Massimiliano Rossetto (b. 1993) is a Swiss–Italian artist.
He lives and works in Zurich.
Rossetto’s artistic practice investigates how landscapes, narratives, and bodies pulse, seep, and intertwine, working through a queer ecological perspective. Across photography, sculpture, and multisensory installation, he engages remote and marginal sites—valleys, transitional terrains, and slowly transforming environments—where desire flows, memory lingers, and ecological processes unfold. His practice responds to the urgency of rethinking attention, care, and relationality in a moment defined by ecological and social precarity. Rooted in ancestral origins and personal narrative, he deconstructs and reconstructs images and materials, tracing the strata where matter, bodies, and places continuously shape and transform one another.
Download the portfolio here: PDF
For updates on upcoming shows, subscribe to my newsletter
For information on available works and pricing, please contact info@massimilianorossetto.com
Upcoming
01.11–30.11.2026
Residency, Fundaziun Nairs (Scuol, Switzerland)
12.03–20.06.2027
Solo exhibition, SAC-Kunstpreis 2026 – Kunstmuseum Thun, curated by Chiara Ottavi (Thun, Switzerland)
2027
Group exhibition – MAN, Museo d'Arte della Provincia di Nuoro (Nuoro, Italy)
Solo and duo exhibitions
2026
Soft Linings, duo exhibition with Jess Holdengarde – Casa Azul, curated by Greg Tiani (Gordola, Switzerland)
We left skin in the cracks – Kulturfolger, curated by Sibilla Panzeri (Zurich, Switzerland)
2025
FEROCE – standard/deluxe (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Tra le rocce – Amiamo Caffè (Zurich, Switzerland)
2024
È Fuoco Nell'Iridescenza, duo exhibition with Viola Poli – Spazio Fervida (Lugano, Switzerland)
Artificio – Micromacro, Atelier Viandanti (Lugano, Switzerland)
Selected group exhibitions
2026
+41 x cinque – Offspace +41 (Morbio Inferiore, Switzerland)
Mobile Encounters, AK JOL – Gallery House Zürich (Zurich, Switzerland)
OZEANE FLIESSEN AUFWÄRTS – Hotel Tiger, 6 ½, EWZ Unterwerk Selnau (Zurich, Switzerland)
NewKammer II – Atelier Righini-Fries Foundation (Zurich, Switzerland)
Tutto o Niente – Offspace Refusés (Lugano, Switzerland)
Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom – Offspace Refusés (London, UK)
Condo Satellite – Harlesden High Street, hosted by Offspace Refusés (London, UK)
2025
Private Party – Anggrek Agency (Zurich, Switzerland)
PUGLIODROME – Kulturfolger (Zurich, Switzerland)
Oltre la pietra – Matazz Offspace, Castel Grande, Sala dell'Arsenale (Bellinzona, Switzerland)
The Grand Tiger Hotel – Offspace Hotel Tiger (Zurich, Switzerland)
2024
Matazz Offspace – Unternehmen Mitte (Basel, Switzerland)
Space Invasion III – Fabienne Levy Gallery (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Making space, finding forms (MFA diploma exhibition) – Toni Areal, ZHdK (Zurich, Switzerland)
2023
La Regionale (ACXSI) – Villa Ciani (Lugano, Switzerland)
Of Each Absence – Klimarunde, ETH, curated by Judith Welter (Zurich, Switzerland)
GIFT – Toni Areal (Zurich, Switzerland)
Restless in the 1960s – Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
BreggiArte – Associazione Percorsi Culturali (Bruzella, Switzerland)
Playing with the trouble – [SIC] Space for International Cooperation (Athens, Greece)
2nd Quanzhou International Image Biennial – Huaguang Photography Art Museum (Quanzhou, China)
Playing with the trouble – Shared Campus Summer School (Aspropyrgos, Greece)
10th edition, La nuit de la photo – Musée des Beaux-Arts (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland)
OFF GRID – Material, curated by Elisa Pezza (Zurich, Switzerland)
Chapter II: shapes of water – Oncurating project space (Zurich, Switzerland)
2022
Winter Auction Fine Arts – Fondation ZHdK (Zurich, Switzerland)
Rethinking Nature – Festival Center FOTO WIEN, European Month of Photography (Vienna, Austria)
Genesi creativa – m.a.x. museo, Spazio Officina (Chiasso, Switzerland)
.YOUNG – Kromya Art Gallery (Lugano, Switzerland)
Le stanze dell'arte – Palazzo Civico (Bellinzona, Switzerland)
2021
Wunderkammer – Atelier Viandanti, curated by Maria Ares and Francesco Maria Gamba (Lugano, Switzerland)
25th vfg Swiss Young Talent Award for Photography – IPFO Haus der Fotografie (Olten, Switzerland)
Rethinking Nature – Imago Lisboa, European Month of Photography (Lisbon, Portugal)
C'era una volta la Pangea – Offspace +41, curated by Nicolò Latini and Chiara Ottavi (La Saceba, Switzerland)
HOT MESS II – Neuezeit Ost, curated by Yolandé Gouws (Berlin, Germany)
Rethinking Nature – Mois européen de la photographie (Luxembourg)
