Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Gaia is a graduate of La Sapienza University with a degree in Law.
A multidisciplinary visual artist, she harbors a keen fascination for documentary photography and video production, holding dual citizenship (Ita-Usa) and seamlessly navigating her life and work between the United States and Europe.
Her expansive body of work is distinguished by socially driven photo-reportages, independent research, and video investigations that delve into profound explorations of identity, social injustice, technology, gender equality, climate change, and human rights, showcasing a multi-faceted artistic expression that resonates with the complexities of our contemporary world.
A fervent advocate for the transformative potential of art, Gaia stands as a living testament to the belief that artistic expression can serve as a catalyst for inspiration, thoughtful critique, and, ultimately, positive societal change. Her creative endeavors defy conventional boundaries, seamlessly integrating diverse disciplines to ignite critical thinking and champion transformative actions. Embracing the autonomy of independent work, she wholeheartedly dedicates herself to her projects, all the while maintaining a vigilant and critical stance against the entrenched structures of the mainstream art world.
Over the course of two decades, she has demonstrated prolific creativity, traversing a diverse array of mediums such as photography, video, sculpture, painting, print-making, creative writing, performance, and multimedia installations, earning international recognition, with her photographs and fine art works prominently featured in diverse publications and exhibitions. In a notable highlight, she was selected for a two-month Artist Residency Program at the esteemed Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in 2010. This experience played a pivotal role, inspiring her to embark on a fresh journey of research, experimentation, and the pursuit of challenging long-term projects.
Gaia’s artistic journey vividly reflects her commitment to leveraging the profound influence of art in shaping a more enlightened and progressive society.
She is co-author of The Buzz Project, a monumental body of photographic work centered on the contemporary metropolis, the urban environment, and its infinite layers of reality and humanity that was produced for over ten years, taking photos from the windows of public buses in ten iconic cities around the world (Brooklyn, New York; São Paulo, Brazil; Milan, Italy; Havana, Cuba; Istanbul, Turkey; Mumbai, India; Mexico City, Mexico; Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; and Miami, Florida).
She is She is co-author of three photographic books published by Damiani – “Brooklyn Buzz” (2012), “Milano Buzz” (2014), and “Havana Buzz” (2017).
Gaia Light’s commitment to long-term projects is evident in Mass Surveillance (2011-2024) Project, a long-term, independent, perpetually curated, and investigative series resulting from a sustained, photographic and video-documentary survey of the thousands of publicly accessible webcams available on the Internet today and aims to question the increasingly disturbing presence of platforms and websites that freely broadcast surveillance feeds of security webcams, both public and private, from all corners of the digitized world.
Another ongoing venture is HBA, Human Beyond Appearances, a collection of photographic projects focused on exploring the expressive and evocative potential of Non-Animated beings in relation to themes such as cultural and gender identity, technology (Artificial vs.Human Intelligence, Surveillance culture), and climate change. The series includes Scarlett the cardboard stand-up (Light America); Venus, the resin sculpture (The Venus Project); Mila and George, the life-size resin mannequins (The Mila Project); the digital non-existing persons (The Algonauts); and more recently, the scarecrows (Scarecrows).
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Gaia is the founder of (Gaia) Light TV, an independent YouTube channel.
Gaia Light’s Independent Reality TV Channel on YouTube originated as a thought-provoking video experiment, challenging the conventional norms of reality television by delving into the authentic essence of everyday life in the contemporary world.
These short documentaries, a blend of spectacle and cinéma vérité, offer captivating glimpses into human nature, showcasing both the ordinary and the extraordinary. Inspired by the theatricality of life, Light TV contends that the real world’s inherent theatrics are more rewarding and interesting than the contrived reality often seen in mainstream television.
She is also the author of an as-yet-unpublished novel, which earned her the third place at the Bukowski Literary Prize in 2022.
Residing and working between the United States and Tuscany, Gaia Light continues to carve a distinctive path in the realm of contemporary art, seamlessly blending her diverse talents and global perspectives into compelling narratives that challenge and captivate audiences worldwide.
