FRANCESCO
MERLINI
Francesco was born in Aosta in 1986 and he’s based in Milan. After a bachelor's degree in industrial design at the Politecnico University of Milan, he completely devoted himself to photography and now he works mainly on personal long-term projects and editorials, always looking for a point of contact between his documentary background and a strong interest for metaphors and symbolism.
In 2016 he was selected by the British Journal of Photography in order to be part of The Talent Issue: Ones to Watch and in 2020 Francesco was shortlisted for the Prix HSBC pour la Photographie. In 2021 he was one of the nominees for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and in 2023 he was shortlisted at the Sony World Photography Awards. His books have been recognized by Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Kraszna-Krausz Foundation, PHotoESPANA, Belfast Photo Festival and other institutions.
His pictures have been published on important magazines and newspapers worldwide including Washington Post, Financial Times, Le Monde, The Guardian, Wired, Internazionale, Corriere della Sera, D La Repubblica, La Stampa, L'Espresso and many others while his projects have been featured on renowned photography platforms as American Suburb X and Time Lightbox. Francesco’s work has been exhibited worldwide in solo and collective shows.
Francesco's last book Better in the Dark than His Rider has been published in 2023 by Depart Pour l'Image. In 2021 he released The Flood published by Void.
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In parallel with his authorial path, in the last ten years Francesco has coordinated the international collective Prospekt, taking on the role of photo editor and curator, working closely with some of the most awarded contemporary documentary photographers and with the most important media from around the world. Francesco he's also the curator of the photographic contents of The Passenger magazine, published by Iperborea.
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Francesco teaches documentary photography at IIF - Istituto Italiano di Fotografia in Milan and at Scuola Spazio Tempo in Bari and regularly takes part as guest lecturer to workshops, masterclasses and portfolio lectures organized by photography schools, festivals and associations.
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info@francescomerlini.com
+39 3480031435
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EXHIBITIONS/PROJECTIONS
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2024 - Solo Exhibition - Cloth, Artphilein Foundation, Lugano, Switzerland
2024 - Group exhibition - Questa È l’Europa, Festival Immagimondo, Lecco, Italy
2024 - Group exhibition - Best Photography Books of the Year, PHotoESPANA, Madrid, Spain
2024 - Group exhibition - Kraszna-Krausz Foundation Book Awards, Photo London, London, UK
2024 - Solo exhibition - He's Come a Long Way That's My Boy, IMP - International Month of Photojournalism Festival, Padova, Italy
2024 - Group exhibition - Index Naturae, Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, Italy
2023 - Group exhibition - Volumes 2023, Zentralwäscherei, Zurich, Switzerland
2023 - Group exhibition - Photofolios:23, Photopolis Festival, Agrinio, Greece
2023 - Group exhibition - Index Naturae, Villa Parco Bolasco, Castelfranco Veneto, Italy
2023 - Solo exhibition - Valparaiso, Exposure + Photo Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malasya
2023 - Group exhibition - Human x Nature , Charta Festival, Rome, Italy
2023 - Solo exhibition - Valparaiso, Palazzo Grillo, Genova, Italy
2023 - Group exhibition - The Performing Photobook, Format Festival, Derby, UK
2022 - Solo exhibition - Valparaiso, Foto Forum, Bolzen, Italy
2022 - Group Exhibition - He Lost Control, Galleria Luisa delle Piane, Milan, Italy
2022 - Group Exhibition - Eyes on Tomorrow, Zoma Museum, Haddis Abeba, Etiopia
2022 - Group exhibition - PEP New Talents, Kommunale Galerie, Berlin, Germany
2021 - Solo exhibition - The Flood, Galleria Lab27, Treviso, Italy
2021 - Group exhibition - New Post Photography Award, Galeria Umelka, Bratislava, Slovakia

2021 - Group exhibition - New Post Photography, MIA, Milan, Italy

2021 - Solo exhibition - Valparaiso, Radar Festival, Trani, Italy

2021 - Group exhibition - Poster d'aurore, A Studio, Milan, Italy
2020 - Group exhibition - Atlanti, Ritratti e Altre Storie, Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, Italy

2020 - Group exhibition - 100 Fotografi per Bergamo, GAMeC, Bergamo, Italy

2020 - Group exhibition - Portrait of Humanity 2020, Capa Center, Budapest, Hungary

