Daniele Catalli is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice moves across drawing, installation, publishing, performance and wall painting, between public and relational art.

His research explores the intersections of culture, environment and collective narratives, and the ways cultural, historical and technological systems shape our perception of the natural world.

Projects such as Saluti e Baci combine sociological research with participatory practices to address the relationship between human behaviour and environmental impact.

Central to his work is the tension between part and whole: each element of a work can exist on its own, yet finds its full meaning only in relation to the whole, like a musical note whose value shifts as the harmony changes. Drawing is the foundation of his practice and his primary tool of investigation; the image is treated as a transformable organism, able to evolve while keeping its identity.

In 2011 he started the Dream Circus Project and in 2021 he founded the Museo del Sogno (Museum of Dreams). He co-founded Le Stanze Segrete di S., a company exploring the relationship between performance and drawing. His books are published in Italy, Spain, China, United States, France and Mexico. He is lecturer at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Turin.

CONTACTS

write to: daniele.catalli at gmail.com
for book rights please contact Daniela Bonerba

Practice

2026

Saluti e Baci, installation, Graphic Days festival, Turin

Saluti e Baci – Il peso dell'aria, performance and installation, CLOSER – Becoming the City, Padiglione dell'Esprit Nuovo, Bologna (curated by Adiacenze)

The Night, group exhibition, Asia Design Week, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan (Fuorisalone)

Trattoria Altravista, group exhibition, 5 Vie, Milan (Fuorisalone)

2025

Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2025, touring group exhibition: The Salisbury Museum; Cooper Gallery, Dundee; Waterside, Sale; Drawing Projects UK, Trowbridge

2024

Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2024, group exhibition: Trinity Buoy Wharf, London; The Turnpike, Leigh; Arts University Bournemouth

Saluti e Baci, solo exhibition, installation and performance, Inteatro Festival, Ancona

Stanza numero 5, solo exhibition, installation and performance, Inteatro Festival, Ancona

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Espacio Checoeslovaquia, Santiago de Chile

Dream Circus Project, performance, Santiago OFF festival, Santiago de Chile

La Ville Imaginaire, group exhibition, Italie à Paris, Paris (curated by Clara Rizzitelli)

War tells no good stories. Picture books for peace, group exhibition, International Youth Library, Schloss Blutenburg, Munich

Oggetto Libro, touring group exhibition, Lecce, Brindisi, Trani, Taranto (curated by Susanna Vallebona)

Apolide Festival, group exhibition, Ivrea

2023

Delle città come dei sogni, solo exhibition, Casa della Cultura Italo Calvino, Calderara di Reno (curated by Adiacenze)

Mirabolante esposizione di fenomeni naturali e de Le Metamorfosi di Ovidio, solo exhibition, Adiacenze, Bologna (curated by Amerigo Mariotti)

Mirabolante esposizione di fenomeni naturali e de Le Metamorfosi di Ovidio, solo exhibition, Noi Libreria, Milan

Mirabolante esposizione di fenomeni naturali, solo exhibition, Progetti Specifici, Turin

For All Time: Shakespeare in Print, group exhibition, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney

Inferno, solo exhibition, Pressato Coffee and Books, Turin (curated by Nello Russo)

2022

I Notturni, installation and solo exhibition, Spilamberto Public Library, Prospettive 2022 (curated by Adiacenze)

Dream #1, billboard, public art intervention, Corso Vercelli, Turin

Tracce d'Acqua, group exhibition, Villa Nigra, Miasino (curated by Asilo Bianco)

2021

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Lungo Dora, Turin (with Politecnico di Torino, Epica Film, Museo del Sogno)

2019

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Almost Perfect, Tokyo

Daniele Catalli, solo exhibition, performance and talk, Some Books Gallery, Seoul

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Un Ponte di Storie festival, Ponte in Valtellina

La battaglia delle rane e dei topi, solo exhibition and book presentation, Un Ponte di Storie festival, Ponte in Valtellina

