Curriculum Vitae
Nicoletta Salomon
(updated 10 February 2026)
Personal
•Born in Belluno, Italy, 1967
•Living in Florence, Italy
•webiste www.nicolettasalomon.com
•email nico.salomon@libero.it
•Instagram: NicolettaSalomon
Current Position
Full Professor of Fine Arts and Creative Writing at The American University of Florence, Italy (2019-)
Writer
Painter
ABRIDGED CV
In 1991, I graduated cum laude in Classics from both the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and the University of Pisa, Italy.
In 1995, I obtained my PhD in Classics cum laude at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
In 1998, I won a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Classics at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
From 1995 onwards, I was granted various research fellowships by the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, the University of Pisa, the University of Venice, the Italian National Research Council, the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, the Fondation Hardt in Geneva, the University of Tübingen, and Princeton University, The Graduate School (see below, Full CV).
During my years of academic education and research, I made the pivotal choice of pursuing my interest in painting through independent study, studying with established painters in Tübingen and in Florence, and a consistent practice, to deepen the early knowledge acquired by observing my father at the easel during childhood. This led to my first solo exhibition in Florence, at La Corte Arte Contemporanea Gallery (2005), followed by regular solo, dual, and group shows.
I consider my painted body of work a visual journal revealing my inner landscape where feelings, emotions, thoughts, and memories are entangled in a dynamic relationship made visible via the material, psychological, and therapeutic qualities of colors.
Since 2012, my painted work has been represented by Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, Florence, my paintings have been exhibited in European art fairs (see below, Full CV) and are in various private collections. “Inner Cosmos”, a permanent collection of my paintings, has been showcased at The American University of Florence since 2014.
My dedication to painting impacted my academic research interests, which blended the study of Antiquity with Aesthetics, questioning the meaning of art and creativity in ancient Greek thought. My creative non-fiction book La zattera di mimesis: i greci, la creazione, l’arte, Venice, Marsilio, 2001, has been the recipient of the Castiglioncello - Costa degli Etruschi Philosophy Award 2002, the Orient-Express Jury’s Special Award 2002, and the S. Valitutti Jury’s Special Award 2002.
In 2002-2004, I was granted an ‘Assegno di ricerca’ (equivalent to a Junior Research Fellowship) in Aesthetics at the University of Florence.
My commitment to art and Aesthetics also impacted my writing interests. Besides academic writing, which I have been practicing since the early years of my academic career, I write narrative non-fiction. My book on the destiny of Venice, Venezia inabissata: un fantasaggio, Milan, Mimesis, 2004, has been translated into French: Venise engloutie. Essai subjectif sur l’âme de Venise, Paris, Fayard, Mille et une Nuits, 2008.
I also write literary memoirs, focusing on the narratives and language in which women’s intimate, personal, and social struggles for identity and individuality are represented, as exemplified by my novels Non chiedermi niente, Cagliari, Aìsara, 2012, Questa non è una storia d’amore (shortlisted at the 2005 Italo Calvino Literary Prize), Tredici anni (longlisted at the 2019 Italo Calvino Literary Prize), Royal (longlisted at the 2023 Italo Calvino Literary Prize), and Primo anno (longlisted at the 2024 Italo Calvino Literary Prize).
An opportunity to significantly improve the dialogue between my artistic practice and aesthetic reflection came with teaching in international higher education in 2013. I have since designed and taught university-level courses in fine arts, creative processes for the arts, art therapy, and creative writing at the Florence University of the Arts – The American University of Florence, where I currently serve as a full professor.
My current academic research focuses on the nature, expressive qualities, and symbolic values of mark-making in writing and painting.
I recently illustrated the book Nel giardino segreto: meditazioni creative attorno alla nascita by V. Schmid,
Florence, TerraNuova, 2025.
I am a professional translator from English, French, German, Latin, and Ancient Greek.
My proficiency in English is native-level. I have a very good knowledge of French, and a good knowledge of German.
I teach and write in English and Italian.
Ballet is my hobby.
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FULL CV
Education and previous academic appointments, in Italy and in foreign Universities
•1986: High School Degree, maximum score, Liceo Classico “Tiziano,” Belluno.
•1991: Graduated in Classics cum laude both at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and at the University of Pisa.
1991: Research Fellowship, Fondation Hardt, Geneva.
•1992: Research Fellowship, École Normale Supérieure, Paris.
•1993: Research Fellowship, Princeton University – The Graduate School.
•1993: Semester of independent research in Leiden and Amsterdam.
•1994-1995: Research Fellowship, Tübingen University.
•1994-1995: Research Fellowship, The Embassy of the Netherlands (offer declined).