2020 - Solo exhibition - Balance, Marsèll Paradise, Milan, Italy

2020 - Group exhibition - Animalia, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

2019 - Projection - Photo Is:rael Festival, Azrieli Sarona Tower, Tel Haviv, Israel

2019 - Solo exhibition - The Flood, Art Mall, Milan, Italy

2019 - Projection - Photolux Travel Photography Award Finalists, Lucca, Italy

2019 - Group exhibition - Now, for the Future, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK
2019 - Projection - Festival diecixdieci, Teatro Comunale, Gonzaga, Italy

2019 - Solo exhibition - Valparaiso, Mt. Rokko International Photo Festival, Sorakuen Garden, Kobe, Japan

2019 - Online exhibition - Embracing Complexity and Uncertanity, Photographic Museum of Humanity
2019 - Group exhibition - Palm Photo Prize, Theprintspace, London, UK

2019 - Projection - Head On Portrait Prize 2019, Paddington Town Hall, Sidney, Australia

2019 - Group exhibition - Break a leg, Sugar Gallery, Fayetteville, USA

2018 - Group exhibition - Momentum, Comodo 64, Turin, Italy

2018 - Group exhibition - Switch On, Spazio OnOff, Milan, Italy

2018 - Group exhibition - In Vivo, Noorderlicht Photofestival, Heerenveen, Netherlands

2018 - Group exhibition - Momentum, Minimum Studio, Palermo, Italy

2018 - Solo exhibition - Farang, Galleria Quasi Fotografo QF3, Verona, Italy

2017 - Group exhibition - God Hates Us all, Berg, Paris, France

2017 - Group exhibition - Immagini Indifese, Spazio Contemporanea, Brescia, Italy

2017 - Group exhibition - La Ballade des Pendus, Plasma Plastic Modern Art, Milan, Italy
2017 - Group exhibition - Conceal/Reveal, Photo Oxford Festival, Oxford, UK
2017 - Group exhibition - Capri: un’isola per la fotografia, Festival di Fotografia di Capri, Capri, Italy

2017 - Group exhibition - Italianism 2017, Farnesina, Rome, Italy

2017 - Group exhibition - Out of Tune 3, Santeria Social Club, Milan, Italy

2017 - Group exhibition - Buried Reflections in the Silo, Kolga Tblisi Photo Festival, Georgia

2017 - Group exhibition - Le 247 at What's Up Photo Doc, Paris, France

2017 - Solo exhibition - Farang, Le247 gallery, Paris, France

2016 - Projection - Angkor Photo Festival, Angkor, Cambodia

2016 - Projection - The Smell of Dust III, Photohaus Paris/Berlin, Arles, France

2016 - Projection - Photonic Moments, Month of Photography Festival 2016, Ljubljana, Slovenia

2016 - Projection - BJP Ones to Watch 2016, Photo Espana, Madrid, Spain
2016 - Projection - BJP Ones to Watch 2016, Photo London, London, UK
2016 - Projection - The Smell of Dust II, The Bizarre Bushwick, New York City, US

2016 - Group exhibition - Life Framer, Menier gallery, London, UK

2015 - Group exhibition - Life Framer, Oberkampf gallery, Paris, France

2015 - Group exhibition - Il nuovo vocabolario della moda italiana, La Triennale, Milan, Italy

2015 - Group exhibition - Life Framer, Think Tank gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2015 - Projection and talk - Gruppo Fotografico Progetto Immagine, Lodi, Italy

2014 - Projection - Circulation(S), Festival De La Jeune Photographie Européenne, Paris, France

2013 - Solo exhibition - Fabriek store, Genova, Italy

2013 - Group exhibition - Stupefy, The Apothecaire Gallery, Bristol, UK

2013 - Projection - Biennale des jeunes créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France

2013 - Projection - Fotografia Europea Festival, Reggio Emilia, Italy

2013 - Group exhibition - Padova Fotografia Festival, Padova, Italy

2012 - Group exhibition - Carnem, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy

