Pacifico Silano is a lens-based artist whose work is an exploration of print culture, the circulation of imagery and LGBTQ identity. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he received his MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts.

His work has been exhibited in group shows, including at the Bronx Museum, Tacoma Art Museu, Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City and The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

He had solo shows at Houston Center for Photography, Baxter ST@CCNY, Rubber-Factory, Stellar Projects, Light Work, Melanie Flood Projects and Fragment Gallery in Moscow, Russia. Reviews of his work have appeared in The New Yorker, Artforum and The Washington Post. Awards include the Aaron Siskind Foundation Fellowship, NYFA Fellowship in Photography, being a Finalist for the Aperture Foundation Portfolio Prize and being shortlisted for the Paris Photo/Aperture First Book Prize.

His work is in the Permanent Collection of The Museum of Modern Art.

Pacifico Silano, If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Installation View
Pacifico Silano, If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Installation View
Pacifico Silano, If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Installation View
Pacifico Silano, If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Installation View

 

EDUCATION  

School of Visual Arts, MFA in Photo, Video and Related Media, New York, USA
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, BFA in Photography, Lancaster, USA


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022
Men Play Games, Luis De Jesus Gallery, Los Angelas, CA
If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Rubber-Factory, New York, USA
If You Gotta Hurt Somebody, Please Hurt Me, Management, New York, USA
Don't Worry Baby, Monti 8, Latina, Italy

2021
Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight (Like They Used To), Houston Center for Photography, Houston, USA

2020
I Won’t Last A Day Without You, Melanie Flood Projects, Portland, USA
Time to Come, The Eye Sees, Arles, France
The Eyelid Has Its Storms…, Light Work, Syracuse, New York, USA

2019
Time Is An Ocean But It Ends At The Sea, Rubber-Factory, New York, USA
How To Disappear, Fragment, Moscow, Russia
Speaking Little, Perhaps Not A Word, The Bronx Museum of the Arts Block Gallery, New York, USA

2018
After Silence, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (Lancaster, USA)
After Silence, Stellar Projects, New York, USA

2017
John John, Rubber-Factory, New York, USA

2017
Arrangements, Rubber-Factory @ VOLTA, New York, USA

2016
Tear Sheets, Baxter St. CCNY, New York, USA

2015
Against Nature, ClampArt New York, USA

 


GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022
Circular Ruins, Island Gallery, New York, NY, USA
One of A Kind, The Ravestjin Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
Unseen Art Fair, The Ravestjin Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
The Portrait, The Ravestjin Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
F*ck Art: The Body & Its Absence, The Museum of Sex, New York, NY, USA
Trillion Sunsets: A Century of Image Overload, ICP Museum, New York, NY, USA

2021
Nowhere, Horse & Pony, Berlin, Germany
OMNISCIENT: Queer Documentation in an Image Culture, Leslie Lohman Museum, New York, USA
Tiger Strikes Asteroid: It feels like the first time, Chicago, USA
Collaging Desire: Archival Interventions, Future Visions, EXPO CHGO Online
Fantasy America, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, USA

2019
LM Gallery, Art Verona, Verona, Italy
OFF_Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia

2018
BRIC Media arts fellowship screening, BRIC, New York, USA
Be Strong and Do Not Betray Your Soul, Light Work, New York, USA
DIVINA COMEDIA, Curated by Pedro Slim, Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City, Mexico
Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK
Queer Tropics, curated by Charlie Tatum, Transformer, Washington, D.C., USA
New Voices: Recent Acquisitions From The Light Work Collection, Palitz Gallery, New York, USA

2017
Queer Tropics, curated by Charlie Tatum, Pelican Bomb, New Orleans, USA
New Voices: Recent Acquisitions From The Light Work Collection, Light Work, New York, USA
OCCUPY MANA: Friends in Solidarity, curated by Phong Bui, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, USA
Theirs/ours/yours, Curated by Christian Hendricks, Video Revival, New York, USA
Sun Screen, curated by Paul John, Lower East Side PrintShop, New York, USA
Night Fever, curated by Emily Colucci, Future Tenant, Pittsburgh, USA
NOW.AFTER, Front Art Space, New York, USA
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:, curated by Patrick McNabb, Re:Art, New York, USA

2016
Like Smoke, Equity Gallery, New York, USA
New Flesh, Rubber Factory, New York, USA
High Summer, Foley Gallery, New York, USA
Art AIDS America, The Bronx Museum of The Arts, New York, USA
Re:Context: An Exhibition About Appropriation, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Denver, USA
Art AIDS America, The Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, USA

2015
Intervening Histories curated by Saul Robbins, OFF_Festival, Pisztory Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia
Art AIDS America, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, USA