•1995: PhD cum laude in Classics, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
•1995: One-year Giorgio Pasquali fellowship in Greek History and Philology, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
•1996-1997: Research Fellowships, Tübingen University.
•1996-1997: Annual study abroad Research Fellowship by Università di Pisa (offer declined).
•1998-1999: Two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Classics, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
•2000: Research Fellowship, University of Pisa.
•2000: Research Fellowship, University of Venice.
•2001: Research Fellowship, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
•2001: Research Fellowship, Italian National Research Council.
•2001: Cultore della materia, Aesthetics, University of Florence.
•2002-2004: Assegno di ricerca (equivalent to a Junior Research Fellowship) in Aesthetics at the University of Florence.
Teaching Experience
•2002-2004: Assegno di ricerca in Aesthetics (equivalent to a Junior Research Fellowship), University of Florence.
•2005 Summer Semester: instructor of Renaissance Art, Michigan State University in Florence.
•2006 Summer Semester: instructor of Art History, Florence University of the Arts, Florence.
•2013-2018: Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing, Fine Arts, Creative Processes for the Arts, Florence University of the Arts, Florence.
•2019–: Full Professor of Creative Writing, Fine Arts, Creative Processes for the Arts, The American University of Florence.
Publications
Books
•Le cleruchie di Atene: caratteri e funzione, ETS, Pisa 1997 (PhD dissertation).
•La zattera di mimesis: i greci, la creazione, l’arte, Marsilio, Venice 2001: narrative essay winner of the Castiglioncello – Costa degli Etruschi Philosophy Award 2002; International Literary Award Orient-Express, Rome 2002 (jury’s special award); International Award for Non-fiction S. Valitutti, Salerno 2002 (jury’s special award).
•Venezia inabissata: un fantasaggio, Mimesis, Milan 2004.
•Questa non è una storia d’amore, shortlisted at the 2005 Italo Calvino Literary Prize (unpublished).
•Storie di latte: quadri di una maternità, D&D, Florence 2007.
•Venise engloutie. Essai subjectif sur l’âme de Venise, Fayard, Mille et une nuits, Paris 2008 (revised and augmented edition, trans. M. Raiola).
•Non chiedermi niente, Aisara, Cagliari, 2012.
•Tredici anni, longlisted at the 2019 Italo Calvino Literary Prize (unpublished).
•Royal, longlisted at the 2023 Italo Calvino Literary Prize (unpublished).
•Primo anno, long-listed at the 2024 Italo Calvino Literary Prize (unpublished).
Illustrated Books
•Nel giardino Segreto: meditazioni creative attorno alla nascita, by V. Schmid, illustrations by Nicoletta Salomon, Florence, Terra Nuova, 2025.
• Home to Me: a story about (be)longing (unpublished).
Selected articles and conference papers
•‘Il tragico e l’esserci. Nietzsche’, “aut aut,” 307-308, 2002, 133-154.
•‘Nietzsche. Il gioco del tragico’, in L’officina del teatro europeo, proceedings of the conference “Lo sperimentalismo nella storia del teatro occidentale”, ed. by A. Grilli and A. Simon, Pisa 30 novembre-2 dicembre 2000, Edizioni Plus - Università di Pisa 2002, vol. I, Performance e teatro di parola, 457-464.
•‘Acqua e psiche. Chateaubriand a Venezia’, in L’instinct voyageur. Creazione dell’io e scrittura del mondo in Chateaubriand, ed. by F. Martellucci, Unipress, Padova 2001, 155-168.
•‘La realizzazione di sé. Etty Hillesum’, “Klaros”, 15, 2002, 52-79.
•‘Phobos. Radici antiche della paura’, “Atque”, 23-24, 2002, 43-57.
•‘Percorrere la notte. Mulholland Drive di David Lynch’, “Iride”, 37, 2002, 634-638.
•‘Norma e forma’, “Estetica”, 2, 2003, 113-126.
•‘Erotica Elenctica Ironica. Amore platonico’, in Lo sguardo di Eros, ed. by M. Vozza, Mimesis, Milan 2003, 23-37.
•‘Intelligenza tragica’, in Ermeneutica e pensiero tragico. Studi in onore di Sergio Givone, ed. by C. Ciancio et al., Il Melangolo, Genoa, 2004, 123-141.
•‘Venezia al di là del mito’, in “Nuova informazione bibliografica”, 4, 2004, 789-804.
•‘Due pittori’, introduction to R. Fry, Cézanne, Ananke, Turin 2009, translated and edited by Nicoletta Salomon.
