Domenico Pellegrino (b. 1974) is a Sicilian artist, sculptor, and creator of luminous urban installations.

His work is a synthesis of heritage and the future, drawing from the past of Mediterranean culture and transforming it into something contemporary and innovative. Pellegrino is recognized as the "artist of light" for his innovative use of the lights typical of Southern Italy’s patronal festivals. Beyond light, he also expresses himself through sculpture. His pieces are crafted using artisanal techniques passed down through generations, and his polychrome sculptures—almost classical in their intent, dedicated to superheroes—reflect Sicilian identity and cultural characteristics, tied to the island and the broader Mediterranean region.

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In 2019, Pellegrino participated in the Venice Art Biennale with his work I’m the Island and the poignant project Cosmogonia Mediterranea. This installation, immersed in the waters of Lampedusa—his bright Sicily—was dedicated to migrants attempting to reach Lampedusa, celebrating the heroes who perished along with those fortunate enough to survive. Pellegrino's images, inspired by Dante's paradisiacal visions, transcend the ordinary, offering a view of a world where light and humanity converge. In 2024, he will participate in the Malta Biennale with the pavilion titled Mosaic of Cultures, showcasing his work Palma, which celebrates the millennia-old history of the Mediterranean.

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In 2020, he collaborated with the French luxury brand Hermès on the project Human Odyssey. This work featured a visual journey in the windows of boutiques across Italy, reflecting on themes of time, discovery, and perseverance—key elements in the human journey of self-discovery. At Hermès, Pellegrino reimagined the use of luminaries as frames for mythological stories. The shop windows became a multi-layered narrative, with wooden structures outlining the shapes of ancient Greek vases—containers of precious goods and conveyors of the stories depicted on their surfaces. Scenes include Ulysses’ ship, the legend of the golden apples guarded by the Hesperides, Oedipus and the riddle of the sphinx, Penelope weaving her tapestry, and a winged Pegasus gracing the façades of boutiques in Milan and Rome, paying homage to the equestrian roots of the maison.

Pellegrino deconstructs mythology through exploration and research of ancient relics, rebuilding it with his postmodern artistic language, drawing from Sicilian folk art to create a new cosmogony of extraordinarily human heroes—champions of a new era, pushing us beyond our fears.

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In 2022, he created a large installation at the Port of Procida to welcome visitors as part of the island’s Capital of Culture celebrations. The piece tells the stories, traditions, people, and culture of this unique and precious territory, depicting Procida, the nurse of Aeneas and the mythological embodiment of the island.

Pellegrino, who brings his Sicilian identity to the world, captured the attention of Parisian fashion genius Christian Dior. In the brand's new boutique in Taormina, he created a site-specific work titled Le Citronnier. Like in the Garden of Eden, beloved by the French couturier, Pellegrino created a grand lemon tree using his now-iconic technique.

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In 2023, he amazed audiences by installing a "suspended boat" on Lake Garda—a boat floating 75 centimeters above the water’s surface, symbolizing the average amount of water lost by the lake in the past four years. The suspended boat, created for e.on, was designed to raise awareness about climate change.

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In 2010, Pellegrino launched a gallery of superheroes, reinterpreted through a unique blend of pop spirit and folk references. His sculptural cycle recalls the gods of ancient Greece and Rome. The artist sees Spider-Man as the god Apollo, the only deity retaining the same name in both Roman and Greek worship; Captain America as Hermes; Catwoman as Aphrodite, and so on. His goal is to highlight the duality and connection between the gods of ancient mythology and his superheroes, new contemporary deities. These figures inhabit urban spaces, homes, and public places, often near rivers and the sea, symbolizing the water that surrounds and shapes Sicily, from the inside out, further anchoring Sicilian identity in his characters.

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Pellegrino’s grand scenic machines and urban works burst onto the scene as new contemporary icons, such as Genius Panormi, a sculptural complex at the Palermo Botanical Garden, Ape Bianca at the city’s New Port, and Il faro del pellegrino, the first contemporary restoration using a luminous installation on the iconic Florio Family building.

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For Pellegrino, art must drive research, create connections, and inspire new ways of thinking for a better future. Art must be a stimulus, an active force with a meaningful impact on society, contributing to a world richer in meaning and connections.

Pellegrino teaches art at a school in the outskirts of Palermo, leading participatory projects that engage not only his students but also other youth communities. These young people take part in the creation of new works or urban installations. Among his recent works are Viva Palermo for the 400th celebration of Santa Rosalia's feast, Le parole giuste exhibited at the 2023 Milan Design Week and featured in an installation for Farm Cultural Park, and Not All Superheroes Wear Masks, a collection of wooden and illuminated works created in collaboration with Dynamo Camp’s caravans. Part of his work with young people is detailed in Giovanni Terzi’s book Eroi quotidiani (Everyday Heroes).

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Throughout his career, Pellegrino has held 28 solo exhibitions and participated in 76 group shows. His works are part of museum collections in Italy and abroad, as well as in prestigious private collections.