DAVIDE MARIA COLTRO
Davide Maria Coltro (Verona, 1967) lives and works between Milan and Lake Maggiore. His artistic debut was marked by his first solo exhibition, Censimenti dei viventi, held at the Magazzini Generali in Verona. Since then, he has been invited to numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Italy and abroad, including the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, Palazzo Ca’ d'Oro in Venice, MART in Rovereto, the Farnesina Collection in Rome, and the Urban Planning Center in Shanghai. He has also participated in important festivals and events, such as the 54th Venice Art Biennale, where he presented Res_publica, an installation consisting of 96 electronic modules, and the XIV Quadriennale Anteprima in Turin. Coltro’s artistic research integrates technology with innovative architectures that challenge traditional methods of creating, distributing, and experiencing art. His work has led to the development of a new digital relational ecosystem, which he uses as a platform to showcase his electronic painting through Quadri Mediali (Media Paintings). This approach extends the evocative power of traditional painting, evolving it into new forms. In today’s digital age, where the technology of images is frequently discussed, Coltro has remained focused on finding a thoughtful and shared way to incorporate technology into contemporary art. His work highlights the seamless connection between poetic expression and technical execution. Coltro's relationship with art history and the genres of painting is central to his research, which he defines as "painting beyond matter." In his Medium Color Landscapes series, Coltro explores the technique of medium color, a color derived from the mathematical average of values within an original matrix, evenly redistributed across the image. This investigation continued in his Nature Morte Continue series, where formally independent works can be combined in continuity to create dynamic compositions that expand across space. Since 2019, Coltro has embraced Astrazione Mediale (Media Abstraction), moving away from the trend of sensationalizing digital art. This series delves into the core elements of both traditional painting and electronic canvases, as envisioned in his SYSTEM project. In recent years, Coltro has also pursued theological studies to enrich his artistic journey with reflections on humanity’s relationship with fundamental existential themes. These musings have led him to seek intellectual exchange with fellow artists, as well as with writers, poets, and philosophers from other fields. Coltro's experimentation with digital art has led him to develop the concept of Sintonia Modale (Modal Harmony), which he is currently elaborating in a theoretical text. His works have been displayed in major museums and public institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, Etagi LoftProject in St. Petersburg, ZKM in Karlsruhe, the Urban Planning Center in Shanghai, the Pecci Museum in Prato, the Farnesina Collection in Rome, MART in Rovereto, the Civic Gallery in Trento, and the Francesco Messina Studio Museum in Milan. His Quadri Mediali and Digital Paintings are part of several permanent public and private collections, such as the GAM Achille Forti in Verona, VAF Stiftung in Frankfurt, MACI Museum in Isernia, the Panza di Biumo Collection in Varese, the Ezio Mariani Civic Gallery in Seregno, the Young Museum in Revere, the UNICREDIT Collection in Milan, the Sacred Art Gallery of Contemporary Art at Villa Clerici in Milan, and the Paolo VI Collection in Concesio, Brescia.
