico, curated by Carlotta Mastroianni (2021)

Group Exhibitions – Selected

– Art Wear Anomaly, Fondazione Volume, curated by Glitch – Interferenze nello spazio (2024)
– Essere è ambiguo, Palazzo Merulana, Rome, curated by qwatz–contemporary art platform (2024)
– Filo doppio, Palatium Vetus, Alessandria, curated by Lia Lenti and Domenico Maria Papa (2024)
– Dancing Camera (video art program), Contemporary Cluster, Rome, curated by Domenico Maria Papa (2023)
– Dialoghi, Castro dei Volsci, Giornata del Contemporaneo, promoted by AMACI (2023)
– Filo doppio, Palazzo Valentino, Valenza, curated by Lia Lenti and Domenico Maria Papa (2023)
– Dancing Camera (video art program), Art Site Fest, Castello di Govone, curated by Domenico Maria Papa (2021)
– 12 Artists of Tomorrow, Mucciaccia Contemporary, Rome, curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi (2020)
– Back to the Future, CAMUSAC – Museum Foundation of Contemporary Art, Cassino, promoted by AMACI – Association of Italian Contemporary Art Museums (2018)

Participation in National and International Events

– Principio Attivo, World AIDS Day, for Mondofarmacia, MAXXI RomeTEDx Countdown (2025), Frosinone, Italy
– Talk with Viola Pantano and Antonio Biasiucci, Ragusa Festival (2025), Ragusa, Italy
– ArtSite Fest, curated by Associazione Phanes (2013, 2014, 2017), Turin, Italy
– Outdoor Festival, curated by NuFactory (2009), Rome, Italy
– Art & Design in Real Life, Oltre Salone (2020), Shanghai, China
– Art Stays – Festival of Contemporary Art (2013, 2015), Ptuj, Slovenia
Since 2008, active in art fairs and exhibitions including: ArtVerona, Arte Fiera Bologna, Paratissima, BAF – Bergamo Arte Fiera, Arte Vicenza, Arte Padova.

Grants and Awards

– Public Grant Lazio Contemporaneo, Regione Lazio (2020)
– Special Mention, Video Art Work, Berlin Film Festival (2017)
– Special Mention, Premio Celeste (2017)
– Award, #Crossheritage – Young Artist for the Savoy Residences, MiBACT Piemonte (2014)
– Best Cinematography, Cinedans Amsterdam – Video artwork, La danza in un minuto Award (2014)
– Finalist, Como Contemporary Contest (2011)
– Finalist, Premio Celeste (2012)
– Award, Confini 09, Florence, Turin, Rome, Genoa, Milan, Trieste (2011)
– Finalist, Premio Celeste (2011)
– Special Mention, Vienna and Prague – Arte Laguna Prize (2010)

Publications

– 12 Artists of Tomorrow, edited by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, Carlo Cambi Editore (2019)
– 222 Artisti su cui investire, Exibart Edizioni (2018)
– ArtSite, Edizioni Phanes (2015, 2018)
– Carta Bianca, Nuvole Arte Contemporanea, Edizioni Phanes (2016)
– Il Contemporaneo nell’Arte, Ars et Evolutio Edizioni (2014)
– ArtStays Catalogue (2012, 2014)
– Autoriscatti – Mostri fotografici (2013)
– ArtStays, KUD Art Stays (2013)
– ArtDiary, Giancarlo Politi Editore (2012)
– ArtVerona Catalogue (2010–2012)
– Celeste Prize Catalogue, Zel Edizioni (2010, 2011)
– CO.CO.CO. 11 Catalogue, Municipality of Como (2011)
– Eppur si Muove, NextExit Magazine (2009)
– Arte Laguna Catalogue, Grafica Antiga (2009)

Teaching and Educational Activities

– 2026 – Artistic Curator of the IED Factory 2026 project, IED Rome
– 2025 – Lecturer, Visioni Sostenibili: Public Art and Urban Regeneration
– 2024 – Lecturer, Animale Workshop, IED Factory (Rome): intensive multidisciplinary program focused on experimentation between art, technology, and the body, with emphasis on human/non-human hybridization
– 2023 – Lecturer, Systema Workshop, IED Factory (Rome): laboratory exploring human relationships through site-specific and participatory artistic practices
– 2022 – Lecturer, workshop for the creation of a participatory artwork, W.o.m. Dialogues project
– 2021 – Lecturer, Limiti Workshop, IED Factory (Rome): transdisciplinary laboratory on the concept of limit as boundary, threshold, and possibility
– Since 2021 – Lecturer in New Technologies of Art, IED Rome
– 2021 – Lecturer in Video Dance, Brancaccio Danza, Rome
– 2020 – Lecturer, participatory art workshop 1m³, organized by [Matrice] N
– 2014 – Lecturer in Video Art and Performance, Academy of Fine Arts of Frosinone

Institutional Collaborations

– 2025 – Director of Dalla sala al palcoscenico, a professional training program for young artists promoted by Sala Umberto and funded by Regione Lazio
– 2021 – Selected for Lazio Contemporaneo grant with the project Anti-Social Car
– 2021 – Collaboration with BPF – Banca Popolare del Frusinate for artistic and socially engaged projects, including Anti-Social Car
– 2020 – Collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts of Frosinone for socially engaged projects, including #UNCOVER, supporting “Fabrizio Spaziani” Hospital
– 2018 – Co-founder of IAM Edizioni; co-creator of IAM – The Anomalous Illustrated Guide to Ciociaria, co-funded by Regione Lazio
Since 2011 – Performer and resident artist creating sculptural scenic elements for the company [Ritmi Sotterranei]

Public and Private Collections

– Public artwork, Villa Comunale, Frosinone: in 2022, Anti-Social Car was installed in the public space, fostering reflections on sustainability and circular economy
– Charity Stars Collection – Fatebenefratelli
– Perlini Arte Collection – Nicola Perlini
– Giovanni Sasso Collection, Nuvole Arte Contemporanea
– Villa della Regina Collection
– Arthi Collection – Associazione Arti Thiene
– Domenico Iannacone Collection
– Antonello Colonna Collection