•‘Il cane e il sacro. Su Vergogna di J. M. Coetzee’, “Iride”, 59, 2010, 173-176.
•‘The Mirror of Power’ (a discussion with M. Pezzella on “Vincere” by M. Bellocchio), “Iris,” 2,3, 2010, 222-227.
•‘Il corpo della politica’, “Iride,” 59, 2010, 125-137.
•‘Il cane e il sacro’ (a discussion with G. Origgi on Vergogna by J. M. Coetzee), Ibid., 173-176.
•‘Lo specchio del potere’ (a discussion with M. Pezzella on “Vincere” by M. Bellocchio), Ibid., 675-678.
•‘Les artistes savent-ils ce qu’ils font?’, in Merleau-Ponty entre philosophie et art, ed. by L. Vinciguerra and F. Bourlez, Reims, Presses Universitaires de Reims, 2011, 45-53.
•’De-individuazione’ (a discussion with L. Vinciguerra on “Io sono l’amore” by L. Guadagnino and “L'amante inglese” by C. Corsini), “Iride”, 62, 2011, 183-185.
•‘Scrivere, vivere, reinventare: dove scavano le radici di un romanzo’, guest post in "Scrittore Computazionale", Arturo Robertazzi’s blog, 10.12.2012<http://www.arturorobertazzi.it/2012/12/10/scrivere-vivere-reinventare-dove-scavano-le-radici-di-un-romanzo-guest-post-di-nicoletta-salomon/>.
•‘Speculating While Making Art’, “Blending,” 15, 2014, 22-25.
•‘How to Cultivate Gardens of Culture’, Proceedings of the FUA/SBU 2023 annual conference “Gardens of Culture: Italo Calvino’s Memos for the New Millennium”, pp. 10-14.
•‘Logical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Generative Thinking, and Longhand Note-Taking on Paper’, Proceedings of the AUF/SBU 2025 annual conference “The Renaissance of Material Media in Photography, Film, and Beyond”, in press.
Book Reviews
•Michel Foucault, Discorso e verità nella Grecia antica, Donzelli, Rome 1996, in “Opus”, n.s., I, 1998.
•María Zambrano, L’uomo e il divino, ed. by V. Vitiello, Edizioni Lavoro, Rome 2001, in “Iride”, 38, 2003, 215-216.
•María Zambrano, Luoghi della pittura, Medusa, Milan 2002, in “Estetica”, 3, 2003.
•Mario Vegetti, Quindici lezioni su Platone, in “Iride”, 2004, 229-230.
•Edith Stein, Vie della conoscenza di Dio. La “teologia simbolica” dell’Areopagita e i suoi presupposti nella realtà, Dehoniane, Bologna 2003, in “Theoria”, 2005.
Translations
From English
•G. W. Most, Memoria e oblio nell’Eneide, in VV. AA., Memoria e identità. La cultura romana costruisce se stessa, ed. by M. Citroni, Florence 2001.
•G. W. Most, Heidegger’s Greeks, I Greci di Heidegger, “Belfagor”, LVII, 2, marzo 2002, 129-140.
•R. Bodei, La presunzione dell’Occidente: non esiste una civiltà superiore, «La Repubblica», 30 maggio 2009, p.47.
•M. P. Lara, Political Imagination and Feminism, “Iride”, 59, 2010, pp. 87-98.
•R. Fry, Cézanne, Ananke, Turin 2009 (translated and edited by Nicoletta Salomon, with her introduction “Due pittori”, pp. 7-20).
From French
•C. Orrieux – P. Schmitt Pantel, Storia greca, il Mulino, Bologna 2003.
•P. Ricoeur, Ricordare, dimenticare, perdonare, il Mulino, Bologna 2004.
•G. Therborn, Le società d'Europa nel nuovo millennio, il Mulino, Bologna 2011 (texts from French and English).
From German
•Hermann Hesse, La felicità, Mondadori, Milan 2002.
Publishing
•2001: prototype for a Lexicon of the Ancient World, Le Monnier, Florence.
•2000: contributor to G. Devoto – G.C. Oli, Dizionario della lingua italiana, Le Monnier, Florence.
•2000: editing of G. B. Conte – E. Pianezzola – G. Ranucci, Dizionario della lingua latina, Le Monnier, Florence.
•2002: editing of P. Parrini – S. Parrini Ciolli, Dimensioni della filosofia, vol. I, Il mondo antico, Mondadori, Milan.
•2005: contributor to M. Sacchetto, F. Desideri, A. Petterlini, L’esperienza del pensiero. La filosofia: storia, temi, abilità, Loescher, Turin.
