Alberto Balletti Notes of biography
Alberto Balletti was born in Treviso (Italy) in 1968. He is graduates at the National Artistic High School in Treviso in 1986. Later in 1996, he gets his degree at the Art Institute in Guidizzolo (Mantova) in the Decoration section. In addition, he has two masters, one in Painting from the Brera Fine Arts Academy (Milano) in 1990 and one in Visual Arts Project and Production (CLASAV) from The Architecture Academic Institute in Venezia (IUAV) in 2003. Since 1990, he is etcher, photographer and movie maker describing himself as an …. amphibian artist. He shares his life and work between the Lake of Garda and Milano. Since 1996, Alberto Balletti teaches etching in the Fine Arts Academies of Roma, Sassari, Napoli, Catania, Foggia, Venezia. In 2007, he gets tenure and becomes professor at the Venezia Academy where he teaches both Calcography Etching Techniques and Art Book Publishing classes. From 2016 teach in Brera Fine Arts Academy (Milano). exhibitions
Between 1992 and 2004, young period of photo-digital research, he exhibits as a duo known as Balletti & Mercandilli (Alberto Balletti and Mauro Mercandelli), in the nineties, the pair will collaborate with major research of contemporary art galleries, among them Il Ponte Contemporanea in Roma, Fossati & The Box in Torino and Neon in Bologna. In particular, he is part of the « XII Quadriennal National Art of Roma, Italy 1950-1990 » in 1996. His ongoing artistic activity brings him to get involved in many other experiences. In 2000, he joins the Italy-United States International Exchange Workshop organized byt the atlantic Center for Florida Arts. In 2004 he works with the Portesio Cultural Group Foundation in charge of organizing events linked to graphic arts. In 2008, Alberto Balletti is among the founders of the Permanent Collection of Graphic Art B.Z. of Portesio, S. Felice del Benaco, Brescia.
In 2011, Balletti is a resident for three months at the Center for Original Etching in Shenzhen, China. Two years later as part of the Erasmus Program, he teaches etching classes at the Fine Arts Acad- emy in Madrid University. Later, he joins different judjing panels for international etching Biennals (Beograd and Uzice in Serbia, Verona, Sofia, Cremona, Daugavpils etc).
In 2015, Alberto Balletti creates, with Marina Guarneri, a visible magazine on Web: Venezia Art Magazine.
Balletti’s line is particulary strong, sharp, energetic, vigorous, quick, and incisive, his etching com- positions are often dyptics leading largely beyond what they seem to represent. The « image » seen imprints lastingly in one’s soul. As written by Cinzia Bigliosi : « He still speaks the universal language of poets ».
Extremely active since the early 90s, Alberto Balletti has been represented in many collective exhibitions related to etching and digilal print, in Italy and abroad. Part of his works belong to important offcial collections in Italy but also international.
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Jury commission
2013 Jury Comision “XI International Graphic Art Biennial Dry Point”, Uzice (Serbia)
2013 Scientific Committee and Invitations Committee “VI Biennale Nazionale di Incisione G.Polanschi” of Cavaion Veronese (Verona-Italy)
2014 Jury Commission 98ma Collettiva Giovani Artisti of Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venezia
2014 Jury Commission Second International Student Biennial Drawing Sofia, National Academy of Art of Sofia
2015/ 2017/2019 Scientific Committee and Invitations Committee “VIII L’arte e il Torchio / Art and the Printing Press”
from 2016 to 2020 Jury Commission International Latgale Graphic Symposium – Museum Daugavpils Marko Rothko Art Centre, Latvia
2017 President of the Jury for awards triennial – 3rd International Printmaking Triennial of Beograd
2017 Jury in the contest “Rising Arts – Alle sorgenti dell’arte” progetto ZOLFO winning of the call “Culturalmente” Fondazione Cariparo, Padova
2018 Jury Commission “First Biennale of Litography of Beograd”, Serbia
2019 Jury Commission “Second National Competition of Graphic Art for Young Artists” – Sofia City Art Gallery – Галерия Средец, in collaboration with Grafikart Gallery
2020 Jury for the competition “Constantine the Great” (section Graphica) by Faculty of Arts in Niš, Serbia
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international experince
