Julio VILLANI

The work of Julio Villani has as much in common with a gleaner as it does with an angle.  Drawing on references, it trusts in the treasure and poetry found in an inalienable freedom. 

It would be hazardous to wish to label it.  At most, one could lay bare the roots of his family tree: Duchamp-Oulipo, Calder-Torres Garcia, the Brazilian modernist movement “anthropophage” on a branch above the “Cannibale” periodical…

In the oeuvre of Villani, humor serves as a way to make sense of the world. The shapes and surprising divisions humor makes in his work participates in a playful tone in permanent renewal.  Nothing can stop the linguistic verve or the imagination of the artist.  Through movements at once tender and ironic, he spontaneously juggles references, materials, history, and objects, and transforms his thoughts into joyous assemblages.

Born the 15th of february 1956 in Marilia, Brazil ; Lives and works in Paris, France, since 1982.


EDUCATION

1993
- Scolarship Leonard de Vinci, Ministry of Culture and Francophonie.
1982-83               
- National School of Fine Arts, Paris, France. 
1978-80               
- Watford School of Arts, London, United Kingdom. 
1974-76
- Faculdade de Artes Plásticas F.A.A.P., São Paulo, Brésil. 


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025
- L'eau rougie de la veine mémoire, Galerie RX&SLAG, Paris, France.  
2023
- Heaven (As you saw so shall you reap) | Capela do Morumbi, Museus da cidade de São Paulo, Brazil.  
- Musée de tout I Casa de vidro / Lina Bi Bardi, Institut Bardi, Brazil. 
- Afrique, dialogues avec le contemporain, Musée Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, Brazil.  
- Tableau Noir, Galerie Raquel Arnaud, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
2021
- Conflicting Perspective, Slag Gallery et Galerie RX, New York, USA. 
2019
- Projet Solo, curator Sandra Hegedus, ArtRio fair, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
- Alinhavai, Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Por um fio, Galeria Estação, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Point à la ligne, Galerie RX, Paris, France.
2018     
- Service des objets trouvés, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France.
2017
- Etendoir d’émotions, SAM Art Projects, private foundations area, Monte Carlo art fair, Monaco, France.
2016
- Le peu de réalité, Abbaye Saint-Jean d’Orbestier, Olonne Castle, curator Philippe Piguet, France. 
- Estratégias obliquas, Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Solo, Untitled art fair, Galeria Mercedes Viegas, Miami, USA.
2014
- Plano, linha, ponto e nó, Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
2012     
- Mémoire de mes cent ans, Caixa Cultural, Brasilia, Brazil.
- O Brasil ! Julio Villani, Chapel of the Visitation, Thonon-les-Bains, France.
- Pas si bête. Des histoires comme ci., Villa des Tourelles Gallery, Nanterre, France.
2011     
- Palimpsesto, Galeria Murilo de Castro, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. 
2010     
- L’arpenteur, Zadkine Museum, Paris, France.
2009     
- Le glaneur, l’ange et l’enfant bossu, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2007     
- Verso Reverso, SESC Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Entre deux lumières, Espace Franz Krajcberg, Paris, France.
2006     
- Gallery 32, London, United Kingdom. 
- Habitat center, New Delhi, India.
2005     
- Je ne suis pas d'ici, Latin America House, Paris, France.
- L'origine du monde, Contemporary Art Cebter 10neuf, curator Philippe Cyroulnik, Montbéliard, France.
- Arche de Noé, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France.
2004     
- L’endroit du verso, Casa França-Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2002     
- Appropriations/ Expropriations, CREDAC, Ivry-sur-Seine, France.
- Remedos e remendos, Paço das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Pinturas e objetos indiretos, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil.
2000     
- Galerie Cleyne Huis, The Hague, Netherlands.
1999     
- Paço das artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Dieppe Castle Museum, France.
1998     
- Passage of Retz, Paris, France.
- Museu de arte, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
1997     
- Interventions on collections, Agen Museum of Fine Arts, curator Yannick Lintz, Agen, France.
1990     
- Archaeological forms, La Base, Paris, France.
- Usine Ephémère, Paris, France.
1988      
- Laage-Salomon Gallery, Paris, France.
- Riverin Arlogos Gallery, Montreal, Canada.
1986      
- Marius Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark.
1985      
- Galerie du Haut Pavé, Paris, France.


