Jago

JAGO, the pseudonym of Jacopo Cardillo, is a renowned contemporary artist and sculptor. His artistic practice is rooted in traditional techniques while fostering a direct relationship with the public.

Discover the life of JAGO and one of his most iconic works.

JAGO is an Italian sculptor who was born in Frosinone in 1987. His artistic research is rooted in traditional techniques, and he establishes a direct relationship with the public using videos and social networks to share the production process.

After graduating in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin, he devoted himself to photography from 2000 onward. His first solo exhibition was held in 2004. Alongside his personal artistic practice, he has also pursued curatorial activities, notably serving as the artistic director of Paratissima in Turin.

At the age of 24 he was chosen to participate in the 54th edition of the Venice Biennale, exhibiting his marble bust of Pope Benedict XVI (2009). The sculpture, created when he was young, was subsequently revisited in 2016 and named Habemus Hominem, becoming one of his most famous works.

In 2019, on the occasion of the ESA's Beyond mission, JAGO was the first artist to send a marble sculpture (The First Baby) to the International Space Station. In November 2020 he created the Look Down installation, which was displayed in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples, and then exhibited in the Al Haniyah desert in Fujairah (UAE).

On 1 October 2021, JAGO installed his Piety in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto, in Piazza del Popolo (Rome), and, on 12 March 2022, he inaugurated the exhibition JAGO – The Exhibition at Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome.  On 20 May 2023, the workshop in the Church of Sant'Aspreno ai Crociferi (Naples) opened to the public as the Jago Museum.

From February 6 to October 26, 2025, Gallerie d'Italia in Naples hosted David, a sculpture by JAGO on loan from the Jago Museum.