2014
Aperture Gallery Booth, The Armory Show, New York, USA

2013
Bronx Calling: 2nd AIM Biennial, The Bronx Museum of The Arts, New York, USA

2012
Curator’s Choice, CONTEXT Art Miami, ClampArt Booth, Miami, USA
Pride Photo Award Exhibition, Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Into The Woods, ClampArt, New York, USA

2009
ARTribe Benefit Auction, Swiss Institute, New York, USA

2007
1212 Gallery National Juried Photography Exhibition, 1212 Gallery, Richmond, USA

 

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES

2021
The Paris Photo / Aperture Foundation Shortlist for First Book Prize
The Rencontres d’Arles Book Award Shortlist for Artist Book of the Year
The Silver List, Silver Eye Center for Photography, The Black List, Carnegy Mellon

2020
Silver Art Projects, Artist Residency, New York, USA

2019
The Bronx Museum of The Arts, AIM at 80 White Street Artist Residency, New York, USA

2018
BRIC Media Arts Fellowship, New York, USA

2016
Lower East Side Printshop, Keyholder Residency, New York, USA
New York Foundation of The Arts, Fellowship in Photography, New York, USA
Lightwork Artist-in-Residence, New York, USA
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Alumni Microgrant Recipient, New York, USA

2015
Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Artist Award, Nominee, New York, USA
Baxter Street, CCNY Workspace Residency, New York, USA

2014
John Gutmann Photography Fellowship, Nominee

2013
Aperture Portfolio Prize – Finalist/Runner Up, New York, USA
The Bronx Museum of The Arts, Artist in The Marketplace Program, New York, USA

2012
Aaron Siskind Foundation, Individual Photographer’s Fellowship, New York, USA
Pride Photo Award, First Prize, Open Category, Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA
Musée de l’Elysée Permanent Collection
Hunter College/The Graduate Center CUNY
Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art
Colgate University, Picker Art Gallery
Munson Williams Proctor
Ellsworth Kelly Foundation
Light Work Collection
San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art Library
Whitney Museum of American Art (Library)
International Center of photography (Library)
University of Pennsylvania (Library)
Harvard University (Library)