EXPOSITIONS COLLECTIVES

2025
- A tela insurgente, Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz, Ribeirão Preto, commissariat Antonio Gonçalves Filho, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
- Coleção Vilma Eid – Em cada canto, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo, commissariat Ana Roman et Catalina Bergues, Brazil.. 
2023
- Ensaios para o Museu das Origens, commissariat Paulo Miyada, Izabela Pucu, assistés de Ana Roman, Daiara Tukano, Thiago de Paula. Itaú cultural, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Africa, Diálogos com o contemporâneo, commissariat Paula Braga et Renato Araújo. Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, Brazil.
2022
- AOULIOULE, est-il besoin de mots? Commissariat Sylvie Fanchon et  Camila Oliveira Fairclough, Musée Regional d’Art contemporain Occitanie – MRAC Serignan, France. 
- Beyond photography, une sélection de photographies plasticiennes des années 70 à nos jours [ Nabuyoshi Araki, Alan Belcher, Gaston Bertin, Braco Dimitrijevic, Robert Heinecken, David Hockney, Philippe Jusforgues, Robert C. Morgan, Tania Mouraud, Richard Prince, Miguel Rio Branco, Wolfgang Tillmans, Jon Tower, Julio Villani, Kanji Wakae, Roger Welch], Galerie 1900-2000, Paris, France. 
- Le langage des oiseaux, un projet Association Jeune Création,Espace Niemeyer, Paris, France. 
- Tècnica Mixta Sobre Paper IV, œuvres sur papier, [ Eduard Arranz Bravo, Bill Beckley, Lluís Bosch Cruanas, Miguel Ángel Campano, Jordi Cerdà, Antoni Clavé, José Duarte, Jaume Faixó, Federico Guzmán, Yvonne Kracht, Antoni Miralda, August Puig, Donald Sultan, Antoni Tàpies, Josep Iclès, Joan Vilacasas, Julio Villani], Galerie Richard Van Vanderaa, Gerona, Spain. 
- Horizons résonants, Galerie Raquel Arnaud, São Paulo, Brazil.
2021
- Traversée, Galerie RX, Paris, France.
2020     
- Collapsible, Galeria Mercedes Viegas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2019     
- Le petit collectionneur (jouets d’artistes), Carbono galeria, curators : Artur Lescher and Mariane Klettenhofer, São Paulo, Brazil.
- … et l’obscur, Thoronet Abbay, curator Jean de Loisy, Thoronet, France.
2018     
- Œuvres sur papier, Mercedes Viegas Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2017
- 4+4, Galerie RX, curator Sandra Hegedus, Paris, France.
- Figures et formes géométriques, 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France.
- A imensidão dos mapas, Museu Oscar Niemeyer, curator Agnaldo Farias, Curitiba, Brazil.
2015     
- Être étonnée, c’est un bonheur !, Chapel of the Visiation, curator Philippe Piguet, Thonon-les-Bains, France.

2014
- Afindades 40 anos, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Manifesto, Galeria Mercedes Viegas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Made by razilians, Hôpital Matarazzo, São Paulo, Brazil.
2012     
- O Brazil, Chapel of the Visitation, curator Philippe Piguet, Thonon-les-Bains, France.

2011      
- Punto Linea Curva, Contemporaneo C.C. Borges, curator Philippe Cyroulnik, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Hémisphère Sud, Granite Gallery, Art School Gérard Jacot, Belfort, France.
2010     
- Instalação Sonora 66 x 96, Paço das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil.
2008     
- Mão Dupla, Sesc Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil.
2007      
- Projections, Contemporary Art Center 10neuf, curator Philippe Cyroulnik, Montbéliard, France.
2006     
- Stop Over, Centre FriArt, curator Sarah Zurche, Freiburg, Switzerland.
- Passion et raison d’un esprit constructif : une conquête de l’art d’Amérique latin, works of the Daniella Chappard Foundation, Le Bellevue, Biarritz, France.
2005     
- Amalgames brésiliens, Musée de l’œuvre, curator Ingrid Jursac, Mantes-la-Jolie, France.
2004     
- Don’t call it performance, Museo del Barrio, New York, USA.
2003     
- Don’t call it performance, Centro de arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.
2001     
- L’art en toute liberté, Europ’art, Genova, Switzerland.
2000     
- Continental shift, Ludwig Foundation, Aix-la-Chapelle, France.
1998     
- City canibal, Paço das artes, São Paulo Biennal, Brazil.
- Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo, Gilberto Chateaubriand collection, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- 33ème Salon de Montrouge, France.
1999     
- Vivre Paris, Espace Electra, Paris, France.
1997
- Latin America House, Paris, France.
1996      
- 24th Bienal of Pontevedra, Spain.
1995      
- Contemporary Art House Chaillioux, Fresnes, France.
1994      
- Eles desenham como pintam, MAM, Rio de Janeiro and MAM, Salvador.
1991     
- Hôpital Ephémère, Paris, France.
- 1900-2000 Gallery, Paris, France.
1988      
- Modernidade, MAM, curators Marie Odile Briot, Aracy Amaral, Roberto Pontual, São Paulo, Brazil.
1987     
- Modernidade, MAM, curators Marie Odile Briot, Aracy Amaral, Roberto Pontual, Paris, France.
1984     
- Projet Out-Door, Museu de arte contemporânea, São Paulo, Brazil.
1980     
- Desenhos jovens, Museu de arte contemporânea, São Paulo, Brazil.


PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

- Museums of the City of Paris.
- National Center of Plastic Arts.
- Department of Cultural Affairs of Paris.
- National Furnitures.
- Museum of Public Assistance, Paris.


PUBLIC ORDERS

- Carpet, Manufacture nationale des Gobelins.
- Carpet, Manufacture de la Savonnerie.
- Chapel of the Vaugirard Hospital, Public Assistance, Paris.