2018

Fare la guerra, solo exhibition, Adiacenze, Bologna

Una sola moltitudine, solo exhibition, Galleria Caracol, Turin (curated by Federico Cano Correa)

2017

Discesa, performance, Segni d'infanzia festival, Mantua

Senza Testa, performance, Turin (curated by Francesco La Rocca)

2016

Meduse, installation, Paris

Inteatro, performance, Mole Vanvitelliana, Ancona

2014

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, LX Factory, Lisbon (curated by Angelika Fitz and Rose Epple)

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Pasaj / ITU / Halka Art, Istanbul (curated by Giorgio Caione)

Dream Circus Project, performance, Grad – European Center for Culture and Debate, Belgrade (curated by Arteco)

Dream Circus Project, performance, Contemporary Art Center, Skopje (curated by Arteco and CAC)

Dream Circus Project, performance, DoubleRoom, Trieste

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Operae, Turin (curated by Arteco, Annalisa Pellino)

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition and performance, Circolo degli Artisti, Turin (curated by Arteco, Annalisa Pellino)

Dream Circus Project, solo exhibition, Spazio N.B., Turin (curated by Arteco, Annalisa Pellino)

2013

24 senza testa, performance, Van Der Gallery, Turin (curated by Stefano Riba)

Danza al Museo / Inteatro, performance, Museo della Carta, Fabriano

2012

Dream Circus in Amsterdam, solo exhibition and performance, AWA Gallery, Amsterdam (curated by Go Go Project, E. Verhamme)

Dream Circus, performance, Dokhuis, Amsterdam

Dream Circus Project, performance, The Gate, Calamandrana (curated by Bianca Roagna)

2011

Dream Circus, installation, group exhibition, Seminaria Sogninterra, Maranola

Mirabolante esposizione di metamorfosi, solo exhibition, Emmeotto Next Gallery, Rome (curated by Isabella Indolfi)

2007

C.R. Cappuccetto Rosso, performance, Creative Art Center, Beijing

S.B. Sleeping Beauty, performance, Palazzo delle Arti, Pescara

Residencies

2024: J&H, artist residency with final performance, Espacio Checoeslovaquia, Santiago de Chile (Marche Teatro, Crossing the Sea)

2023: The Earth Vision, self-organised printmaking research residency, Soho, London

2022: I Notturni, production residency with final exhibition, Rocca Rangoni, Spilamberto (Prospettive 2022, curated by Adiacenze)

2022: The Big Green, artist residency

2016: Casa Falconieri, etching residency (SetUp Art Fair Etching Award), Cagliari

2016: Freezer Residency Program, artist residency with performance

2015: Inteatro, artist residency, Ancona

2014: Dream Circus Project, artist residency with solo exhibition and performance, Pasaj, Istanbul

2013: Festival Villa Nappi, artist residency with performance, Polverigi

2013: Danza al Museo / Inteatro, artist residency with performance, Museo della Carta, Fabriano

2012: Dream Circus in Amsterdam, artist residency with solo exhibition and performance, AWA Gallery and Dokhuis, Amsterdam

2012: Gebrauchsanweisung 3, artist residency, Gartenhaus Dingerkus, Essen

2011: Gebrauchsanweisung 1, artist residency with performance, TanzAtelier, Kunsthaus Essen

2011: El amor en el tiempo, residency: animated video for the performance by Irene Huete Lopez, Essen

2011: Istruzioni per l'uso, artist residency, Inteatro, Polverigi (with Elena Kofina)

2011: Dream Circus, residency with group exhibition, Seminaria Sogninterra, Maranola

2006: Epidemia2, artist residency, Collegno

Publications

2026: Le immagini del profumo, illustrated book, illustrations. Text by Matteo Fumagalli, L'ippocampo, Milan

2026: Tenerife, illustrated reportage, text and drawings. Brainery Academy, Udine

