Born in Fermo, Italy, in 1974.
At the age of 18, Petracci moved to Bologna, to pursue a career outside of art. During his university studies, he worked in the archaeology department, where he became acquainted with the magnificent artistic work of the Etruscan populations. He also met a plethora of student artists, from painters to dancers and performers, who formed an artist collective known as XY. For two years, this group exhibited its work throughout the city of Bologna, curating shows and putting on performances for the local university. This experience helped Petracci rediscover his passion for art.
At that time he also discovered the work of Alberto Burri, who left his mark on his experience, focusing on the interactions between color and matter.
After university, Petracci worked in interior design and furniture construction, collaborating with major companies in the fashion industry. Despite the opportunities that this position offered, by 2015 Petracci decided to dedicate himself full-time to painting.
From his years growing up by the Adriatic Sea, many images and memories influence Petracci’s abstractions. However, currently his inspiration comes from discovering new places inside himself. “Now I am traveling in a different way, in a more personal way,” he says.
For Petracci, each of his pieces represents a crack, a breaking of representation, an opening into a world in which we discover new ideas and understand our existence and image on this earth. “In our lives,” he says, “we have moments where we can see things clearly, but they are really short moments because we are occupied by other things.” Petracci’s paintings are windows into alternate dimensions : matter and existence, innovations, and undiscovered landscapes. They push the viewer to follow a path of personal and emotional discovery.
In parallel, the scope of his work has enlarged, exploring and incorporating photography, sculpture and music into his practice. Wood has always been a favorite material for Giorgio Petracci, painter and sculptor, be it as the material of his sculptures or as the support for his paintings. However, the new « oggetti curiosi » series opened up a new avenue for his artistic expression. These small sculptures, these ‘curious’ objects and architectures, sometimes surrealistic, often playful, intrigue and question us as much as they question the artist himself. They stem from the need to incorporate volume, but also to create a presence in the studio. They play with our memories, with ourselves, and become e come to play with our memories, with ourselves, and become presences, amulets, good luck charms that gently accompany us as they accompany the artist in his studio.companions, as amulets or good luck charms that gently accompany us as they keep company to the artist in his studio.
