Steve Rodney McQueen, born in London in 1969, is a world-renowned artist and filmmaker. He began his training by studying painting at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. He later shifted to cinema at Goldsmiths College and briefly attended New York University. Influenced by Jean Vigo, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, and Andy Warhol, McQueen began creating short films. He revolutionized the way film as a medium is used and exhibited, focusing on the human condition, its dramas, and fragility. His works address themes such as the construction of identity, the sense of belonging, and the right to freedom. In 1999, McQueen won the Turner Prize with an exhibition of sculptures and photographs at the London Institute of Contemporary Arts, and he also received an Academy Award for Best Picture for “12 Years a Slave”.

Sunshine State [march – july 2022] – Milano

His exhibition “Sunshine State” in Milan, commissioned and produced by the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), explores Steve McQueen’s career in the visual arts through a non-chronological path, highlighting the evolution of his practice over the last twenty years. Through seven dense and precious works – six filmic pieces and one sculpture – including “Static,” “Charlotte,” and “Cold Breath,” the exhibition reveals the artist’s radical approach to reality. His cinematic training and personal experience have shaped his artistic vision, addressing social and political themes in his work, such as racial discrimination, identity, and historical memory. His sensitivity to humanity and his ability to capture complex emotions have made his work deeply engaging and influential.