Yuri Catania - Sagittarius​

was born in Milan in 1975 and, after studying Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano, began his career as a professional photographer and director in the fashion industry in 2005. He has worked for prestigious magazines such as "Vogue," "Numéro," "Harper's Bazaar," "Love Magazine," "Elle," "MarieClaire," "GQ," "Flair," and many others.

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In 2007, he won the Italian Photography Award, followed by other prestigious recognitions, including the "Cavallo di Leonardo" for Best Direction at the MIFF AWARDS in 2014 and an Honorable Mention for the work "American Flag" from Art Cologne in Germany.

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In 2006, he founded a leading creative communication agency in the fashion industry based in Milan and, in 2012, opened a studio in New York.

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A significant turning point in his career came in 2013 when curator René-Julien Praz invited him to exhibit in the collective Art Is Hope at the Palais de Tokyo and the Perrotin Gallery in Paris. Subsequently, his photographic works were exhibited in New York, Milan, Venice, Cologne, Basel, and Zurich.

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Since 2018, he has embarked on an artistic path where his photography extends beyond exhibition halls into urban and architectural public or private spaces through large-scale installations using sustainable materials like paper and glue. He engages the local population in his creations, building bridges between physical and digital art with augmented reality.

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Among his most notable projects is the 2015 exhibition No Fashion Places, displayed in Milan, Venice, Paris, Tokyo, and Zurich, and his first photography book, where the artist explores an inner journey to find traces of humanity in abandoned spaces, revealing authentic beauty far from the glitter of luxury.

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Since 2013, Catania has lived and worked in Ticino, Switzerland, where he established his creative atelier in Rovio Val Mara. This move allowed him to leave behind the urban environment of Milan and embrace a new lifestyle. His workdays are now immersed in nature, set in a unique landscape at the foothills of Monte Generoso, surrounded by flowers, trees, and the local wildlife.

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Yuri Catania is the artist behind "I Gatti di Rovio," the largest paste-up exhibition in Italian Switzerland, featuring over 120 photographic installations spread throughout the town. This ambitious project stands as the most extensive open-air exhibition ever created by a single artist.

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In 2023, his solo exhibition "Moonlit Garden" took center stage at the Erarta Museum in Saint Petersburg, curated by Olga Daniele. The showcase included fifty works from the Black Flowers Secret Garden series, where nocturnal flowers of Rovio symbolize beauty as a tool for rebirth, offering dreams and hope.

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That same year, Catania presented the participatory installation "Lvgaxy Astro Flowers" on the façade of the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano. Spanning 40 meters and reaching 8 meters in height, the piece bridges nature, technology, and the legacy of astronaut Claude Niccolier. It emphasizes the dialogue between the beauty of Earth's biodiversity and the scientific exploration of planets devoid of life.

 

He also unveiled "IMperfect," a 120-meter-long street art installation in Milan’s Via Ventimiglia. This impactful work supported breast cancer research in collaboration with the IEO-MONZINO Foundation, bringing art and advocacy together in a public space.

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In 2024, Catania extended his ephemeral art to the entire Borgo of Ascona, where he also exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art. During this period, he delved into new artistic languages, blending painting with post-photography to explore the relationship between technology and nature. Central to this visual narrative is the recurring figure of the astronaut, a symbol of exploration and connection.​

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In the same year, Catania was commissioned by the Università della Svizzera Italiana to develop the artistic campaign "Play Your Future." This groundbreaking project features a series of visually striking works and large-scale murals across the Lugano and Mendrisio campuses. The campaign blends creativity with education, offering a fresh, artistic perspective on the aspirations of future generations.

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His works are included in the collections of Banca Stato, Migros Zurich, the City of Lugano, the Municipality of Ascona, and numerous private collectors

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"ART WILL SAVE THE WORLD" his motto.

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