Marino Ficola was born in 1969 in Deruta.
In 1993 gratuated on Sculpture department at the Academy of Fine Arts ‘Pietro Vannucci’ in Perugia, of which Edgardo Abbozzo was the then Director, one of the most important artist in Umbria and Europe, sculptor, graphic, goldsmith and pottery.
In the previous year, 1992, he worked with La MaMa Umbria International Theatre in Spoleto, founded in 1990 in Spoleto by Ellen Stewart, known all over the world as La MaMa, founder and art director of La MaMa Theatre E.T.C. in New York, guiding light for several generations of New York avant-garde theatre, who brought Marino Ficola from Deruta to Manhattan.
Ficola’s career begins as assistant studio of Beverly Pepper, a great and very popular American sculptor and painter, known even for her monumental works of Land art. Fundamental for his formation has been this fortuitous encounter which allowes him to live for quite some time in New York and to absorb great lessons that changed his vision of art.
As soon as he gets back to Italy, he cooperates with Bruno Ceccobelli. In 1993, together with others Perugian artists, founds the cultural association ‘Iride’, for the promotion of art and culture in any form.
Nel 1995 receives the graduation certificate as Computer Designer for Ceramic.
In 1997 is one of the founding members of CLS (Ceramica Libera Sperimentale Deruta), created through the efforts of young artists of Deruta and, shortly, a large group of artists from different parts of the world.
The purpose of this team is reaching an expressive language free from the traditional canons, however recognizing their historical importance.
CLS is currently active with its manifest and the travelling exhibition ‘art/r/evolution’ (2010 – 2014).
In 1999 Ficola realizes the Poster for the ‘Festival d’estate’di Spoleto’, during the cultural and artistic events in Spoleto promoted by the Association La MaMa Umbria International.
In 2001 he’s protagonist in the tape Madre Terra directed by Marco Agostinelli and produced by Maloch Rosso Productions of New York.
In 2002 he takes part to the IV edition of Viaggiatori sulla Flaminia, on GCAM in Spoleto.
Marino has manifested his presence at the Regional Museum of Ceramic in Deruta, contemporary department.
His art installation Angelo Blu displayed at ‘Musèo de los Ángeles de Arte Contemporànea‘ in Turégano (Segovia) directed by Lucia Bosè.
In 2005 he exposes at the University of Architecture in Palermo, in the context of the Competition Homus Urbanus.
In 2006 wins Sculpture Contest prize during the exhibition Vento d’Avanguardia.
In September 2008 Ficola takes part at the Collective ceramic exhibition Concretamente at Palazzo Venezia (Roma); in October that year he takes part at the exhibition Art Contemporain, Dialogue & Europe in Paris. In the same year, during the contemporary art exhibition Migrazioni organised by Region of Umbria and Province of Perugia, Ficola exposes at the Rain Gallery in Pechino. He exposes for AICC (Associazione Italiana Città della Ceramica) during the artistic event ‘Argillà’, at the International Ceramic Museum of Faenza and then he takes part at the Collective art exhibition ‘Dialogue Coreè & Europe’, in Paris at the Galerie Deburaux Aponem.
He is present with him artworks on catalogue “Novecento, ceramiche italiane di E. Gaudenzi”.
Always been engaged in social, Marino Ficola takes part at Charity Auction of Gala Dinner pro Haiti, organised by Rava Foundation. He takes part at the Tribute exhibition for Alan Caiger Smith (one of the most important British pottery last fifty years and surely the most important living artist concerning Lustro ceramic) by Ettore Sannipoli at the Civic Museum in Gubbio.
Recently he has been put into the prestigious XX century Italian ceramic volumes by Emanuele Gaudenzi “Novecento, ceramiche italiane. Protagonisti e opere del XX secolo”.
Success of Evolution Art Revolution, event promoted by Unesco started from Paris (Selective Art) and arrived to Danzica (National Museum), dates back to 2010. It includes several stages in different parts of the world: Umbrian stage in Perugia will be on July 2011 at Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria.
From 4 December 2010 to 19 January 2011 was organised his retrospective Periferie estreme by the American art critic Alan Jones.
In June 2011 Ficola has been invited to expose in the Padiglione Umbria of 54° Biennale dell’Arte di Venezia, at Palazzo Collicola, organised by Vittorio Sgarbi and Gianluca Marziani.
From 16 July al 21 August 2011 a new retrospective named ICE- Glaciazioni contemporanee takes place at Castello Aragonese in Otranto, promoted by Sistema Museo in collaboration with Palazzo Morelli Fine Art Gallery.
Collective art exhibition:
Trametrame, Strutture e figurazioni: tra scheletro e abito, a cura di Gianluca Marziani, Palazzo Morelli Fine Art, Todi, Pg
Natività, Museo Regionale della Ceramica di Deruta, a cura di Andrea Baffoni, Giovanna Brenci e Manuela De Leonardis
Sintonie, Palazzo Morelli Fine Art Gallery, Todi
Evolution Art Revolution, Galleria “Selective Art”, Parigi
Evolution Art Revolution, Museo Nazionale di Danzica (Polonia) diretto da Wojciech Bonislawski
54° Biennale di Venezia, Padiglione Italia: Umbria, a cura di Gianluca Marziani ed ideato da Vittorio Sgarbi, Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive, Spoleto
Burning New York / ICE, a cura di Roberta Semeraro, Collegio Armeno, Palazzo Zenobio, Venezia.
Retrospective:
Periferie Estreme, Palazzo Morelli Fine Art, by Alan Jones, organised together Sistema Museo. Catalogue by Alan Jones. Ice, Glaciazioni Contemporanee, during the exhibition Oltredali’, by Raffaela Zizzari, only one show of the Umbrian artist exposed by Palazzo Murelli Fine Art, Castello Aragonese, Otranto.
Equilibri, catalogue published by Ed. PA&PA Arte e Comunicazione, texts by Marco Meneguzzo, Galleria PA&PA, Milano.
Conferenza del gruppo CLS Art Biennal in Taiwan 2014.