Lea Vergine (Napoli 1938 - Milano 2020), an art critic and contributor to magazines and newspapers, was the author of many important publications about contemporary art. Among them: Il corpo come linguaggio. Body art (1974), Attraverso l’arte. Pratica politica (1976), L’arte ritrovata (1982), L’arte in gioco (1988), Gli ultimi eccentrici (1990), Arte in trincea (1996), Ininterrotti transiti (2001). She has published Body art (2000, a new edition of Il corpo come linguaggio), Art on Cutting Edge. A Guide to Contemporary Movements (2000), Ester Coen's Schegge (2001), an interview with the author on art and contemporary criticism, Parole sull'arte (2008). Her most recent book is  L'arte non è faccenda di persone perbene (2016).

She also organized several conferences and collective exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Among them: "L’altra metà dell’avanguardia, 1910-1940. Pittrici e scultrici nei movimenti delle avanguardie storiche" (The Other Half of the Avant-garde, 1910-1940. Women Painters and Sculptors in the Historical Avant-garde; Milan, Rome, Stockholm, 1980-1981; new catalogue: il Saggiatore 2005); "Quando i rifiuti diventano arte. Trash rubbish mongo" (When the Waste Becomes Art. Trash Rubbish Mongo; Trento and Rovereto, 1997-1998; new catalogue: Skira 2006); "D’Ombra" (On Shadow; Siena, Nuoro, Compton Verney, 2006-2007; catalogue: Silvana 2006). She was also a co-author of the famous exhibition "Il Bello e le bestie" (The Beauty and the Beasts; Rovereto, 2004-2005; catalogue Skira 2004).