Andrea Cusumano: The Turning Point in His Art Career
In a conversation with ArtsLife, Italian artist Andrea Cusumano reflects on pivotal experiences throughout his career. He is set to head Gibellina Capitale Italiana dell'Arte Contemporanea 2026. A significant early moment occurred when gallerist Carlo Cattelani came to Palermo, bringing paint and looms from Gino De Dominicis, which culminated in a 1998 exhibition. During the 2000s, his work was featured at Teresa Hohenlohe's gallery in Vienna, where he connected with artists such as Franz West. Cusumano taught at Central Saint Martins and Goldsmiths College until 2017. Serving as Palermo's culture assessor from 2014 to 2019, he was honored with the Italian Council award in 2022 for a retrospective at the nitsch museum. His 1992 meeting with Hermann Nitsch left a lasting impact on his art.
Key facts
- Andrea Cusumano is an artist, playwright, and artistic director of Gibellina Capitale Italiana dell'Arte Contemporanea 2026.
- Carlo Cattelani, a former butcher from Modena, became a key supporter, sending Cusumano materials and enabling a 1998 exhibition.
- Teresa Hohenlohe was Cusumano's gallery in Vienna in the 2000s; his installation there is now in the MAK permanent collection.
- Cusumano taught at Central Saint Martins and Goldsmiths College until 2017.
- He served as culture assessor in Palermo from 2014 to 2019, during the MANIFESTA years.
- In 2022, he received the Italian Council award, leading to a retrospective at the nitsch museum in Austria.
- Cusumano studied painting with Hermann Nitsch in Salzburg in 1992.
- Nitsch and his wife Rita visited Palermo; their collaboration lasted until Nitsch's death in 2022.
- Cusumano continues to conduct Nitsch's symphonies.
Entities
Artists
- Andrea Cusumano
- Carlo Cattelani
- Afra Cattelani
- Tiberio Cattelani
- Fabio Cattelani
- Gino De Dominicis
- Teresa Hohenlohe
- Franz West
- Martha Jungwirth
- Dominik Steiger
- Hermann Nitsch
- Rita Nitsch
- Emilio Vedova
Institutions
- Gibellina Capitale Italiana dell'Arte Contemporanea 2026
- MAK
- Central Saint Martins
- Goldsmiths College
- Italian Council
- nitsch museum
- ArtsLife
Locations
- Palermo
- Italy
- Modena
- Vienna
- Austria
- Bäckerstrasse
- Salzburg
- United Kingdom
- Gibellina
Sources
- Artslife —