BIO
Joe Pansa (b. 1981) is a visual artist and documentary photographer based in Mola di Bari, in southern Italy. His practice originates in the visual arts and develops across photography, video, sculpture, ceramics, painting, installation, artist’s books and performance.
His work is grounded in a direct engagement with reality through prolonged observation, lived experience, material experimentation and relationships with people and places. Documentary and reportage photography occupy a central role in his practice, exploring communities, territories, labour, cultural identity, memory and social transformation.
Pansa approaches each medium as an autonomous yet interconnected language within a broader artistic research, allowing form, technique and material to emerge from the experience itself. His practice is rooted in presence and participation rather than predetermined concepts: the work develops through time, observation and direct encounter with the people and places he investigates.
He has developed long-term projects in Italy and abroad, including a twenty-year photographic archive of the community of Mola di Bari, the four-year project The Last Fishermen on artisanal fishing, and research projects in Morocco and Cuba. His practice also includes exhibitions, residencies, workshops, publications and collaborations, with artistic and professional experiences in Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Malta and the United States.
His photographic approach was further developed through the Magnum Foundation Educational Program, where he attended workshops with Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Peter van Agtmael and Mark Power, and through his ongoing mentorship with Valerio Bispuri, one of Italy’s internationally recognised documentary photographers.
For Pansa, a photograph is not simply captured — it is earned: through time, presence and the trust of the people in front of the camera. This principle has shaped his approach across his entire practice.
His work is grounded in a direct engagement with reality through prolonged observation, lived experience, material experimentation and relationships with people and places. Documentary and reportage photography occupy a central role in his practice, exploring communities, territories, labour, cultural identity, memory and social transformation.
Pansa approaches each medium as an autonomous yet interconnected language within a broader artistic research, allowing form, technique and material to emerge from the experience itself. His practice is rooted in presence and participation rather than predetermined concepts: the work develops through time, observation and direct encounter with the people and places he investigates.
He has developed long-term projects in Italy and abroad, including a twenty-year photographic archive of the community of Mola di Bari, the four-year project The Last Fishermen on artisanal fishing, and research projects in Morocco and Cuba. His practice also includes exhibitions, residencies, workshops, publications and collaborations, with artistic and professional experiences in Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Malta and the United States.
His photographic approach was further developed through the Magnum Foundation Educational Program, where he attended workshops with Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Peter van Agtmael and Mark Power, and through his ongoing mentorship with Valerio Bispuri, one of Italy’s internationally recognised documentary photographers.
For Pansa, a photograph is not simply captured — it is earned: through time, presence and the trust of the people in front of the camera. This principle has shaped his approach across his entire practice.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Retrospective, Il Posto Che Non C’è, Mola di Bari, Italy. Exhibition encompassing the artist’s overall artistic practice and career.
2022 Mola di Bari: 18 Years of Photographic Reportage, Mola di Bari, Italy
2019 Materia Prima, Urban Center, Ex Caserma Rossani, Bari, Italy
2013 L’arte Seduta, Ipogeo San Pasquale, Mola di Bari, Italy
2011 La Multidimensionalità del Nulla, Galleria Borgo delle 44 Tegole, Florence, Italy
2022 Mola di Bari: 18 Years of Photographic Reportage, Mola di Bari, Italy
2019 Materia Prima, Urban Center, Ex Caserma Rossani, Bari, Italy
2013 L’arte Seduta, Ipogeo San Pasquale, Mola di Bari, Italy
2011 La Multidimensionalità del Nulla, Galleria Borgo delle 44 Tegole, Florence, Italy
GROUP EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
2026 Ten Ways of Looking — group exhibition, Mola di Bari. Curator and organiser: Joe Pansa and DOCU Magazine
2025 Ai Margini, Void Collective Photo, Palazzo Roberti, Mola di Bari, Italy
2023 Stories of New Beginnings, Mola di Bari, Italy. Curated and organised by Joe Pansa
