Maurizio was born in Brescia in 1958, where he lives and works.

 

An intellectual artist with a background ranging from philosophy to anthropology, he has developed a research focused on the issue of the image, understood as a potential space for the concentration and alteration of visual memory. He explores this in works that experiment with different materials and techniques, aiming to provide the audience with an infinite potential of suggestions and iconic references. In this composite atlas of images, we find: the “Disegni Del Quasi,” the “Arazzi,” the “Mirrors,” the “O” cycle, gold monochromes, the “Notturni,” the “Girandole,” the “Lux Drawing,” and more recent works titled “Reti/Nets.” Through these works, Donzelli highlights the crucial nature of the thought behind the artistic process, bringing the imaginary principle of making to the center of reflection—an act of creativity that does not end with the presentation of the work to the world but continues in the reciprocity between the artwork and the spectator.

 

These aspects have led various scholars, intellectuals, and critics to engage with Donzelli's work over the years, on various exhibition occasions, including the following solo shows: “Spellbound,” The Merode, Brussels, 2024; “Nets,” Cortesi Gallery, Milan, 2024; “Spellbound,” with Paola Pezzi, Palazzo Martinengo, Brescia, 2023; “Immaginale,” Galleria Massimo Minini, Brescia, 2022; “L’insieme vuoto,” Marignana Arte, Venice, 2022; “The Three Gems,” Eduardo Secci Contemporary, Florence, 2022; “In Nuce,” Museo Civico Medievale, Bologna, for ARTCITY 2021; “Metamorphosis,” Villa Olmo, Como, 2021; “Thresholds,” MAC-Museum of Contemporary Art, Lissone, 2020; “Diorama,” Open Source First Shenzhen Biennale, Luohu Art Museum, Shenzhen, China, 2018; “Giardini Cosmici,” with Aldo Grazzi, Palazzo Ducale, Mantua, 2017; “Ad Altemps,” National Roman Museum of Palazzo Altemps, Rome, 2015; “Metamorfosi,” Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2012.

 

Among the group exhibitions, notable ones include: the execution of the “Molecola della vita” that concluded the exhibition “Lotto, Romanino, Moretto, Ceruti. I campioni della pittura a Brescia e Bergamo” at Palazzo Martinengo in Brescia for “Bergamo Brescia Capitale Italiana della Cultura 2023”; a political project born from his idea and related to the position of art during the two years of the pandemic, “GestoZero,” a traveling exhibition at the Museo Santa Giulia in Brescia, the Museo del Violino in Cremona, and the Ex Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena in Bergamo, 2020-2021; “Intuition,” Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2017; “Proportio,” Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, 2015. His theoretical reflection has been the subject of several publications, including: “Spettacolo di Niente,” 2003, Mazzotta, published on the occasion of the exhibition at the National Calcography of Rome; “Lo Sguardo Del Disegnatore,” l’Obliquo editions 2002; “Metamorfosi,” Mousse publishing 2012; “Diramante,” Bandecchi e Vitali Florence 2015; “La Linea Del Tutto,” Mousse publishing 2016. Among others, his work has been written about by: Peter Assmann, Ilaria Bignotti, Bartholomew F. Bland, Paolo Bolpagni, Vito Calabretta, Daniele Capra, Luca Cerizza, Alberto Dambruoso, Davide Dotti, Daniela Ferretti, Luigi Ficacci, Angela Madesani, Massimo Minini, Mauro Panzera, Roberto Pinto, Francesco Poli, Francesco Tedeschi, Clarissa Tempestini, Valerio Terraroli, Tommaso Trini, Gabriele Salvaterra, Andrea Viliani, Mauro Zanchi.