BR1
BR1 was born in Locri (Reggio Calabria) in 1984 and lives and works in Turin.
In 2009 he graduated in Islamic Law at the university of Turin. He practices law since 2014, which leads him to focus on issues of migrants and the position of women both in contemporary Islamic society and in the Euro-Mediterranean area. BR1 chooses to focus on the veil worn by women as a visual device and a watershed symbol between western and Middle Eastern culture.
Through actions in public space on billboards, performances and numerous urban interventions, BR1 has addressed various social and political issues, focusing mainly on the deconstruction of euro-centric and western values. BR1 has always investigated the ambiguity of a globalised society, which instead of softening borders creates new levels of social exclusion. BR1 explores the issue of migration, the inability of governments to manage it, contributing to discriminatory and racist attitudes, which have come to dominate and influence public opinion. He also investigates the concept of borders, physical and mental, as he believes that we are just individuals who need to experience the world without any fear, because everyone is a stranger in this world.
BR1 was selected at Manifesta 12 Biennale 2018 in Palermo and was one of the official artists of Matera European Capital of Culture 2019. He has participated twice in the Urban Art Biennale in Volklingen Hutte, a Unesco heritage site in Germany. He has exhibited in Europe and United States.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022
Ritratti di confine, Mucciaccia Contemporary, Rome, Italy
2017
HandMade, solo show, The Don Gallery, curated by Giacomo Spazio, Milan, Italy
2016
The Stranger arrives with a new dress, solo show, Open Walls Gallery, Berlin Germany
2014
Costumi da mare, solo show, Fondazione per l’arte Bartoli-Felter, Cagliari, Italy
2013
Integration/disintegration, solo show, Open Walls Gallery, Berlin Germany
Public arena, group show, Barriera Artegiovane, curated by Roberta Pagani, Torino Italy
Women between, solo show, FARM cultural park, Favara, Italy
Projects
2019
MATERA EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE, official public art project in collaboration with Il Sicomoro, curated by Stefania Dubla, Matera, Italy
Reversible, public art, curated by Madrid Street Art Project, Madrid, Spain
2017
Le Mur, public art, association Le Mur, rue Oberkampf, Paris, France
2015
Hydra 2, public art project, Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella, Italy
2014
Fieno e asfalto, Artissima Art Fair, in collaboration with Artegiovane, Torino, Italy
Made in Italy, group show, GCA Gallery, curated by Christian Omodeo, Nice France
From Street to Art, group show, Italian Culture Institute, curator Simone Pallotta, New York
Positions, group show, Open Walls Gallery, Berlin Germany
2018
FOTOGRAFIA EUROPEA, official collateral exhibition, Reggio Emilia, Italy
2013
A di città | international public art festival, Rosarno, Italy
Cheap poster art, poster art festival, curated by Elastico, Bologna, Italy
2012
Street art doping, public art festival, curated by Susan Pietrzyk, Warsaw, Poland
2010
Urban arts Madrid, street art festival, Madrid, Spain
2009
Pop up!, public art festival, Ancona, Italy
Residencies
2016
Torino e le Alpi, curated by Arteco, Valle Cervo, Biella, Italy
C-Fara and MAAP Atelier Arte Pubblica, curated by Stefania Dubla, Matera, Italy
2015
Kahinarte, curated by Francesco Bondanini, Melilla, Morocco
2014
BR1 and ELFO, AiR Pasaj, curated by Giorgio Caione, Istanbul, Turkey
Public collections
2014
Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez, Bourdeaux, France
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
Swinton Gallery, curated by Madrid Street Art Project, Madrid, Spain
2020
WHEN URBAN ATTITUDES BECOME CONTEMPORARY ART, group show, curated by Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, 21Gallery, Treviso, Italy
2019
Urban art biennale, curated by Frank Kramer, UNESCO Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Germany
Lunetta11, group show, Lunetta11 gallery, curated by Eva Menzio, Mombarcaro Italy
2018
MANIFESTA 12, official collateral event, microcosmi project, Palermo, Italy
Happy habitat, group show, Neurotitan Gallery, curated by Annika Hirsekorn, Berlin, Germany
FOTOGRAFIA EUROPEA, mostra evento ufficiale collaterale, Reggio Emilia, Italy
2017
Urban art biennale, curated by Frank Kramer, UNESCO, Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Germany
2016
Freedom as Form, group show, Wunderkammern Gallery, Milan, Italy
2015
Chained, group show, Wunderkammern Gallery, Milan, Italy
2013
A di città, festival di arte pubblica internazionale, Rosarno, Italy
Cheap poster art, poster art festival, a cura di Elastico, Bologna, Italy
From the city to the world, group show, Newart center, curator Diane Pontius, Boston, USA
2012
Street art doping, progetto di arte pubblica, a cura di Susan Pietrzyk, Varasavia, Polond
2010
Urban arts Madrid, Festival di street art, Madrid, Spain
2009
Pop up!, festival di arte pubblica, Ancona, Italy
Residenze
2016
Torino e le Alpi, a cura di Arteco, Valle Cervo, Biella, Italy
C-Fara and MAAP Atelier Arte Pubblica, a cura di Stefania Dubla, Matera, Italy
2015
Kahinarte, a cura di Francesco Bondanini, Melilla, Morocco
2014
BR1 and ELFO | AiR Pasaj, a cura di Giorgio Caione, Istanbul, Turkey
Public collections
2014
Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez, Bourdeaux, France
WORKS
BR1, Senza titolo, 2022, acrylic on canvas, 41×31 cm
