Manuel Cosentino (b.1980) is an Italian artist working with photography. He graduated from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome and moved to London where he worked as a visual effects artist in the film Industry. After contributing to several movies, including Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix and Narnia Prince Caspian, he returned to Italy to focus solely on his art practice.
He is interested in the role of the individual—and collective responsibility—in contemporary society, and on the function of art as an agent of change. His work unfolds onto the retina of the mind to make visible, one at the time, the threads that connect us to one another and the walls setting us apart. His series pierce physicals and imaginary boundaries to reconnect the public not only with but through art.
His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Arsenal (Italy), the Museo Diocesano F. Gonzaga (Italy), the Museo Civico G. Fattori (Italy), the Pantheon of Mirafiori (Italy), the Griffin Museum of Photography (USA), the Carmel Center for Photographic Arts (USA), The Fence (Brooklyn Bridge Park, NYC), Festival de la Luz (Buenos Aires), Head On Photo Festival (Sidney), the Royal Photographic Society (UK), Klompching Gallery (New York), Galerie Huit during “Les Rencontres d’Arles” (France), and has been featured on L’Espresso (Italy), WIRED (USA), The Huffington Post (USA), PDN (USA), Blink Magazine (S. Korea), Lens Culture (Netherlands), iGnant (Germany), the Colossal (USA), Lenscratch (USA), My Modern Met (USA) and L’Oeil de la Photographie (France). He has been a finalist for the Arte Laguna Prize (Italy), the Prix de la Découverte (France), Critical Mass (USA) and the Head On Landscape Prize (Australia), to name a few, and a recipient of the Premio Combat Prize for contemporary photography (Italy). His work resides in several private and public collections, including the permanent collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
EXHIBITIONS
The Venice Arsenal, Arte Laguna Prize, Venice, Italy
Klompching Gallery, Artists on Artists, New York
Virtual exhibition and conversation held during the 2020 pandemic shutdown
Head On Photo Festival, Landscape Prize, State Parliament of NSW, Sydney
100 Jay Street, Behind a Little House, New York City
Curated by United Photo Industries, NYC
Griffin Museum of Photography (LCC), Sky, Boston
Curated by Paula Tognarelli, (Executive Director/Curator) Griffin Museum of Photography
XVIII Encuentros Abiertos – Festival de la Luz, 25 Visiones Internacionales, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Voies Off Festival, new discoveries from the Lens Culture Emerging Talent Awards, Arles, France
United Photo Industries/Photoville - The Fence - Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York
Atlanta Celebrates Photography - The Fence - Atlanta BeltLine, Atlanta
Griffin Museum of Photography, Behind a Little House, Boston (solo)
Curated by Paula Tognarelli, (Executive Director/Curator) Griffin Museum of Photography
Photonic Moments Festival, Month of Photography, Ljubljana, Republic of Slovenia
Klompching Gallery, Fresh, New York
Curated by W.M. Hunt and Darren Ching
Museo Civico G. Fattori, Premio Combat Prize, Livorno, Italy
Pantheon di Mirafiori, Quelli di Franco Fontana, Torino, Italy
Curated by Franco Fontana
Viridian Artists Inc, 3rd International Photography Exhibition, New York
Curated by Nat Trotman, (Curator) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYC
Garage Turenne, Grand Prix de la Découverte, Paris
NoFound Photo Fair, in conjunction with Paris Mois de la Photo
Palazzo Massarani, Arte per Arte, Mantua, Italy
Photo Center NW, Equivalents, Seattle, USA
Curated by W.M. Hunt
Royal Photographic Society, 155th International Print Exhibition, London, UK
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, International Photography II, USA
Museo Diocesano Francesco Gonzaga, Franco Fontana e Quelli di Franco Fontana, Mantua, Italy
Mantova Creativa Festival
