Fontanesi: The Enigmatic Instagram Artist Behind 'Grandissima Selezione'

The anonymous Italian artist known as Fontanesi has gained a cult following on Instagram since 2012, amassing over 16,000 followers and 6,000 images. Using the app's Layout function rather than external editing software, Fontanesi creates surreal, grotesque compositions by reassembling photographs of everyday life, evoking comparisons to Pier Paolo Pasolini, Vittorio De Sica, Hieronymus Bosch, and Bruno Munari. The account's distinctive aesthetic has spawned a neologism—"fontanesiano"—used by followers to tag their own mirror selfies and analog fragmentations. Independent publisher Skinnerboox has released "Grandissima selezione," a 420-page book collecting hundreds of these images, with texts by Stefano Riba and Matteo Contin. This follows a 2018 limited edition from De Press. The project blurs the line between digital and physical realms, offering a multifaceted perception of reality.