Francesco Bartoli graduated from the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, where he studied under the guidance of renowned artist Luciano Fabro. His artistic practice is defined by an interdisciplinary approach that merges drawing with techniques such as frottage, video, animation, and performance, resulting in a complex and layered visual language.

During the fifteen years he spent abroad, Bartoli developed numerous projects, including solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid and the Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, where he presented his 16mm color film-installation Una Forma in Comune. He took part in the 54th Venice Biennale as part of the Italian Pavilion in the World project, showcasing his solo exhibition El Escondite at the Italian Cultural Institute in Madrid.

His works have been displayed in prestigious institutions and museums internationally. Among the awards received are the Support for Contemporary Art award (2010) from the Spanish Ministry of Culture, support from the Italian Council X and PAC2021 from the Italy’s Ministry of Culture, and selections at PhotoEspaña (2010) and Documenta Madrid (2011).

In 2016, Bartoli directed and produced In Search For Nothing, a creative documentary involving unaccompanied minor migrants, presented at institutions such as Farm Cultural Park and the MACRO Museum in Rome. In 2023, he completed the documentary Scolpire il vento, selected by numerous international festivals and now part of the permanent collection of mudaC – Museum of Arts in Carrara.

Recent international solo exhibitions include Scolpire la memoria at Dìnamo Gallery of ESAP Porto (2021) and Ecos: la fuerza de los fragmentos at EAC – Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo in Montevideo (2024), in collaboration with Uruguay’s Ministry of Culture and the Italian Cultural Institute of Montevideo. In Italy, he presented the solo shows Scolpire il vento at mudaC – Museum of Arts in Carrara (2023), curated by Laura Barreca and awarded by PAC2021, as well as the site-specific project Il Battito Evocato at the Botanical Garden Museum of Rome (2025).