 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vince Aletti, A Fresh View of Masculinity, Through Scraps of Old Magazines, The New Yorker
Ayanna Dozier, Pacifico Silano Examines Violence & Desire By Reenvisioning Gay Erotica, Artsy                                                           Brian Ng, How I Made This: Pacifico Silano’s Obliquely Erotic Vintage Magazine Collages, Art News
Max Fields, I Never Get Lonesome (Especially In The Night), Spot Magazine
Salome Kokoladze, Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight (Like The Used To), Glasstire
Trevor Bishai, Book Review: I Wish I never Saw The Sunshine, Musee Magazine
Allie Monck, Pacifico Silano’s ‘I wish I never Saw the Sunshine’ collages queer identity from the tattered folds of gay erotica, Document Journal
Josh Spero, A photograph is not this fixed thing, Financial Times Weekend Magazine
Hannah Abel Hirsch, Recontextualising the printed ephemera of gay culture to contemplate it anew, BJP
Louise Benson, For Escapism and Inspiration, Don’t Miss These New Art and Photography Books, Elephant Magazine
Matt R. Lohr, Ways to Shake The Weight of It All: Fantasy America at the Andy Warhol Museum, Whitehot Magazine
Cristina Rouvalis, Fantasy America, Carnegie Magazine
A Conversation With Pacifico Silano, Light Work
Gareth Harris, Censored queer photographs get second chance at Miami's Nada fair, The Art Newspaper
Loring Knoblauch, Pacifico Silano, Time Is An Ocean But It Ends At The Shore @Rubber Factory, Collector Daily
Ginger Harris, Indulge, Miami Herald
Gareth Harris, New Art Dealers Alliance - how galleries and artists can work together, Financial Times
Coco Romack, The Queer Artists Rethinking What Makes a Body Beautiful, Out
Rowan Renee, Desire and Loss, from Stonewall to the AIDS Crisis, Aperture
9 Art Events to Attend in New York, Art News
Taylor Dafoe, Editors’ Picks: 19 Things Not to Miss in New York’s Art World This Week, Artnet
Zachary Small, Queer Artist Claims Bal Harbour censored his photography, Hyperallergic
Osman Can Yerebakan, ARTSEEN, PACIFICO SILANO: AFTER SILENCE, The Brooklyn Rail
Chris Stewart, Pacifico Silano - After Silence, GAYLETTER
Pacifico Silano at Stellar Projects, New York, Art News
Pacifico Silano's after silence in New York, Blouin ArtINFO
Annie Rose Malamet, Relevant: A PODCAST BY POSTURE MAGAZINE, Posture Magazine
Khary Simon, FLASHLIGHT / PACIFICO SILANO / AFTER SILENCE / STELLAR PROJECTS, Crushfanzine
Tristan Lund, The 7 breakthrough artists to discover at photo London, Wallpaper*
Sarah roberts, Photo London: ‘Can art be used as a vehicle to inspire change in society?, BJP
Mark Jenkins, In The galleries: queer tropics, Washington Post
John d'Addario, In the orbit of prospect.4: satellite shows round out the scene, the New Orleans Advocate
Volta NY 2017: building true relationships through art, Artsy
Emma E K Jones, Pacifico Silano - Fantasy America! -an interview, kaltblut
Audra Lambert, Flashlight/Pacifico Silano/Rubber-Factory, CRUSHfanzine
Emily Colucci, Tell Me I'm Your National Anthem: Pacifico Silano's John John, Filthy Dreams
John Russell, The Queer Artist Revisiting Tabloid Sexualization of John F. Kennedy, Jr. OUT
Fitale Wari, Night Fever explores the disco era of 1970s, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ghosts, Missed Connections, and More Must-See Art Shows, Bedford & Bowery
Meet Four Emerging Artists At VOLTA NY in These GalleryLog Video Previews, ArtSlant
Emily Colucci, "VOLTA: Skip The Booths, Head to "Your Body is a Battleground, ArtFCity
Desiree Mitton, VOLTA NY is International in Scope, Refreshing in its Digestibility, Whitewall Magazine
Nicole Disser, An Art Show Where Queer Bodies are Phantasmagoric, Vanishing and Void, Bedford & Bowery
Danielle Wu, Blow by Blow: Like Smoke at Equity Gallery, Filthy Dreams
Jon Feinstein, The 17 Best Socially Concerned Photobooks of 2016, Humble Arts Foundation 
Yael Malka, 25 Captivating Photographers Whose Work You Need In Your Life, The Fader 
Patrick D. McDermott, Leah Mandel, 14 Very Cool Things You Need To Do At NYABF, The Fader
Emily Colucci, Where Does Queer Art Go Without An Ideal Sexualized Body?, Filthy Dreams
Priscilla Frank, This is What a Feminist Porn Magazine Looks Like, Huffington Post
Holland Cotter, Art of the AIDS Years: What Took Museums So Long?, New York Times
Matthew Terrell, Review: Art AIDS America retrospectively shows us the face of an epidemic, Arts ATL
Vince Aletti, Goings on About Town: Art, The New Yorker
Efrem Zelony-Mindell, Pacifico Silano Uses Forgotten Gay Porn to Create New Queer History,VICE
Juliana Halpert, Critics’ Pick, Pacifico Silano, ARTFORUM
T.S. Flock, Lessons in Beauty, History and Mercy: Art AIDS America at TAM, Vanguard Seattle
Emily Colucci, Resurrecting the Gay History of the Holocaust, VICE
Christopher Harrity, In The Galleries, Against Nature, The Advocate
Dear Uncle Frank: A Photographer’s Exploration of Gay Myths and Family Truths, TIME LightBox
Denise Wolf, Aperture Portfolio Prize Winners, - Runner-Up: Pacifico Silano, Aperture.org

 

PUBLICATIONS

José Diaz, I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine, Loose Joints
Tiffany Jow, After The Silence, Surface Magazine, ISSUE #150
Jimmy Olney, Pacifico looks back, Gayletter, Issue #9, p. 34-39
Marvin Heiferman, Second Time Around…, Tear Sheets, Silent Face Projects & Dashwood Books
Jonathan David Katz & Rock Hushka, Art AIDS America, University of Washington Press, pp.265
Elisabeth Biondi, Portfolio, Photograph Magazine, May/June 2014. p. 40-45.
Deanna Lee, Bronx Calling: The Second AIM Biennial, Dominie Press, (catalog)
Bruno Ceschel, Self-Publish, Be Naughty, SPBH Book. London, UK. September 2011.

 

LECTURES

International Center for Photography
Yale School of Art - MFA Photography Department
CUNY
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
ICP Bard, The Dinner: An Open Conversation
Fashion Institute of Technology - BFA Photography Department
School of Visual Arts - MFA Photography, Video & Related Media
School of Visual arts - BFA Photography Department
Pace University
SUNY Oswego - New York State Summer School of the Arts (Media Program)
Bronx Museum of The Arts

 

Pacifico Silano is included in When I Am Empty, Please Dispose of Me Properly at BRIC
January 26, 2023
Pacifico Silano is included in The Portrait, a group exhibition at Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam
June 25, 2022
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