2021 180° Berlin Filmfest, Berlin, Germany — Lack of Interiority, Semi-Finalist
2021 Cov_Art Collective, Allegra Brigata, Spazio 12, Monopoli, Italy
2020 Pandemic in Focus, New York, USA
2018 RMI Music Festival, Mola di Bari, Italy — Second Prize
2018 Występy Gościnne, Otwarta Pracownia Gallery, Kraków, Poland
2016 Fuck Miami, Contra Studios, New York, USA
2015 MAULE, Palazzo Roberti, Mola di Bari, Italy
2014 What You See Is What You Get III, Laboratorio Urbano, Lequile, Italy
2013 Young Showcase, Museo Magma / Palazzo dei Congressi, Roccamonfina, Italy
2012 Touching Compulsory: Bugs for Blind and Vision Impaired, Museum of the City of Ljubljana, Slovenia
2012 Ricrea Festival: Ri-usa, Ri-crea, Ri-arte, Lecce, San Vito dei Normanni, Fasano, Manduria, Barletta, Bari and Rome, Italy
2011 Il Salentino, Castello Carlo V, Lecce, Italy
2011 The Wall (archives) #4, Archiviazioni Project Space / Laboratorio di Arte e Architettura, curated by Pietro Gaglianò, Lecce, Italy
2010 Nothingness, Chair and the Maiden Gallery, New York, USA
2010 Little Constellation Performance, with Ingibjorg Magnadottir, Malta Contemporary Art Center, Valletta, Malta
2009 The Classics: Modern and Contemporary, Chair and the Maiden Gallery, New York, USA
2008 GAP – Giovani Artisti Pugliesi, selected artist, Sala Murat, Bari, Italy
2025 Ai Margini, Void Collective Photo, Palazzo Roberti, Mola di Bari, Italy
2023 Stories of New Beginnings, Mola di Bari, Italy. Curated and organised by Joe Pansa
2021 180° Berlin Filmfest, Berlin, Germany — Lack of Interiority, Semi-Finalist
2021 Cov_Art Collective, Allegra Brigata, Spazio 12, Monopoli, Italy
2020 Pandemic in Focus, New York, USA
2018 RMI Music Festival, Mola di Bari, Italy — Second Prize
2018 Występy Gościnne, Otwarta Pracownia Gallery, Kraków, Poland
2016 Fuck Miami, Contra Studios, New York, USA
2015 MAULE, Palazzo Roberti, Mola di Bari, Italy
2014 What You See Is What You Get III, Laboratorio Urbano, Lequile, Italy
2013 Young Showcase, Museo Magma / Palazzo dei Congressi, Roccamonfina, Italy
2012 Touching Compulsory: Bugs for Blind and Vision Impaired, Museum of the City of Ljubljana, Slovenia
2012 Ricrea Festival: Ri-usa, Ri-crea, Ri-arte, Lecce, San Vito dei Normanni, Fasano, Manduria, Barletta, Bari and Rome, Italy
2011 Il Salentino, Castello Carlo V, Lecce, Italy
2011 The Wall (archives) #4, Archiviazioni Project Space / Laboratorio di Arte e Architettura, curated by Pietro Gaglianò, Lecce, Italy
2010 Nothingness, Chair and the Maiden Gallery, New York, USA
2010 Little Constellation Performance, with Ingibjorg Magnadottir, Malta Contemporary Art Center, Valletta, Malta
2009 The Classics: Modern and Contemporary, Chair and the Maiden Gallery, New York, USA
2008 GAP – Giovani Artisti Pugliesi, selected artist, Sala Murat, Bari, Italy
FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES
Gli Ultimi Pescatori
Documentary project focusing on the artisanal fishermen of Mola di Bari.
Un paese ci vuole
Documentary made with Giulia Sangiorgio.
Memoria
Documentary focusing on local heritage, stories and the memory of the community.
Documentary project focusing on the artisanal fishermen of Mola di Bari.
Un paese ci vuole
Documentary made with Giulia Sangiorgio.
Memoria
Documentary focusing on local heritage, stories and the memory of the community.
EDUCATION
Master’s Degree in Visual Arts, Accademia di Belle Arti di Lecce, Italy
Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Italy, with honours
Erasmus – University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca (UAD), Romania
Erasmus Placement – St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta
Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Italy, with honours
Erasmus – University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca (UAD), Romania
Erasmus Placement – St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta
SPECIALISED TRAINING
Photography and Documentary Film
Documentary and Reportage Photography. Mentorship: Valerio Bispuri
“Cecilia Mangini” Documentary Film School – Intensive training programme in documentary filmmaking and storytelling of reality, with modules led by Erik Gandini (direction and research), Esmeralda Calabria (editing) and Michela Zegna, Cineteca di Bologna (memory and the creative use of archives).
The Art of Street Photography. Magnum workshop with Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Peter van Agtmael and Mark Power
Documentary and Reportage Photography. Mentorship: Valerio Bispuri
“Cecilia Mangini” Documentary Film School – Intensive training programme in documentary filmmaking and storytelling of reality, with modules led by Erik Gandini (direction and research), Esmeralda Calabria (editing) and Michela Zegna, Cineteca di Bologna (memory and the creative use of archives).
