Born in Varese in 1948 of parents from Gela in Sicily, Giovanni Chiaramonte began his activity as a photographer at the end of the 1960s, working toward a return to figurative form after the abstract and Informel season of certain tendencies of Pop and Conceptual Art of the XXth century.
He has always devoted his attention to the relationship between place and man’s identity. His most important works include: Giardini e paesaggi, 1983; Terra del ritorno, 1989; Penisola delle figure, 1993; Westwards, 1996-2013; Milan. Rings of the Middle City, 2000; Dolce è la luce, 2003; Like an Enigma_Venice, 2006: Hidden in perspective, 2007; In Berlin, 2009; L’altro_Nei volti nei luoghi, 2010-2011; E.I.A.E. – Et In Arcadia Ego, 2012; Interno perduto, 2012; Piccola creazione, 2013; Jerusalem, 2014; The Measure of the West, with Alvaro Siza, 2015-2018, The Evolving European City with Giuseppe Marinoni, 2015; Ultima Sicilia, 2016; Salvare l’ora, 2018; Verso Gerusalemme, 2019.
Since 1974 he has exhibited in personal and collective shows worldwide, at the Triennale of Milan in 2000, 2009, 2011 and at the Biennale of Venice in 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2013.
In 2005 he was awarded an honorary degree in Architecture by the University of Palermo. In 2010 he exhibited Hidden in Perspective at the Expo in Shangai.
He founded and directed collections of photography for different Italian publishers.
At present he teaches Theory and History of Photography at the Free University IULM and at NABA Academy in Milan.
website: www.giovannichiaramonte.com