Umberto Ciceri Italy, b. 1961

Umberto Ciceri (Legnano, 1961) is an Italian artist and researcher who lives and works between Barcelona and Bologna. He trained at the Art High School in Varese and the Marangoni Academy of Arts and Design in Milan. During his career in textile design, he explored optics, colour chemistry and the neurophysiological processes of visual perception, laying the foundations for his subsequent artistic research.

His practice centres on the relationship between image, movement and perception. Drawing on neuroaesthetic studies, Ciceri developed Hypertrait, a technique combining special lenses, optical structures and interference patterns. His works transform in response to the viewer’s position and movement: forms, colours and images emerge, overlap and dissolve, engaging the viewer in a dynamic visual experience. The movement of the body thus becomes an integral part of the artwork, bringing space, time and the viewer’s gaze into relation.

In 2011, he participated in the 54th Venice Biennale as part of the Italian Pavilion curated by Vittorio Sgarbi. Institutions that have hosted his work include the Museo Nazionale del Bargello and the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong (2013), Teatros del Canal in Madrid (2017), the Museo Marino Marini in Florence (2019) and Kunstverein Friedberg (2020). In 2018, he presented Human Fights Right Lights at the Royal Palace of Caserta, under the patronage of Amnesty International.

In 2022, La forma del ritmo opened at the MA*GA Museum in Gallarate, on the occasion of the 18th Giornata del Contemporaneo promoted by AMACI.  In 2025, SimonBart Gallery in Bologna dedicated Tempoforma to his work as part of ART CITY Bologna, presenting an extensive selection of artworks alongside his first sculpture. 

His career also includes participation in international art fairs and events, including Arte Fiera in Bologna, Art Miami, SCOPE in New York, art KARLSRUHE, Luxembourg Art Week, miart in Milan, ArtVerona and Fotografia Europea in Reggio Emilia. His works have also been exhibited at Museum Villa Rot in Burgrieden, Germany.