Gino De Dominicis

In November 1970 De Dominicis presented at Franco Toselli Gallery in Milan a series of works as the ball, the stone and the invisible cylinder, but also the radioactive object, two identical jars and a cat with a tag announcing the postulate of the "Second Immortality Solution".

De Dominicis first appearance in the Venice Biennale was in 1972, the exhibition curated by Francesco Arcangeli, Renato Barilli and Marco Valsecchi juxtaposed traditional paintings with more experimental expressions such as performance art.

During the first day of the vernissage, the presence of a seated man with Down's Syndrome in a corner of room 26, whose name was Paolo Rosa, attracted a lot of attention and violent criticism.

Senza titolo (Untitled), 1988, is part of a group of works inspired by the hypothetical coexistence of the Sumerian king and Urvasi, created in the context of the artist's renewed interest in painting.

Concentrating on the human figure, De Dominicis often referenced mythical and epic leaders like Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king who sought immortality, and Urvashi, the Hindu Veda goddess of beauty.

A mysterious element pervades these works as the figures undergo various facial and bodily compressions: noses, eyes, mouths, and eyebrows are elongated and occasionally become fine fissures, while surreal imagery such as tiny fork-like hands and beak-like crania are paired with out-of-proportion arms, torsos, and legs.

For Gino De Dominicis, painting performed a primary and extraordinary function, reaffirming the legacy of the artist as a powerful and creative force.

In 2010, the first big retrospective of the work of De Dominicis, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, was held at MAXXI in Rome, as inaugural exhibition of the museum.

In 2017 the international gallery Luxembourg & Dayan in London, held a solo exhibition of Gino De Dominicis’ works from the collection of Guntis Brands.