Consegnato il Premio Zenato Academy in occasione di ArtVerona 2024 a Dario Picariello della galleria Labs Contemporary Art di Bologna

ARTVERONA
ZENATO ACADEMY AWARD PRESENTED

Winning Works by Dario Picariello of LABS Contemporary Art

The Zenato Academy Award for Contemporary Photography was presented to 33-year-old artist Dario Picariello, originally from Avellino, during the ArtVerona fair.

The jury — comprised of entrepreneur Nadia Zenato, the Artistic Director of the Zenato Academy, and art critic Alberto Fiz — selected two of Picariello’s works, Come se fosse tempo (2022) and Tienimi prima che me ne vada (2024), presented by LABS Contemporary Art of Bologna.

The jury praised the two pieces for blending experimentation with craftsmanship, using archival photography as a medium for renewed storytelling that reflects an interest in popular and vernacular traditions. The images are enriched with phrases and redactions taken from pages of books selected by the artist, enhanced with golden threads to explore the theme of identity. The works possess an installation-like quality where temporal and spatial dimensions intersect.

“The decision to present the award at ArtVerona,” stated Nadia Zenato, “aims to establish a genuine cultural partnership, to engage with contemporary visual languages and to support emerging talents.”

The Zenato Academy Award was established in 2019 to recognize and promote outstanding young artists working with photographic language, in collaboration with institutions and galleries committed to artistic research.

“At the same time,” Nadia Zenato continued, “we’ve chosen to support the fair as Wine Sponsor, recognizing ArtVerona’s key role as a catalyst for ideas, visions, and connections, and as a platform for celebrating the cultural heritage of a region we are proud to represent and preserve globally. We believe in creating a virtuous network that allows a territory to grow and gain distinctive visibility both nationally and internationally.”

Dario Picariello (Avellino, 1991), now based in Milan, uses a range of expressive media to create works that weave together past and present. His photographic language features objects and bodies filled with mystery and evocative power. His artistic focus lies in the potential of reviving a place and its history through scientific, anthropological, and folkloristic study — offering the audience a broader narrative centered on the human condition.

Over the years, the Zenato Academy Award has led to the acquisition of Alinea 04 by Daniela Droz, Notturno 009 from the Notturni series by Carola Allemandi, the Balloon series by Enrico Smerilli, and Rizoma by Giacomo Erba (2022), all of which have become part of the Zenato Academy Collection.