Galerie Huit/China House, Transience, Penang, Malaysia
The Gallery in Cork Street, Cork Street Open Exhibition, London, UK
Galerie Huit, Open Salon Arles 2011: Transience, Arles, France
During and alongside Les Rencontres D’Arles 2011
AWARDS
Arte Laguna Prize 2021, Venice, Italy: Finalist
Premio Combat Prize 2019, Livorno, Italy: Recommended by the Jury | Catalogue published by Sillabe
Photolucida Critical Mass 2016: Finalist
Head On Photo Festival 2016, Landscape Prize, Sydney: Finalist
Kunas Photo Festival 2015, Lithuania: Folioport Top 25
Photolucida Critical Mass 2014: Finalist
Premio Combat Prize 2013, Livorno, Italy: Winner | Contemporary Photography Grant Recipient
Lucie International Photography Award 2013, Los Angeles: Awarded 2nd place in Self-Published Photo Book
Huston Center for Photography Fellowship 2013: Top 10
Juried by W.M. Hunt
International Emerging Artist Award 2013, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Shortlisted with the Jury’s Appreciation
The Print Center’s 87th Annual International Competition: Printmaking & Photography, Philadelphia, USA: Shortlisted
Juried by Irene Hofmann, Phillips Director & Chief Curator, SITE Santa Fe
Photolucida Critical Mass 2012: Finalist
Photo Center NW, 17th Annual Photo Competition, Seattle, USA: Awarded 2nd Place Award
Juried by W.M. Hunt
Royal Photographic Society, 155th International Print Exhibition, London: Finalist
Grand Prix de la Découverte 2012, Paris: Finalist
Black & White Spider Awards 2012, London: Awarded 1st Place Outstanding Achievement in Nature
International Color Awards 2011, London: Awarded 2nd Place Merit of Excellence in Nature
Lucie International Photography Awards 2011, Los Angeles: Awarded 1st and 3rd Place in Architecture and Fine Art
Prix de la Photographie 2011, Paris: Recipient of Silver Award and Public Choice Award
PUBLICATIONS/PRESS
Norton Rose Fulbright, RE: magazine (UK), "Behind a Little House". Issue 17. Nicola Liu (link)
Elle Decor Italia, Nuovo Stile Italiano "Casa dolce casa". Year 29, Issue 9. Valentina Raggi and Filippo Romeo
A New Nothing (USA), W.M.Hunt in image-based conversation with Efrem Zelony-Mindell (link)
PDN (USA), "The Universal Home." Jacqui Palumbo (link)
ImageMag (Italy), "Quelli di Franco Fontana." Year IV, Issue 1
Lens Culture (Netherlands), "13 Favorite Conceptual Photography Series." (link)
Lens Culture (Netherlands), "Behind a Little House." (link)
L’Oeil de la Photographie (France), “Manuel Cosentino, Behind a Little House.” (link)
Rai Edu, Arte & Design (Italy), "La Casa in Collina."
Urbanautica, Naturae (Italy), “Behind a Little House Project.” Steve Bisson
Vida Simples Magazine (Brazil). “Entre o céu e a terra.” Issue 136. Ricardo Ampudia
iGnant (Germany). “Behind a Little House.” (link)
L’Espresso (Italy). “La vita che scorre, dietro a una piccola casa.” Filippo Brunamonti (link)
WIRED (USA). “8 Epic Photographs Showing the Same Tiny House.” Kyle Vanhemert (link)
Gooood (China). “艺术摄影天气风景摄影互动意大利Manuel Cosentino.”
The Huffington Post (USA). “Behind A Little House: Photo Series Pays Homage To A Tiny Home And Its Larger Than Life Surroundings.” (link)
Animal - New York (USA), “The Sky’s Sublime Transformations Behind A Little House” Julia Dawidowicz (link)
My Modern Met (USA), “A Small House Set Against Impressively Dramatic Landscapes” Katie Hosmer (link)
The Colossal (USA). “Behind a Little House Project: Dramatic Changes in Landscape Behind a Tiny House.” Christopher Jobson (link)
Lenscratch (USA). “Klompching Gallery Fresh Exhibition.” Aline Smithson (link)
Blink Magazine (Korea). “Fresh 2013.” Issue 25
INTERVIEWS
Lenscratch (USA), "Manuel Cosentino: The Fourth Kind of Madness" Aline Smithson (link)
World Photography Organization (UK), “THE FENCE: Manuel Cosentino” Kristine Bjørge (link)
At Length Magazine (USA), “Manuel Cosentino” Darren Ching and Debra Klomp Ching (link)
COLLECTIONS
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris
Griffin Museum of Photography, USA
Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYC