Oneiric and uncompromising, sensual and confrontational, his language is often rooted in the experience of ritual, shock, and coercion. His repertoire tours regularly from theaters to concert halls, festivals and museums, and has been presented in 65 countries worldwide.

A dissection of violence—as exerted by humans against their kin and environment through direct action and technological development—lies at the core of his new production, Humane Methods, which premiered in October 2019. The piece, commissioned by Centre des Arts (FR) and Romaeuropa Festival (IT), was created in collaboration with Margherita Pevere. His previous cycle of performances and installations, entitled 7 Configurations, focuses on the conflictual relations between artificial intelligence and body politics. Co-produced by CTM Festival and Chronus Art Center with the support of Goethe-Institut and the Berlin University of the Arts, the works are currently touring in Europe and Asia.

Donnarumma has received numerous acknowledgments, the most recent include the Digital Award at Romaeuropa Festival 2018; two awards at the Bains Numériques Biennial 2018 (Performing Arts and Press Award); the Award of Distinction (2nd prize) in Sound Art at the Prix Ars Electronica 2017; and the endowment of Artist of the Science Year 2018 by the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education.

He holds a Ph.D. in performing arts, computing and body theory from Goldsmiths, University of London. In 2016- 18 he was a Research Fellow at the Berlin University of the Arts in partnership with the Neurorobotics Research Laboratory, Berlin, and in 2020-21 he will be a Research Fellows at the Akademie für Theater und Digitalität, Dortmund. His writings are published by MIT Press, Oxford University Press, Routledge, ACM, and Springer. In 2019, with bioartist Margherita Pevere and video artist Andrea Familari, he co-funded the Berlin-based art group Fronte Vacuo with the explicit aim to address the surging environmental crisis and its sociopolitical implications.