Andrea Francolino

Andrea Francolino (b. 1979, Bari, Italy) is an Italian contemporary artist based in Milan. His artistic research explores human fragility and vulnerability through the dialectical relationship between humanity and nature, addressing ecological, existential, and social issues through sculpture and installation. Francolino’s work focuses on physical transformation processes such as oxidation, combustion, erosion, and cracking. Using industrial materials including iron, steel, concrete, and wood, he develops a visual language centered on fracture as both aesthetic strategy and conceptual framework. Cracks and ruptures in his works function as metaphors for memory, resilience, and geological time, offering a critical reflection on environmental crisis and the unstable balance between humans and the natural world. In 2013 he won the historic Premio San Fedele (Milan) with Et onne tempo. He has held solo exhibitions at the Museo Novecento (Florence, 2020–2021) and in 2025 presented Contemplatio at Mazzoleni (London), reaffirming his international presence. His works are included in major public and private collections across Europe. In 2015 he co-founded The Open Box, a non-profit experimental art space in Milan.