•2006: Entries ‘Barocco’, ‘Coomaraswamy’, ‘Divisionismo’, ‘Espressionismo’, in Enciclopedia Filosofica, Fondazione Centro Studi Filosofici di Gallarate, ed. by V. Melchiorre, Bompiani, Milan.
•2002-2011: member of the Executive Committee of “Iride. Filosofia e discussione pubblica”.
•2003-2005: contributor to the Database Indire, sections of Aesthetics and Classics.
•2009-2011: copy editor for “Iris. European Journal of Philosophy and Public Debate”.
•2015-: academic advisor for “Blending,” FUA–AUF campus magazine and newsletter.
•2017: editor for the Italian content of J. Chaffee, Florence in Ecstasy, Unnamed Press.
Conference Talks
•14 March 1996: ‘L’impero di Atene’, University of Venice, Department of Classics.
•20 October 1997: ‘Nascita di idoli nel mondo antico’, University of Pisa, Department of Foreign Languages.
•23 January 1998: ‘L’artista ‘mago’ nel mondo antico’, University of Pisa, Department of Foreign Languages.
•30 November 2000: ‘Nietzsche: il gioco del tragico’, University of Pisa conference “Lo sperimentalismo nella storia del teatro occidentale”, 30/11-2/12/2000.
•20 March 2002: ‘Platone: Eros e filosofia’, University of Turin.
•8 April 2002: ‘Origini di filosofia e tragedia’, Liceo Classico Machiavelli, Florence.
•30 May 2002, ‘Origini di filosofia e tragedia’, Syracuse, Italy, literary event.
•20 November 2002: ‘Eros di linea e colore: Matisse’, University of Turin.
•18 September 2010: ‘Gli artisti sanno quello che fanno? Fare arte, pensare l’arte’, “Pordenonelegge” Literary Festival, conference “L’arte di scrivere d’arte”.
•8 March 2011: ‘Generare e creare’, Belluno, City Hall.
•21 October 2015: ‘In interiore homine’, a lecture on my artistic path and art process in connection with the sacred, Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, on the occasion of the exhibition “Divina Bellezza: tra Van Gogh, Chagall e Fontana”, a special project for Universities and Academies, “Holy! Holy! Holy!”.
•4 December 2015: ‘Dreaming of a City on the Water: Venice-Atlantis?’, annual academic FUA/SBU conference “de re Mediterranea”.
•3 December 2016: ‘A Novel I Call my Baby’, annual academic FUA/SBU conference “The Force of the Words: Oriana Fallaci, Florentine, Journalist, Citizen of the World”.
•14 April 2018: “Florence Writers Publishing Day,” Florence, moderator of the “Submission” panel (with J. Kleinmann, B. Kamlani, L. Lamont, C. Gebler).
•17 May 2019: ‘Rhetoric and Truth: Heritages of Greece and Rome’, Lee University in Florence.
•6 December 2019: ‘The Scent of Travel Time’, annual FUA/SBU conference “Consumption, Gentrification, and the New Colonialism”.
•1-2 December 2023: conference coordinator at the FUA/SBU annual academic conference “Gardens of Culture: Italo Calvino’s Memos for the New Millennium” (with F. Binarelli).
•5 December 2025: ‘Logical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Generative Thinking, and Longhand Note-Taking on Paper’, annual AUF/SBU conference “The Renaissance of Material Media in Photography, Film, and Beyond”.
Art Exhibitions
My painted work is represented by Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, Florence. My paintings are in various private collections. A permanent collection of my paintings, “Inner Cosmos” has been showcased at FUA–AUF, Florence, since 2014.
.Solo Exhibitions
•2005: Florence, La Corte Arte Contemporanea Gallery, ‘Amor sacro’. Catalogue by Nicola Nuti.
•2006: Belluno, Galleria De Luca, ‘Amor sacro’. Catalogue by Davide Gasparotto.
•2006: Florence, Grand Hotel Minerva, “Artour-o”, with Artesì, Art over Art Gallery.
•2009: Florence, FUA–AUF, ‘Writing in Painting’. Catalogue by Nicola Nuti.
•2009: Florence, Lo Spirito della Rive Gauche, ‘Il percorso della forma’.
•2009: Belluno, Colophonarte, 'Scrittura, scritture’, curated by Egidio Fiorin.
•2011: Belluno, Palazzo Crepadona – Cubo di Botta, ‘Nel colore. Opere 2010-2011’.
•2011: Florence, Etoile Toy Visual Arts, ‘Respiro. Opere 2011’.
•2012: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Trasformare’. Catalogue by Sonia Zampini.
•2013: Florence, Teatro Verdi, Scuola di danza Hamlyn, ‘Per la danza’.
