He was born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1969.
At the age of 28, he felt that his original passion had remained latent and was determined to study, self-taught, painting techniques and human anatomy. So he left the legal profession once and for all.
“Myth” as a metaphor of risk of corruption of mores is the subject of most interest to Arrigo.
He has participated in numerous personal and group exhibitions in contemporary art galleries, and museums in Italy, France, the Netherlands, England, and the United States.
In 2008 Christie’s auctioned some paintings by Arrigo in Holland, The Hague.
In 2009 a personal exhibition, “Rain” was presented by Maurizio Calvesi, an art historian who won the Balzan prize; it was run at Wright State University, Ohio, USA. Calvesi defined his works “a new page in painting and not only Sicilian.”
In 2011, he participated in the 54th Venice Biennale - Venice Arsenal - on a choice, as best
Italian artist, by the, Oscar-winning film director Giuseppe Tornatore.
A solo exhibition “Nameless” was run at the Italian Chamber of Deputies (Montecitorio-Rome), in 2012.
Many works of his are permanently displayed in museums, public space and private collections. Among the places where they are displayed is the International Criminal Court of the Hague (United Nations), the Orestiadi Foundation at Gibellina (Trapani - Sicily), and the Guttuso Museum (Palermo province).
In 2011 he was a finalist in the UNESCO world contest "Art and Bioethics."
At the Chamber of Deputies (Rome) he received the international Italy-USA 2014 prize of the homonymous Foundation.
In 2014 a solo exhibition of his work was run at the Contemporary Museum in Villa Torlonia in Rome, curated by Lorenzo Canova.
With his wife, the architect Anna Russo, he also designs a line of interior fittings and majolica furniture, for J&Well, which are displayed at specialist trade fairs in Italy and abroad.
Catalogues of Arrigo Musti's works are present in many bookstores and libraries around the world, including the Yad Vashem library in Israel (Impop Art).
His works have been the subject of numerous exhibition catalogues and have been reviewed in Italian and international art and design magazines, monthly and daily newspapers, and dozens of Italian and foreign publications, including one by UNESCO.
In 2019 he wrote and directed "A Fantastic Mistake",
an english short film, with professional italian actor Orio Scaduto and theatre actress Violetta Vaccaro.
Arrigo made the original soundtrack with the arrangement of musician Leonardo Bartolone.
Arrigo Musti lives and works partly in Rome and partly in Palermo (Sicily).
Main group exhibitions (selection)
2008
Nutshuis, The Hague (The Netherlands), Red Cross summer exhibition, (Christie’s auction)
Artefact Gallery London (Christie’s auction)
2011
54° Venice Biennial – Venice Arsenal – Italian Pavillon – selected by Oscar Prize director Giuseppe Tornatore
2012
Bioethics art UNESCO, United Nation Palace N.Y.C.
Cosenza (CS) Museo dei Brettii and Enotri Museum
Fondazione Orestiadi di Gibellina (TP) Artisti a Gibellina – MIBAC AMACI
2017 Sant'Elia Palace contemporary public art space
Palermo Italian Capital of cultures curated by Anna Maria Ruta (The Leopard)
Main “solo” exhibitions (selection)
2008
“Oil and blood rain” Palermo, Italy Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco
2009
U.S.A. “Rain” curated by Maurizio Calvesi ed Augusta Monferini
Dayton International P. Museum
Wright state University (Dayton – Ohio)
Missing Peace art Space (Dayton – Ohio)
2012
“Nameless” curated by Marisa Vescovo
Rome, Montecitorio, Monumental Complex of Vicolo Valdina, Hall of Deputies
Palermo, Sant’Elia Palace Foundation and contemporary art museum
2013
“Drops”
Bagheria (Palermo) Villa Casaurro curated by Lorenzo Canova
2014
“Impop” curated by Lorenzo Canova
Rome, Contemporary Art Museum (Villa Torlonia) curated by Lorenzo Canova
“Drops” curated by Lorenzo Canova
Castelbuono (Palermo) Civic Museum
2017
“Far From Myth”
selected artworks 2012 – 2017 – catalogue texts by Lorenzo Canova and Oscar Prize Giuseppe Tornatore Ed. Plumelia 2017-
Mediolanum Bank – Notarbartolo Palace – Palermo
"Waiting Manifesta" Arrigo Musti and Dalya Luttwak 12 Lanza Branciforte Castle, Trabia
2018
"Tribute to Leopard" Palermo European Capital of culture " week of cultures " curated by Anna Maria Ruta Sant'Elia Foundation contemporary art museum (Palermo)
"Origin" Dalya Luttwak & Arrigo Musti - Watergate Gallery Washington D.C. USA
curated by Lorenzo Canova
"Le via dei tesori" Sant'Elia Foundation (Palermo)
"Grandi Maestri" Galleria Lombardi
2019
"Ex Voto per Arte Ricevuta"
curated by Angelo Crespi
The Mall Milan
Mondadori Store Duomo Square - Milan
Marino Marini Museum - Florence
TWIST december 22 2019 / april 30 2020
solo exhibition Guttuso Museum (Bagheria/Palermo)
curated by Annabelle Priestley and Lorenzo Canova
2020
TWIST
Novecento "Artisti di Sicilia"
group exhibition
curated by Vittorio Sgarbi
Noto Museum (NOTO Sicily)
febbruary 2020 october 30 2020
Museum and public spaces exhibits and permanent collection:
Orestiadi Foundation at Gibellina (Trapani - Sicily)
Guttuso Museum (Bagheria - PALERMO)
Bretti ed Entri Museum (Cosenza - Italy
Fondazione Sant'Elia (Palermo)
Dayton Peace Museum (Dayton OHIO)
City Hall (Chicago - Illinois)
Dayton Missing Peace Art Space (Ohio- USA)
Marino Marini Museum (Florence- Italy)
Villa Torlonia Rome Contemporary art museum (Rome - Italy)
Comitini historic Palace (Provincia Regionale Palermo)
United Nations International Criminal Court (ICTY - The Hague)
Palermo Tribunal (Palermo)
Castelbuono Museum (Palermo - Sicily)
General consulate of Morocco (Palermo)
United Nation Palace NYC - USA
Wright State University (OHIO - USA)
Freetown Sierra Leon ex Special Court for S.L. Memory Museum
Bilotti Ruggi - Rende Museum (Cosenza- Italy)
NOTO Museum / Convitto delle Arti (NOTO Sicily)
His works are exhibited by the Galleries:
Watergate Gallery (Washington D.C. USA)
L. Gagosian private collection in New York includes an Arrigo artwork of the portraits serie (L. Gagosian portrait)
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