She is currently engaged in the post-production process of her debut documentary film.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022 . Havana Buzz, Athens Photo Festival 2022. International Festival of Photography and Visual Culture. The PhotoBook Exhibition. Finalist, Benaki Museum/Pireos 138. Athens, Greece.
2022 . Bukowski Literary Awards Finalist. The unpublished novel “Bambini Tossici”, is a finalist for the IX Edition of the “Premio Letterario Nazionale Bukowski” – Literary Awards. Organized by Associazione Culturale “I soliti Ignoti” in collaboration with Giovane Holden Edizioni, the blog Vitamina L and Irbil.
2022 . Light Remix. The Multimedia Collection (2004-2022). Open House Rome. Presented by Galleria Edieuropa in collaboration with Studio Valle 3.0. Rome, Italy. May, 2022.
2020 . Mass Surveillance. Jeune Création, Exposition d’Art Contemporain, 70th Edition, Le Pouvoir se Charge de Vous #3, Collective Exhibition. Galerie Jeune Création, Paris, France. September – December, 2020.
2020 . Mass Surveillance. Jeune Création, Exposition d’Art Contemporain, 70th Edition, Le Pouvoir se Charge de Vous #2, Collective Exhibition. Galerie Jeune Création, Paris, France. June – July, 2020.
2020 . Mass Surveillance. Jeune Création, Exposition d’Art Contemporain, 70th Edition, Le Pouvoir se Charge de Vous #1, Collective Exhibition. Galerie Jeune Création, Paris, France. January – May, 2020.
2020 . Mass Surveillance: A Streaming Odyssey – A Film by Gaia Light with Music by Roberto Sbolci. Preview and Live Stream Event, May 2020. Centro di Fotografia Indipendente, Naples, Italy. Series “Proiezioni da Casa Spada”, Curated by Mario Spada.
2018 . Havana Buzz, Book Exhibition. Rendez-Vous Photo Book Awards, Palais des Congrès, Strasbourg, France.
2018 . Havana Buzz, Finalists Exhibition. Tokyo International Photo Awards, Tokyo, Japan.
2018 . Milano Buzz, Exhibition. Milano Photo Week, Hosted by Officine Fotografiche Milano, Milan, Italy. June – July 2018.
2017 . Havana Buzz, Damiani Booth, Paris Photo, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2017 . Havana Buzz, Spazio Damiani Gallery, Bologna, Italy.
2015 . Milano Buzz, Leica Galerie Milano, Milan, Italy.
2015 . Milano Buzz, Corriere Della Sera Foundation, Milan, Italy.
2014 . Brooklyn Buzz, Istanbul Photo Festival.
2014 . Mass Surveillance, Collective Exhibition, Galleria Edieuropa, Rome, Italy.
2014 . The Mila Project, “Shadow-Lands” II: NOT-I/THOU, Curated by Gavin Keeney. Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library (ADPML), Deakin University, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
2013 . Mass Surveillance, Museum Exhibition: “Senza Pericolo: Costruzioni e Sicurezza”, Curated by Federico Bucci, Triennale Design Museum, Milan, Italy. May – September 2013.
2013 . Brooklyn Buzz, The Half King Photography Series, Curated by Anna Van Lenten & James Price, The Half King, New York, NY. June – July 2013.
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, MACRO Museo Arte Contemporanea Roma, Rome, Italy.
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, The Ilex Collection Exhibition, Curated by Deanna Richardson, Ilex Photo Art Editions, Ilex Gallery, Rome, Italy.
2012 . Mass Surveillance, Jeune Création 2012, International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Centquatre, Paris, France.
2012 . Mass Surveillance, Fotografia Festival Internazionale di Roma, Galleria Edieuropa, Italy.
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, Foiano Fotografia Festival, Galleria Furio del Furia, Foiano della Chiana, Arezzo, Italy.
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, FotoLeggendo Festival, Galleria Officine Fotografiche, Rome, Italy.
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, Fotografia Festival Internazionale di Roma, Rome, Italy.
2012 . The Mila Project, “Shadow-lands” Curated by Gavin Keeney, Lascelles Gallery, Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library, Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Australia.
2011 . Mass Surveillance, Collective Exhibition, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (LACDA), USA.