photoSCHWEIZ – Halle 550, curated by Daniel Bollinger (Zurich, Switzerland)
24th vfg Swiss Young Talent Award for Photography – Kammgarn West (Schaffhausen, Switzerland)
S(P)LACES – Centrale Festival, curated by Laura Davì (Fano, Italy)
2020
HOT MESS – Prince Charles, curated by Yolandé Gouws (Berlin, Germany)
24th vfg Swiss Young Talent Award for Photography – Oslo 8 (Basel, Switzerland)
24th vfg Swiss Young Talent Award for Photography – Photobastei (Zurich, Switzerland)
Generation Z – Noorderlicht International Fotofestival, curated by Robert Jan Verhagen (Groningen, Netherlands)
SPC Photo Awards – Photobastei (Zurich, Switzerland)
2019
Environment Documenta – LoosenArt gallery (Rome, Italy)
Rala: Feast of the Peasant – RETA (Zurich, Switzerland)
2018
Les nouveaux sauvages – Le Faubourg (Lyon, France)
The inner forest – Verzasca Foto Festival (Sonogno, Switzerland)
2017
Vicini di casa – Spazio 1b (Lugano, Switzerland)
2016
Sê plural como universo! – LaRada, curated by Carolina Sanchez and Riccardo Lisi (Locarno, Switzerland)
Exhibition École BLOO – Loft 4-40 (Lyon, France)
Vita di lago – Brissago Islands (Locarno, Switzerland)
Low Cost – BLOO gallery (Lyon, France)
2015
Art Tonic – Port Tonic Art Center (St. Tropez, France)
2012
Identità – Ego gallery (Lugano, Switzerland)
Making Life – Castellinaria, International young film festival (Bellinzona, Switzerland)
2011
Self shots – Giu*BoxGallery (Naples, Italy)
Education
2022–2024
MA in Fine Arts – ZHdK Zurich University of the Arts (Zurich, Switzerland)
2014–2016
BA in Fine Arts and Contemporary Photography – BLOO (Lyon, France)
Public collections
2026
City of Zurich – Kunstsammlung Stadt Zürich (Zurich, Switzerland)
2025
Fondazione Lac o Le Mon (San Cesario di Lecce, Italy)
2024
City of Zurich – Kunstsammlung Stadt Zürich (Zurich, Switzerland)
Awards and nominations
2026
Winner, SAC-Kunstpreis 2026 – Swiss Alpine Club Art Prize, Kunstmuseum Thun (Thun, Switzerland)
2025
Nomination, Kunst am Bau project «Bain & Co» (Zurich, Switzerland)
2024
Special mention, Premio Fondazione Verzasca (Vogorno, Switzerland)
Finalist, KSW Kantonsspital Winterthur Kunstpreis (Winterthur, Switzerland)
2023
Finalist, H&B Real Estate AG Kunstpreis (Zurich, Switzerland)
2020
Winner, 24th vfg Swiss Young Talent Award for Photography (Zurich, Switzerland)
2016
3rd prize, Vita di lago – Verzasca Foto Festival (Brissago, Switzerland)
Residencies
2026
Fundaziun Nairs (Scuol, Switzerland)
Luoghi di Seconda Origine – MAN, Museo d'Arte della Provincia di Nuoro (Nuoro, Italy)
2025
Simposio di pittura – Fondazione Lac o Le Mon (San Cesario di Lecce, Italy)
2023
Shared Campus Summer School, Restless in the 1960s (Tokyo, Japan)
Shared Campus Summer School, Critical Ecologies (Athens, Greece)
Grants
2026
Kulturförderung Kanton Zürich / Fachstelle Kultur (Zurich, Switzerland)
Repubblica e Cantone Ticino / Fondo Swisslos (Lugano, Switzerland)
2025
Focus Photo – Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council
2024–2025
What's next_Compass – Z-Kubator, Zurich University of the Arts (Zurich, Switzerland)
2023–2024
Fondation Felix Leemann (Lugano, Switzerland)
2022–2023
Fondation Zangger Weber (Zurich, Switzerland)
Publications (selection)
2024
Review Magazine, Issue 1 (London, UK)
LOVE, with Anaïs Strübin, Arthur Heck, Élisa Féraud, Inês Henriques and Francisca Patrocínio – ZHdK Editions (Zurich, Switzerland)
FEROCE – Respiro Cosmico, self-published (Zurich, Switzerland)
Voci d'Artista – Orizzonti, Cooperazione, Issue 24 (Basel, Switzerland)
Mineralien und Gesteine, self-published (Zurich, Switzerland)
Naturalia, photo-letter (Berlin, Germany)
2023
A Hybrid Transmedia Storytelling – HGK Basel FHNW Editions (Basel, Switzerland)
2022
Fisheye Photo Review 2021.22 – Fisheye Éditions (Paris, France)
2020
ENTKUNSTUNG III (Berlin, Germany)
L'appel d'une forêt perdue – Fisheye Magazine (Paris, France)
PF – Fotografie Magazine, Issue 4 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Workshops and talks
2026
Workshop – Schule für Gestaltung Bern und Biel (Zurich, Switzerland)
2025
Workshop on funding – What's next_Compass, Z-Kubator (Zurich, Switzerland)
Incontri di Corippo – Fondazione Verzasca (Corippo, Switzerland)
2024
What's next_Compass – Z-Kubator (Zurich, Switzerland)
2023
Shared Campus Summer School, Restless in the 1960s (Tokyo, Japan)
Other projects
2024
LOVE Book – supported by the ZHdK MA Fine Arts Department
2018
Photobook RESET, “Self Publish, Be Happy” – EMOP Opening Days, hosted by C/O Berlin
2012
Reflexions Masterclass, founded by Giorgia Fiorio and Gabriel Bauret
Member of near. – Swiss association for contemporary photography
Co-founder of YET MAGAZINE