BIO
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Dafne Salis is an Italian artist based in Rome, whose practice moves its steps as an enquiry on the female body. Salis graduated from the London College of Communication in 2012 and received her MA at the Royal College of Art, awarded with distinction on her thesis.
After graduating in 2012, Salis has been working since then in the visual art field, both as an artist and as a freelance photographer. She founded Skin&Blister Collective in 2014 and was part of the Salis/Gut duo from 2013 till 2017. She is currently PhD candidate at the Royal College of Art, researching on gazing at women's sexual organ.
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RESEARCH
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Salis’ practice disputes female essentialism within images, moving from symbolism to anatomy to myth and familiar configurations. The methods of Salis’ practice involve the use of puns or demystification to solicit plural understandings of her positions.
Salis’ body and those closest to the artist are the pinpoints of the research which has a starting point in the personal relations within the family.As following the motto personal is political, - or private is political – she is on a challenge to collect visual evidence of what visible is not: the impossible-to-see vagina, the private house and affections, the experience of motherhood.For this, she embarks on a journey inside the eye. What can be seen, from which point of view, and how. She is interested in making self evident the meeting point between vision and its subject. How the photographic gaze looks upon the general environment it sits within and it is influenced and informed by it. How the relationship between who looks and what is looked upon explicates itself and embodies an interpretation, a fixed point of view.
2'36'' single channeled video.
CV
SOLO SHOWS
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2017 - La forza di rinascere, Dream Factory, Milan, It.
2016 - Locked In, Giardini di Vigna la Corte, San Felice Circeo, Latina, IT.
2016 - Locked In, The Tabernacle Gallery, London, UK.
2014 - Open Studios 33 Officina Creativa, Toffia, IT.
COLLECTIVE SHOWS
2022 - Cartography of Care, Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
2022 - Unruly Encounters, Southwark Park Galleries, London, Uk.
2018 - Degree Show, Royal College of Art, London, UK.
2018 - Offprint, Tate Modern, London, Uk.
2018 - Photography Project Space, Royal College of Art, London, UK.
2017 - Make it Real, The Ugly Duck, London, UK.
2017 - One Night Stand, Doomed gallery, London, UK.
2017 - Fotografia Europea 2017, Circuito Off Online, Reggio Emilia, IT.
2017 - Work In Progress, Royal College of Art, London Uk.
2016 - Artemisia 2016, LaborART, Piedimulera, Verbania IT.
2016 - Skin & Blister Collective, Photofusion, London, UK.
2015 - Fotografia Europea 2015, Circuito Off Online, Reggio Emilia, IT.
2014 - Il mio Paradiso, MACRO, Rome, IT.
2014 - Future Identities Palazzo Albrizzi, Venice, IT.
2013 - A GREAT DEAL!!!' Performance Porta Portese Market, Rome, IT.
2012 - Light Headed Gallery 320, London, UK
2012 - Generators Accelerators Originators, LCC, London, UK.
2011 - The Third Factor Sassoon Gallery, London, UK.
2011 - Forum Arts #01 The Rebel Dog, London, UK
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AWARDS, RESIDENCIES, COMMISSIONS
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2022 - Festival 'Contaminazioni, Echi Metropolitani della vita di Provincia, Spoleto, IT. Shortlisted.
2020 - Città dell'arte, Fondazione Michelangelo Pistoletto, Biella, IT. Residency.
2019 - On going - Artist Residency In Motherhood. Rome, IT. Residency curated by Lenka Clayton.
2018 - A+B=Love. Hackathon Ancona, IT. Winner.
2017 - Perlana For Woman. Social responsibility project commition for Perlana and Telefono Rosa.
2014 - 33 Officine Creative, Toffia, Rieti, IT. Residency.
2014 - Premio Adrenalina 2.0. Fourth classificate, young photography.
2013 - Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2013. First Round Selection Shortlisted. May 2013, London, UK.
2012 - The Third factor, Sassoon Gallery, UK. One week residency.
2009 - Excellent Work Award, the London College of Communication, awarded by Salvatore Arancio artist.
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PUBLICATIONS
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2022 - G. Blackshaw, S. Baluch, M. Fraser, N. Heidorn and R. Hermon (eds), I care by... (London: RCA Research Communiqués, 2022).
2022 - Salis, ‘Motherhood, dignity and care in productive work’. (FoMu Antwerp, BE: Trigger)
2021- G. Blackshow and S. Kivland (eds) CARE(LESS), A SUPPLEMENT TO ON CARE London: MA BIBLIOTEQUE.
2020 - Per Quando Torneremo, Ed. Il Cleb, Prato. Three poems.
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TALKS - TEACHING EXPERIENCES:
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2022 - Beast Mother, a cura di Grossi Maglioni, Albumarte gallery, Rome, IT. Symposium.
2022 - Unidee, Fondazione Michelangelo Pistoletto, Visiting Artist, Biella, IT.
2021 - Students presenting their work, Bath SPA, UK.
2019 - Open Studio, Arebyte Studios, London, UK.
2019 - Students presenting their work, The Camberwell College of Art, UAL, London, UK.
2016 - The benefits of working collectively, Photofusion, London, UK.
2016 - Working collectively: Then & now, Photofusion, London, UK.
2012 - Artists Talk at 33 Officina Creativa. Rieti, IT.
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EDUCATION
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2020 - On Going - PhD candidate at Royal College of Art.
2018 - MA Fine Arts, Royal College of Art, Distinction.
2012 - BA Photography, London College of Communication.