2000. Workshop Italia-U.S. International Exchange: workshop directed by master artists Mark Dion and William Kentridge, organized by Atlantic Center for the Art (Florida), promoted by Darden Celebration of Cultures and Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Comune di Umbertide (PG)
2004. Foundation of the Cultural Group De Portesio: organization annual exhibition of graphics of art and demonstration printing press works. In 2008 he is among the founders of the Permanent Collection of Graphics of Art De Portesio – S. Felice del Benaco, Brescia, Italy https://www.albertoballetti.com/?page_id=13702
2010. Visiting Professor to the opening “85th Academic Year Vietnam University of fine Art” and to the opening “Vietnam Triennial 2006-2010” Decennial Exposition of Vietnam University of Fine Art and of Vietnam Museum of Fine Art
2011. Artist in residence for three months in Guanlan Original Printmaking Base, Shenzhen, China
2012. Scientific Committee and Invitations Committee First International Student Biennial Drawing Sofia, National Academy of Art of Sofia, Bulgaria
2013. One month Erasmus teaching class of Etching to the Facultad de Belles Artes – University Complutense of Madrid, (Dibujo y Grabado chair of Profesora Carmen Garrido), Spain
2015. Foundation webzine “Venezia Art Magazine”, by Alberto Balletti and Marina Guarneri
2015. Artist in residence “4th International Latgale Graphic Symposium”, Museo Daugavpils Marko Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia
2016 Dolomiti Digital Camp, Progetto Borca with H-FARM and Dolomiti Contemporanee to Villaggio ENI of Borca di Cadore, by Giuseppe Vigolo
2017. Art Colony “Studenica 2017”, Studenica Monastery, organized by City of Kraljevo, Serbia
2017 Scientific Committee and Invitations Committee IX Rassegna Internazionale di Incisione Cremona 2017
2017. StartCupLombardia 2017: selected team whit startup “Authclick” to Acceleration days, PoliHub Milano
2018 Idee Vincenti, open innovation of Lottomatica, the project startup “Authclick” win six months of incubator to Polihub, Politecnico Milano.
2019 Obiettivo Immagine 30×20, PACTA dei Teatri Salone, Milano
Grafička radionica Sićevo 2019, Sicevo Colonia curated by Galerija SLU Nis, Serbia
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more bio/info
qualification
State Artistic High Schoolof Treviso, Lyceum section Academy 1986
State Art Istituteof Mantova, section Decoration, 1998
Academic Fine Arts Degree(section Painting) – Academy of Fine Art of Brera (Milano) 1990 – Dissertation supervisor: Prof. Giovanni Maria Accame, Prof Maurizio Bottarelli, Prof. Laura Panno, Prof. Gabriele Partisani
Architecture Advanced Degree– Designing and Production of Visual Art (CLASAV) – University of Architecture of Venice (IUAV) 2003 – Dissertation supervisor: Prof. Franco Rella and Prof. Angela Vettese
Since the 1996 Professor of Techniques of Graphic of Art and Engraving in the State Academy of Fine Art
Contract:
– 1996/97 – Academy Fine Art of Roma
– 1998/2002 – Academy Fine Art of Sassari
– 2002/03 – Academy Fine Art of Napoli
Permanent contract University Department from 2003 to the present day
– 2003/04 Academy Fine Art of Venezia
– 2004/2006 Academy Fine Art of Catania
– 2006/07 Academy Fine Art of Foggia
– 2007 to 2016 Academy Fine Art of Venezia
From 2016 to the present day hold the Chair of Etching in the Academy of Fine Art of Brera, Milano. Holds course Tecniche dell’incisione calcografica at bachelor degree 2016/2020 and from 2020 Tecniche calcografiche sperimentali at master degree
Didactic intentions: from the mainstream of the print press to the digital resolution
In the Course of Etching particular attention to focus media mix of traditional etching and digital print whit original and personal solutions
In the Course of Art Publishingthe student restart from the personal shot like point of view of the artist (Photoshop). Selected folder of photo is the basic launch pad to create a personal unpublished photostory ready to bring in the typography (InDesign)
Interesting the Courses of Videotape Editing and the organization of festival for young students videomaker – particular during 2000/06 (Premiere and Final Cut)
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Alberto Balletti Indipendent Curator
The new millennium open the necessity of a new responsability in the art system. From 2004 Alberto Balletti writes texts, organizes and set up opportunity of collective exhibition and at the same time the publishing of the catalogs of them. In these experiences was assisted by Marina Guarneri.
