Mario Santoro Woith

Mario Santoro – Woith (born 1968 in Cuba) is a Photo - Xerox - Paper Making artist active in the field of experimental photography, and self-publishing artist's books. He is based in Todi (Umbria).

His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public Artist's book collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Education Mario Santoro-Woith studied Visual Anthropology at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" from 1988 to 1993. In 1996, during a Visual sociology Seminar held in Viterbo, he met Professor John Grady, who invited him to exhibit his photographs at Wheaton College (Boston). The subsequent exhibition took place shortly after at the Wallace library. These books largely investigate controversial topics, in the hopes of provoking questions and eliciting impassioned responses. The visual research displayed in these books explores the darker part of humanity and draws our attention to evil in all its guises – racism, pornography, terrorism etc. He seeks to push social and political boundaries.

In 2011, his book trilogy, "EUR", "Decadence, Darkness, Empire" and "More War, Less Art" was acquired by the Library Council Collection of artist's books at the Museum of Modern Art (New York). In book one, he looks at propaganda and the form it takes in architecture (the "EUR" book), in book two, he visually explores imperialism ("Decadence, Darkness, Empire"), and in book three, he focuses on symbolism ("More War, Less Art").

The books present various photographic techniques, drawing, screen printing and other media. He designs and prints them individually in his studio. The final print consists of four colors, printed one at a time (black, white, red and blue) that results in a tridimensional multi-layer print. These books are hand bound in Perugia, Italy. Each copy is numbered and signed. From 2010 to 2012 he was one of the artists of the ABC Artists' Books Cooperative.

Public Collections

MoMA, New York Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Folkwang Museum, Essen Fleet Library at RISD, Providence Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Musée des Beaux-Arts, Le Locle

Selected Shows

2015 – Klaus Urbons Copymuseum \ Makroscope \ Medienhaus (Mulheim an der Ruhr); 2015 – Nun Relais e Museum (Assisi;) 2014 – Acta International Gallery (Rome); 2014 – Castello di Sismano (Todi); 2014 – Antonello Colonna Resort (Labico); 2012 New York – "Archi-Texture" – (Jadite Gallery); 2011 Venice Biennale – Umbrian Pavilion – Palazzo Collicola – Spoleto; 2006 New York – "Empire, Decadence, Darkness" – Italian Academy at Columbia University; 2005 Tokyo – "Heisenberg's Snapshots II" (Dazzle Gallery); 2003 New York – "The Wizard's House" (M.Y. Art Prospects Gallery); 2002 New York – "Heisenberg's Snapshots" (M.Y. Art Prospects Gallery); 2001 USA – "Art Miami"; 2000 Germania – "Kunst Colonia"; 1999 Milan – Galleria "Il Diaframma" (Curator ); 1998 Losanne – Musée de l'Élysée (Curator ); 1997 Milan – Giovenzana "Images on the road" (Curator Lanfranco Colombo); 1996 Boston (MA) The Wallace Library, Wheaton College (Curator John Grady); 1995 Rome – Studio "S" Arte Contemporanea (Curator Carmine Siniscalco).