2011 - Group exhibition - Menotrentuno Giovane Violenza Festival, Tempio Pausania, Italy
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RECOGNITIONS
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2024 - Cortona on the Move Award - Finalist
2024 - PHotoESPANA Best Photography Book of the Year - Finalist
2024 - Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards 2024 - Shortlisted
2024 - Belfast Photo Festival Photo-book Open Call - Winner
2023 - Volumes Award 2023 - Nominee
2023 - Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson - Book of the Month
2023 - Exposure+ A Different Light - Selected Artist
2023 - Sony World Photography Awards - Professional - Shortlisted
2023 - Photopolis Photofolios - Selected Artist
2022 - ND Awards - Honorable mention
2021 - PEP New Talents - Selected Artist
2021 - MIA New Post Photography Prize - Winner
2021 - Leica Oskar Barnack Award - Nominee
2021 - Gomma Grant - Shortlisted
2020 - International Photography Grant - Finalist
2020 - The British Journal of Photography. Portrait of Humanity - Winner
2020 - Fotografia Europea Open Call - Winner
2020 - Prix HSBC pour la Photographie - Nominee
2019 - Urbanautica. Extinction. The World Without us - Selected Artist
2019 - Fotoroom Open | Void Edition - Winner
2019 - Chromatic Awards - Honorable mention
2019 - Shutter Hub. Now for the Future - Selected artist
2019 - Photolux Travel Award - Finalist
2019 - Mt. Rokko International Photo Festival - Selected artist
2019 - Palm Photo Prize - Winner
2018 - Momentum by Minimum and Der Greif - Selected artist
2018 - Noorderlicht International Photo Festival | In Vivo - Selected artist
2017 - Conceal/Reveal. Photo Oxford Festival - Selected artist
2016 - Angkor Photo Festival - Selected artist
2016 - Photonic Moments. Month of Photography Festival - Selected artist
2016 - The British Journal of Photography. Ones to Watch - Selected artist
2015 - Conscientious Photography Portfolio Competition - Winner
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PUBLICATIONS
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Financial Times, Le Monde, Internazionale, L’Espresso, Corriere della Sera, Wired, Gq, Die Welt, La Stampa, Sette, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, D La Repubblica, The Sunday Mirror, The New Republic, De Volkskrant, Greenpeace Magazin, Tages - Anzeiger, Flash Art, Gazeta Wyborcza, Tageszeitung, AD, British Journal of Photography, Athleta Magazine, The Passenger, Blow Photo Magazine, Linkiesta, Der Grief Magazine, American Chordata, Black+White Photography, Annabelle, Le Mile Magazine, Foto Cult, The Passenger, Archivo Zine, Beyond, WU Magazine, Il Fotografo Magazine, Witty Kiwi Magazine, Maison Francaise, Domus, Dienacht Magazine, Bad to the Bone, Shots Magazine, Diorama Mag, Pizza Magazine, Milano Città Aperta, Chrismon, Zero.
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WEB FEATURES
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American Suburb X, The Washington Post, Time Lightbox, The Guardian, Gup Magazine, Blind Magazine, Conscientious Photography, Fisheye Magazine, L'intervalle, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Dazed, PhMuseum, Corriere.it, Publico, Vogue Italy, King Kong Magazine, Pellicola Magazine, Juxtapoz, Artwort, Creative Review, Discarded Magazine, Yogurt Magazine, Fotoroom, LensCulture, Fotografia Magazine, Booooooom, C41 Magazine, Fototazo, Noice, Urbanautica, The Heavy Collective, Vogue UK, Lens Culture, Gomma, Aserica, Augenblicke, The Independent Photographer, L'Essenziale Studio, Perimetro, Juxtapose Magazine, Don't Take Pictures, Phases Magazine, Tank Magazine, Marie Claire Italy, Lines Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Emaho Magazine, La Boita Verte, Life Framer, Unless You Will, Bird In Flight, Fotopolis, Wayneford's Posterous, One Giant Arm, Everyday Italy, Monovisions, Mimik Magazine, Lightreadings, Dry Magazine, Lamono Magazine, Fotovisura, Deer Brains, Swide, Devora Ran, Artwort, Mutantspace.
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SELECTED CLIENTS
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Converse, Asahi, I Saloni, Roche Bobois, Ben Taverniti Unravel Project, Timberland, Le Silla, DS, Citroen, Domus, Marséll, Damir Doma, Fausto Puglisi.