From 2004 to 2010 annual exhibitions titled “De Portesio” by Alberto Balletti, presented by cultural group De Portesio to Fondation Cominelli, Cisano di San Felice d/B. (Brescia)
De Portesio 2004
Città irreale, Città ideale – De Portesio 2005
Corpo Urbano – De Portesio 2006
Corpo/Reo – De Portesio 2007– Graphic art and ShortVideo Convention
Corpo/Reo – De Portesio 2008– Graphic art and ShortVideo Convention
De Portesio 2009 – collective exhibition
Corpo EX/Posto – De Portesio 2010 by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev
2022
Loading set-up inside 9th edition Biennale of Contemporary Engravers in Castello di Godego, Treviso – Italy by Alberto Balletti, Marco Trentin and Giuseppe Vigolo – 9a Biennale di Incisori Contemporanei – Sguardo sull’Incisione
2017
Paper against Cement, Galerija ŠTAB – Beograd, by Alberto Balletti and Marco Trentin – side event of the 3rd International Printmaking Triennial of Beograd, with the patronage of the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, Milan
2016
Impresa Visione, Centro di cultura La Medusa, Este (PD), by Alberto Balletti
Vivarium, Magazzino del Sale 3 – Department of Graphic Arts of the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice and University Ca’ Foscari Venice, by A. Balletti, S. Mancini, E. Molena, G. Turria and M. Zocchetta
NeoDogi, Oratorio di San Ludovico, Venezia, by Alberto Balletti and Vittorio Urbani director of Nuova Icona
2015
Art Night Venezia – Oniric Printmaker, Academy of Fine Art of Venice, by A. Balletti, J. Abis, M. Trentin, D. Pistacchio
biancoNero, Collettiva di grafica d’arte dell’Accademia Belle Arti di Venezia, Atelier 3+10, Mestre-Venezia
2014
Corpo IN/Formazione– International Graphics Exhibition – Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, National Academy of Art of Sofia, Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp – Belgium and Faculty of Fine Arts, University Complutense – Madrid, Spain), by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev (November 2013: Academia Gallery to National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria – March 2014: Magazzino 3 to Academy of Fine Art of Venice – December 2014: Wintertuin (Wintergarden) of Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerpen)
Art Night Venezia – Oniric Printmaker, Academy of Fine Art of Venice, by A. Balletti, J. Abis, M. Trentin
2011
Corpo EX/Posto, International Exhibition of Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Art of Venice, National Academy of Art Sofia, Bulgaria (by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev)
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VIDEO Production
ABVideo
2014 – Street painting, color, dur. min. 2,05″
2012 – Pedestrian, color dur. min. 1,45″
2006 – Neon Weepy, looping set up (n.9 monitor), color
2003/06 – Pestare t’erra, color, dur. min 40,00″
2004 – Save Your Wilt Spirit, color, dur. min. 9,30″
2004 – Neon Dryweeps Brake, color, dur. min. 11,00″
2003 – Unground Stop, color, dur.min. 4,40″
2002 – Border Line Trip, color, dur. min. 8,40″
2002 – Mangiami, color, dur. min.3,00″
2002 – Stupro, color, dur. min.3,00″
2002 – Videazione, color, dur. min. 3,40″
2000 – Galleria Circus (six acts of foreplay), CD Rom interactive
1997 – La cura di ester, color, dur. min.4,00″
1995 – Il lavoro di meri, b/n, dur. min.3,30″
1995 – Walter, color, dur. min.18,20″
1995 – La ditta di frenci, b/n, dur. min.4,30″
1994 – Intervista ad un cecchino, b/n, dur. min.11,45″
1994 – Suburbi, b/n, dur. min.20,15″
1992 – Sexual Frigidaire, b/n, dur. min.15,30″
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basic BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Quando le Accademie scelgono le arti” Electa , Napoli 1993