The Art of Street Photography. Magnum workshop with Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Peter van Agtmael and Mark Power
Art, Design and Sculpture
Komorebi Art Residency, Associazione Francesco Tedone, Corato
Art, Cities, and Regeneration, Ramdom Default 13, Lecce
International Art and Design Workshop, Vajkard, Slovenia
International Non-Fiction Illustration Workshop, Kaverljag, Slovenia. Best Prototype
International Stone Sculpture Symposium of the City of Molfetta, Molfetta
Fiori di Pietra, Sculpture Symposium, Mola di Bari
Animation Art and Artist’s Book, Accademia di Belle Arti di Lecce, with Miguel Angel Guillem Romeu and Blanca Rosa Pastor Cubillo
Komorebi Art Residency, Associazione Francesco Tedone, Corato
Art, Cities, and Regeneration, Ramdom Default 13, Lecce
International Art and Design Workshop, Vajkard, Slovenia
International Non-Fiction Illustration Workshop, Kaverljag, Slovenia. Best Prototype
International Stone Sculpture Symposium of the City of Molfetta, Molfetta
Fiori di Pietra, Sculpture Symposium, Mola di Bari
Animation Art and Artist’s Book, Accademia di Belle Arti di Lecce, with Miguel Angel Guillem Romeu and Blanca Rosa Pastor Cubillo
Performance, Theatre and Improvisation
Fundamentals of Improvisation, Barcelona Impro Theater Group
Improvisation Masterclass, Agli Antipodi, Licia Lanera and Danilo Giuva
Comedy Acting Masterclass, Paolo Panaro, Mola di Bari
Acting Workshop: From Literary Text to Stage, Paolo Panaro, Mola di Bari
The Voice in the Gestural and Performative Dimension, Francesca Della Monica, Livorno
Fundamentals of Improvisation, Barcelona Impro Theater Group
Improvisation Masterclass, Agli Antipodi, Licia Lanera and Danilo Giuva
Comedy Acting Masterclass, Paolo Panaro, Mola di Bari
Acting Workshop: From Literary Text to Stage, Paolo Panaro, Mola di Bari
The Voice in the Gestural and Performative Dimension, Francesca Della Monica, Livorno
COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Stories of New Beginnings, photography workshop, Mola di Bari, 2023
Photography workshop conducted with immigrants and refugees.
Melamid for President, New York, 2016
Art project developed in collaboration with painter Alexander Melamid and presented in Midtown Manhattan and on Wall Street.
Photography workshop conducted with immigrants and refugees.
Melamid for President, New York, 2016
Art project developed in collaboration with painter Alexander Melamid and presented in Midtown Manhattan and on Wall Street.
WORKSHOPS AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Together is Better – art and creativity workshop focused on inner exploration and self-knowledge, Il Posto Che Non C’è, Mola di Bari
Investigative Art – artistic workshop based on observation, investigation and creative research, Il Posto Che Non C’è, Mola di Bari
General coordination of the workshop “Gyotaku, the Art of Printing Fish” with Grazia Tagliente, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Port of Mola di Bari, 2023
Artist’s Book Workshop – workshop dedicated to the creation of artist’s books, Atelier Joe Pansa, Mola di Bari
Artificial Intelligence and Creativity – public talk as part of Galattica, Biblioteca Colonna, Santeramo in Colle
Investigative Art – artistic workshop based on observation, investigation and creative research, Il Posto Che Non C’è, Mola di Bari
General coordination of the workshop “Gyotaku, the Art of Printing Fish” with Grazia Tagliente, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Port of Mola di Bari, 2023
Artist’s Book Workshop – workshop dedicated to the creation of artist’s books, Atelier Joe Pansa, Mola di Bari
Artificial Intelligence and Creativity – public talk as part of Galattica, Biblioteca Colonna, Santeramo in Colle
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Photography Instructor, Escoop, Italy, 2026
Development and delivery of a photography course combining theoretical and practical activities.
Subject Expert, Graphic Art, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Italy, 2022–2023
Teaching activities, workshops, critical discussion and support in photography, design and visual storytelling.
Visual Artist, CATM NY Agency, New York, USA, 2009–2016
Collaboration with an international art agency on artistic projects, including the production of original works, exhibition organisation and collaborations with international artists.
Photographer, Videomaker, Illustrator, Frame, Conversano, Italy
Professional work across photography, video and illustration, with visual storytelling and communication projects
Development and delivery of a photography course combining theoretical and practical activities.
Subject Expert, Graphic Art, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bari, Italy, 2022–2023
Teaching activities, workshops, critical discussion and support in photography, design and visual storytelling.
Visual Artist, CATM NY Agency, New York, USA, 2009–2016
Collaboration with an international art agency on artistic projects, including the production of original works, exhibition organisation and collaborations with international artists.
Photographer, Videomaker, Illustrator, Frame, Conversano, Italy
Professional work across photography, video and illustration, with visual storytelling and communication projects