2011 . Cam Girls Met Ladies, The Others Art Show, Site Specific Installation in a Prison Cell, Ex Carcere Le Nuove, Turin, Italy.
2011 . Cam Girls Met Ladies, Fotoleggendo Festival, Site Specific Installation, Curated by Tiziana Faraoni, ISA, Rome, Italy.
2011 . Brooklyn Buzz, New York Photo Festival, Multimedia Room Exhibition, Curated by Elisabeth Biondi and Enrico Bossan, Dumbo Arts Center, Brooklyn, New York.
2010 . Artist Residency, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Bethany, Connecticut, USA. February – March 2010.
2010 . Dark Light, Ilex Photo Collection Exhibition, Photographia Gallery, Milan, Italy.
2010 . Cruzamentos, Collective Exhibition, Curated by Deanna Richardson, Territòrio da Foto Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2010 . Cruzamentos, Collective Exhibition, Curated by Deanna Richardson, Galeria de Gavea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2010 . Cruzamentos, Collective Exhibition, Curated by Deanna Richardson, Arte Plural Galeria, Recife, PE, Brazil.
2009 . Light America, Gallery Artists Show, Galleria Fontanella Borghese, Rome, Italy.
2009 . Light America, Solo Show, Galleria Fontanella Borghese, Rome, Italy.
2009 . Bare Smile 2/13, Performance with Lidia Ravera, in collaboration with Teatro Valle, ETI, La Coda dell’ Occhio. Villa Torlonia, Rome, Italy.
2009 . Bare Smile 2/13, Site-Specific Installation, Teatro Valle, Rome, Italy.
2009 . Bare War 1/13, Site-Specific Installation and Performance, with Francesco Zizola, 10b Photography Gallery, Rome, Italy.
2008-2009 . Light America: American Wanderings of a Cardboard Stand-Up. Performative Series: California, July 2008; Arizona, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, August-September 2008; Brooklyn, NY, October 2008; Detroit, November 2008; Miami, December 2008; Washington, D.C., January 20, 2009, Presidential Inaugural Ceremony, and New York, NY, February-March 2009.
2008 . Light Treatment /2, KunstArt International Art Fair, Bolzano, Italy.
2008 . Light Treatment /2, Solo Show, Drissien Galerie, Munich, Germany, Curated by Tiziana Gazzini.
2008 . Light Treatment /1, Solo Show, Kunst Praxis der Siemens AG, Munich, Germany, Curated by Tiziana Gazzini.
2008 . Starlight in New York: Homage to Tribeca Film Festival, Solo Show, Nancy Koltes Gallery, New York, New York, USA. Supported by the Italian Cultural Institute, New York, NY.
2007 . Starlight, Solo Show, Café Panique, Paris, France.
2007 . Starlight, Solo Show, Paris, France. “Homage to the Rome Film Festival” promoted by the Italian Institute of Culture, Paris, in collaboration with the cultural association La Coda dell’Occhio, Rome, and La Libreria, Paris, France.
2007 . Light Treatment. Solo Show, Roma Design+, International Exhibition of Industrial Design, in collaboration with the La Sapienza University of Rome: Art, Design and New Technologies Section, Spazio Etoile, Rome, Italy.
2007 . Underground 02: Examples of Urban Art, Homage to Master Mario Schifano, Collective Exhibition, Studio Giga, Rome, Italy.
2006 . 9×100 / Light TV, Collective Exhibition, Fotografia Festival Internazionale di Roma, Galleria Santa Cecilia, Curated by Maria Evangelisti.
2005 . Made in USA, AbitArt Hotel, Curated by Micol Di Veroli, Rome, Italy.
2005 . Can, Solo Show, Curated by Maria Evangelisti and Luciano Corvaglia. Galleria Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy.
2004 . Light, Solo Show, Curated by Maria Evangelisti and Luciano Corvaglia. Galleria Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy.
AWARDS
2022. Bukowski Literary Awards. Third Prize Winner with the unpublished novel Bambini Tossici. IX Edition of the Premio Letterario Nazionale Bukowski.
2017 . Havana Buzz, Book Award, Tokyo International Photo Awards. Tokyo, Japan.
2017 . Havana Buzz, Book Award, Honorable Mention, Rendez-Vous Image Photo Book Award, Palais des Congrès, Strasbourg, France.
