Simona Cozzupoli (Milan, 1977) is a contemporary artist specializing in the creation of miniature dioramas and three-dimensional collages that transform wooden boxes and vintage frames into dreamlike universes and visual narratives. With a background in History and Criticism of the Arts from the University of Milan, where she graduated with top honors, Cozzupoli has developed a unique artistic language that combines historical-critical rigor with poetic sensitivity.

The Art of Portable Microworlds
Simona Cozzupoli’s works stem from a deep fascination with Etruscan divinatory art of auspices, the random shapes of clouds, the hidden stories within decks of cards, and the wonder of horror vacui. Her “portable microworlds”—a definition coined by artist Luigi Serafini after he discovered her works in a Lambrate shop window—are meticulous compositions imbued with a dreamlike and sometimes playful atmosphere, where every detail tells a story.
Particular recognition has been given to her technique of compositions using figures and backs of playing cards, which since 2020 have been continuously exhibited at the prestigious Mudec Design Store in Milan, thanks to a collaboration with 24 ORE Cultura.

Since 2017, Simona Cozzupoli has built an eclectic and surprising exhibition path, bringing her art to unconventional locations: literary cafés, the smallest bar in the world, the smallest church in Milan, design shops, and art bookstores. This curatorial choice reflects her desire to democratize access to contemporary art and to create unexpected connections between art and everyday life.

Institutional and Corporate Projects
2021 – Barilla Collaboration
She created 12 customized microworlds for the launch of the new Barilla pesto (2022), commissioned by the advertising agency Marimo as a gift for the group’s top managers. The project demonstrates the artist’s ability to translate brand identity into a poetic visual language.

2022–2025 – Partnerships with Cultural Institutions
• Palazzo Reale Milan: works featured in the bookshop of the exhibition Bosch e un altro Rinascimento (2022)
• Mudec Milan: exhibitions in the bookshops of Dalí, Magritte, Man Ray and Surrealism (2023) and Niki de Saint Phalle (2024–2025)
• Bottega Brera – Pinacoteca di Brera: three dioramas inspired by masterpieces from the permanent collection (2023)
• Gallerie d’Italia Turin: microworlds on the theme of the fleeting nature of life, expressed through symbolic language (2023)

2025 – Consulate General of Japan
The solo exhibition Origami in miniatura at the Consulate General of Japan in Milan (March 2025) paid tribute to Japanese culture through the ancient art of paper folding and the theme of impermanence. The exhibition received coverage from major publications such as Living Corriere, Io Donna, Artribune, Libreriamo, and Artuu, confirming critical interest in her artistic research.

Press and Critical Recognition
2018 – Interview in Sette (Corriere della Sera), in the column Van Gogh – Autoritratto di un lettore insolito, with the article “Espongo bambole nel bar più piccolo del mondo”
2022 – Featured in Biancoscuro for the Barilla project in the article “Micromondi Barilla di Simona Cozzupoli” by Claudia Migliore
2024 – Article in Il Giorno by Alberto Oliva on the exhibition I Favolosi Minimondi at the bookstore Libri e collane d’autore
2024–2025 – Coverage in Arte.it, Artuu, and Artribune for exhibitions at Mudec and the Consulate of Japan

Her artistic research continues to explore the boundary between contemporary art, fine craftsmanship, and design, with a particular focus on site-specific projects and collaborations with brands that value creativity and visual storytelling.

Selected Exhibitions and Awards

2025

• BookCity Milano, group exhibition Potere alle idee: Presagi e sintomi, sogni e illusioni at Galleria L’Affiche, Milan
• Inventare è trovare, solo exhibition curated by Michela Afeltra at Libreria La Balena, Milan (November 2025 – January 2026)

2024 

• Le fil rouge – Il viaggio, 8th edition of the contemporary art group exhibition at Palazzo Risolo, Specchia (LE)

2023 

• A Postcard for Floyd, participation in the mail art project by Giangiacomo Rocco di Torrepadula on the theme of prejudice, which resulted in a book published by Skira and a traveling exhibition between Milan (Assab One) and Turin (Spazio Musa)

2022 

• Micromondi Portatili, solo exhibition at Oratorio San Protaso al Lorenteggio, Milan

2019

• Fuorisalone Milano, participation in the installation Mirabilis Patterns by designer Domenico Orefice, Lo Studio, Milan