•2014: Florence, Frediano al numero 8, ‘Per Pratolini’, concept by E. Mascherini.
•2014: Florence, FUA–AUF, ‘Inner Cosmos’.
•2016: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Abisso’.
•2018: Pontremoli, Atelier-Laboratorio E. Donadel, Palazzo Dosi-Magnavacca, ‘Opere’.
•2020: Pontremoli, Galleria Spazio4arte, ‘Opere’.
•2021: Pontremoli, nõgallery, ‘Opere’.
•2021: Florence, FUA–AUF, via Ricasoli 21, ‘Almost Nothing’.
•2024: Florence, Cartavetra Gallery, ‘Sospensione’ (dual show with Mitsuko Hoshino).
•2024: Florence, FUA–AUF, ‘Epoché’.
•2026: Florence, Stanza 251, “Teste parlanti”/8, ‘Toccare la pittura’.
•2026: Florence, il Conventino - Laboratorio 13, ‘Nel giardino segreto’ (upcoming)
Group Exhibitions
•2005: Castelnuovo Val di Cecina (Pisa), Ex Cinema Tirreno, ‘Voci da Marte’. Catalogue by Sibilla Ferrara.
•2005: Florence, Galleria La Corte Arte Contemporanea, ‘Per Soccorso Clown’.
•2006: Florence, Artesì, ‘Art over Art’.
•2006: Pietrasanta, ‘La Marguttiana’.
•2009: Florence, Saschall, ‘Progetto Polioplus’, Rotary International.
•2009: Florence, Sam – Spazio Arte e Mestieri al Conventino, ‘IoAbito’, curated by Cristina Degl’Innocenti.
•2009: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Spazi e linguaggi’.
•2011: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Viaggio al termine della forma’.
•2011: Florence, Florence Design Week.
•2012: Fiesole, Studio QUADRO 0.96, ‘110 pittori per i 110 anni di Cesare Zavattini’, curated by Paolo di Bella and Aldo Frangioni.
•2014: Florence, Etoile Toy Visual Arts, ‘Passaggio’.
•2017: Pordenone, Galleria Sagittaria, ‘L'arte di scrivere d’arte 2007-2017: un progetto in forma di dialogo’, curated by Fulvio Dell'Agnese.
•2018: Florence-Pisa-Pontedera-Carrara-Pontremoli, ‘Libro d'Artista Toscana Tour 2018’.
•2019: Pontremoli, Spazio4arte, site specific urban installation.
•2021: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Pagine Volanti’.
•2021: Florence, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, ‘Dante in figura: 53 contemporary artists’.
•2022: Pontremoli, Villa La Cartiera, ‘Oscillazioni’, curated by Gianni Neri.
International Art Fairs
•2012: Scope Basel 2012 (Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery).
•2012: Art Gent – Flanders Expo Gent (Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery).
•2013: Art Karlsruhe (Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery).
•2017: Art Karlsruhe (Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery).
•2017-2019: Art Vilnius, 8-11/6-2017 (Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery).
Publications of the Painted Work
•Catalogue of the Painted Work, 2008-2012, curated by Sonia Zampini, Immaginaria Arti Visive Gallery, Florence, 2012.
•“Nuovo Corriere di Firenze”, ‘Gallery on paper’, 1 dicembre 2011.
•“Blending”, 3,2, 2013, Nicoletta Salomon, ‘Desire for Colors’, (3 paintings and a text), p. 16.
•“Blending", 4,8, 2014, 'Inner Cosmos: A Permanent Art Collection for FUA’, pp. 1-2 <http://issuu.com/fuaflorence/docs/blending_f14__2>
•“Blending”, 5,7, 2015, pp. 11-12 <https://issuu.com/fuaflorence/docs/5.7_blendingnewsletter>.
•“L’arte di scrivere d’arte, 2007-2017: un progetto in forma di dialogo”, Galleria Sagittaria, 20/5-17/9-2017, curated by Fulvio Dell’Agnese, pp. 40-41.
•“Libro d'Artista Toscana Tour 2018”, pp. 86-87.
•“Blending”, 11,1, 2021, ‘Art in the time of the coronavirus. An interview with Nicoletta Salomon’ <https://issuu.com/fuaflorence/docs/bm_11.1>
•Catalogue ‘Almost Nothing’, AUF 2021, <https://corridoiofiorentino.it/almost-nothing-by-nicoletta-salomon/?lang=it>
•Catalogue ‘Sospensione’, 2024, Cartavetra Gallery, Florence.
•Catalogue ‘Epoché’, AUF 2024, https://corridoiofiorentino.it/nicoletta-salomon/