2014 . Mass Surveillance 2014, “Osaka”, Premio Roberto Cavanna, Finalist. Rome, Italy.
2013 . Brooklyn Buzz, Book Award, Pictures of the Year International (POYi), Best Photography Book Award Finalist.
ARTIST RESIDENCY
2010 . Artist Residency, The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Bethany, Connecticut, USA. February – March 2010.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Gaia Light’s images have been featured in leading, international editorial publications such as TIME Light Box, L’Espresso, Corriere Della Sera, La Repubblica, Newsweek, New York Times International, Newsweek Japan, Vanity Fair, Journal de la Photographie, The Art of Leadership (The Series, Magazine), Robinson (La Repubblica), Sguardi (Nikon Magazine), Internazionale Magazine, Il Giornale dell’Arte, Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, D’Ars Magazine, National Geographic Italy, Mind (La Repubblica), Disegno Industriale, Global Entrepreneur (Bravo Edition, China), Io Donna among others, exhibited internationally (Italy, United States, France, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Australia), and broadcasted across major multimedia platforms – CNN, Yahoo News, RAI and Huffington Post.
BOOKS
2017 . Havana Buzz, Published by Damiani. Worldwide
2015 . Milano Buzz, Published by Damiani. Worldwide
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, Published by Damiani. Worldwide
2018 . The Dress, Self-Published
2017 . The Venus Project, Self-Published
2014 . Mass Surveillance 2011-2014, Self-Published
2013 . The Mila Project, Self-Published
2010 . Light War, Self-Published
2011 . Dark Light, Self-Published
2011 . Mass Surveillance, Self-Published
2011 . Cam Girls Met Ladies, Self-Published
2009 . Light America – American Wanderings of a Cardboard Stand-up, Self-Published
SELECTED CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2016 . Editing for Book Publication: Enel People, by Alessandro Cosmelli, Texts by François Hèbel, Published by Damiani.
2016 . Editing for Book Publication: Enel World, by Alessandro Cosmelli, Texts by François Hèbel, Published by Damiani.
2018 . Jeune Création, Exposition d’Art Contemporain, 68th Edition, Beaux-Arts, Paris, France: Member of the International Selection Committee.
2018 . Curatorial Collaboration. Triennale Museum, Milan, Italy. In Transito: Un Porto a San Vittore, Photographic Exhibition by Nanni Fontana.
2019 . Curatorial Collaboration. Aethusa, Photographic Exhibition by Claudio Palmisano. Stadio di Domiziano, Rome, Italy.
2020 . Curatorial Collaboration. I Fiori di Monte Inferno, Photographic Book by Patrizia Santangeli.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2014 . The image Sea of Japan, from the “Mass Surveillance” series — was chosen to illustrate the cover of Sesto potere: La sorveglianza nella modernità liquida, the Laterza Editori edition of Zygmunt Bauman and David Lyon’s wonderful book, Liquid Surveillance: A Conversation, first published by Polity Press in 2000.
2013 . Mass Surveillance, Senza Pericolo. Building and Safety, Triennale Design Museum
2012 . Mass Surveillance, Jeune Creation, Paris, France
2012 . D’Ars Magazine, Milan, Italy
2012 . Mass Surveillance, Fotografia Festival Internazionale di Roma, Postcart Editions
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, Fotoleggendo Festival, VIII edition, Rome, Italy
2012 . Brooklyn Buzz, Reloveution, Foiano fotografia Festival, Arezzo, Italy
2012 . Art of Leadership Series, The Magazine, New York, NY
2011 . Cam Girls Met Ladies, Fotoleggendo Festival, VII edition, Rome, Italy
2011 . Art of Leadership Series, The Magazine, New York, NY
2010 . Dark Light Christmas, Galleria Don Chishiotte, Rome, Italy
2009 . Light America, Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy
2007 . Arte Contemporanea, Electa Mondadori, Volume 9, Contaminazioni
2007 . Disegno Industriale/ Industrial Design, Cover
2006 . Global Entrepreneur, BRAVO Edition, China
WEBSITES
www.gaialialight.com
www.buzzproject.org