2026: Popeye, collective volume, illustration. Rag Doll, Rome

2025: Gastronauta en México, illustrated book, cover and 12 illustrations. Text by Federico Mastrogiovanni, Grijalbo / Penguin Random House, Mexico City

2024: Ayotzinapa y nuestras sombras, illustrated book, illustrations. Text by Federico Mastrogiovanni, Grijalbo / Penguin Random House, Mexico City

2024: Shakespeare and Company, special edition, illustrations. Turin

2023–2024: Classici in scena series, seven boxed sets with illustrated book and paper theatre, illustrations and theatres. 24 ORE Cultura, Milan: Inferno, Romeo e Giulietta (2023); Dracula, Frankenstein, Orgoglio e pregiudizio, Pinocchio, I promessi sposi (2024)

2023: Le metamorfosi di Ovidio, illustrated book with die-cut pages, illustrations. Text by Alice Patrioli, L'ippocampo, Milan

2022: Hokusai et le Fujisan, picture book, illustrations. Text by Eva Bensard, Amaterra, Lyon; Italian edition L'ippocampo, Milan

2022: Senza Testa. Breve storia della decapitazione in rime e disegni, illustrated book with red filter, drawings (co-author). Verses by Lucio Villani, Red Star Press, Rome

2021: Yvain, picture book, illustrations. Text by Isabelle Wlodarczyk, Amaterra, Lyon

2019: Romeo + Juliet, artist's edition, 400 copies, drawings. After William Shakespeare, DFRG Press, Turin

2019: A Midsummer Night's Dream, artist's edition, 400 copies (reissue), drawings. After William Shakespeare, DFRG Press, Turin

2018: Elektre, picture book, illustrations. Text by S. Gerinte, Amaterra, Lyon

2018: Di ferite stelle, artist's book, 10 copies, drawings and concept. Text by Laura Anfuso, DFRG Press, Turin

2017: La bataille des grenouilles et des souris, picture book with die-cut pages, text and illustrations. After Homer, Amaterra, Lyon; Italian edition La battaglia delle rane e dei topi, L'ippocampo, Milan, 2018

2016: La Balada de Caperucita, artist's book, unique copy, drawings. After Federico García Lorca, self-published, Cagliari

2015: 100 drawings, collection of drawings, author

2014: A Midsummer Night's Dream, artist's edition, drawings. After William Shakespeare, DFRG Press, London – Turin

2014: Through the Woods, artist's edition, author. DFRG Press, London

2014: Del lavoro & della morte, artist's edition, thirteen tarot cards, author. Print About Me, Turin

2013: 24 Senza Testa, artist's edition, drawings. Verses by Lucio Villani, Print About Me, Turin

2013: Attraverso il bosco, artist's edition, author. Turin

Awards

2025: International Painter of Tai Chi Movement Innovation, recognition for the project Forms of Movement. China Tai Chi Professional Committee

2024: Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Working Drawing Award, drawing prize: selected, touring exhibition. London

2024: Prix Vély'book, children's book award: Best Illustration and Special Jury Prize, for Hokusai et le Fujisan. Vélizy-Villacoublay

2023: Prix Atout Lire, picture book award, for Hokusai et le Fujisan. France

2022: Prix Amerigo Vespucci Jeunesse, children's book award, for Hokusai et le Fujisan. Festival International de Géographie, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

2020: Premio Racconto Plurale, contemporary art award. Fondazione per l'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT, Turin

2019: Premio Soligatto, picture book award: Best Album and Best Cover. Treviso

2018: Prix de l'album jeunesse, children's book award, for La bataille des grenouilles et des souris. La Nuit du Livre, Paris

2016: Etching Award, printmaking prize with residency at Casa Falconieri. SetUp Art Fair, Bologna

2014: Best Project, project award, for Dream Circus Project. WeTraders Berlin, Kunstraum Bethanien, Berlin

2014: Best Concept, artist's book award. Art Books Wanted Competition, Prague

2010: Best Production Design Award, production design prize. Rome Film Festival

Last Updated 26.10.15

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