“Nuova Scena”, Giorgio Mondadori, Milano 1995, by Luca Beatrice, Cristiana Perrella, Guido Costa
“Catalogo dell’Arte Moderna Italiana” n.32, Giorgio Mondadori, Milano, 1996, by Francesco Gallo, Paolo Levi, Francesco Poli, Marisa Vescovo
“XII Quadriennale di Roma: Ultime Generazioni, De Luca, Roma 1996
“Archivio 97” (cd_rom), Comune di Milano, by Consorzio Promozione Ricerca Artistica (galleria Care of – gallalleria Viafarini)
“Artenergie”, Carta, Milano 1997
“Catalogo dell’Arte Moderna Italiana” n.34, Giorgio Mondadori, Milano, 1998, by Francesco Gallo, Paolo Levi, Francesco Poli, Marisa Vescovo
“Nuova Arte Italiana”, Castelvecchi, Roma 1998, by Luca Beatrice e Cristiana Perrella
“Se son rose fioriranno”, Electa, Milano 1998, by Antonio Arevalo e Julian Zugazagoitia
“L’arte del XX secolo nelle collezioni private vicentine”, Marsilio, Venezia 1998, by Luca Massimo Barbero
“Alta definizione – la generazione dell’immagine”, Castelvecchiarte , Roma 1999, by Ludovico Pratesi
“Arte Estrema”, Castelvecchi, Roma 1999, by Giuseppe Savoca
“Dieci posti ” catalogo Galleria The Box & Associati, Torino 1999, by T.Macrì,T.Ottonieri, G.Vattimo
“Catalogo dell’Arte Moderna Italiana” n.35, Giorgio Mondadori, Milano, 1999, by Francesco Gallo, Paolo Levi, Francesco Poli, Marisa Vescovo
“Fototensioni”, Castelvecchi, Roma 1999, by Augusto Pieroni
“Roma Contemporanea 1996 – 1999”, Bonsignori Ed., Roma 1999, by Maria Rita Boni, Anna Maria Di Stefano e Vitina Portoghese
Viafarini Archivio Portfolio, Archivio Viafarini DOCVA – Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan
“Italia 2000 – Arte e sistema dell’Arte”, G.Prearo Ed., Milano 2000
“Artevideo -Storie e culture del video d’artista in italia”, Silvana Ed., Milano 2002, by Maria Rosa Sossai
“Dizionario della Giovane Arte Italiana”, G.Politi Ed., Milano 2003, by Gianfranco Politi e Luca Beatrice
“A^ Arte per l’arte”, Marta Massaioli Ed., Roma 2003, by Angelo Capasso
“Celebrate – the bridges of art”, Skirà Ed., Roma 2003, by Achille Bonito Oliva
“La Quadriennale”, Marsilio Ed., Venezia 2004, by Claudia Salaris
“Enciclopedia dell’Arte Zanichelli”, Zanichelli Ed., Bologna 2004, by Edigeo
“Dagli anni ’80 in poi”, Artshow Edizioni-Juliet Editrice, Milano 2005, by Giulio Ciavoliello
“Artisti: solitari – uno sguardo dal ponte sul terzo millennio”, Silvana Ed., Roma 2008, by Achille Bonito Oliva.
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“Resistere”, periodic publication by Balletti&Mercandelli:
n.1 – “Resistere”, gall.Neon, Bologna 1995
n.2 – in “La pressione di due generazioni” Studio Ercolani, Bologna 1995
n.3 – in “4×2”, gall. Caterina Fossati, Torino 1996
n.4 – “Chiudi i tuoi occhi”, gall.Il ponte Contemporanea, Roma 1997
n.5 – in “Blu”, C/O Cineplex, Genova 1998
n.6 – “Le Leggi della Sovranità”, gall.Il Ponte Contemporanea, Roma 1998
“Ipercorpi”, in ” Società di pensieri” n.4, Ed.Riflessi, Bologna , 1993
“Difendere lo spazio”, in “Virus” n.4, Milano, 1995
“Right of Sanctuary”, in “Compartments”, Edition Globe, Coopenhagen, 1996
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“Città ideale – Città irreale”, Massetti Rodella Ed., Brescia, curated by Marcello Riccioni e Alberto Balletti
Annuari degli incisori 2006/07/08/09″, allegato Grafica d’arte – Edi.Artes, Milano 2006
“Corpo urbano”, Ed. Comune S.Felice d/B., (BS) 2006, curated by Alberto Balletti
“Itinerarte”, 2007, San Martino Buon Albergo (VR), by Andrea Masotto
“Corpo/Reo”, Ed. Comune di S. Felice d/B. (BS) 2007 by Alberto Balletti
L’arte e il Torchio, A.D.A.F.A, Cremona 2007, by Vladimiro Elvieri
Repertorio degli incisori Italiani – 5a edizione, Edit Faenza, Bagnacavallo 2008, by Ermes Bajoni
“Corpo/Reo”, Ed. Comune di S. Felice d/B. (BS) 2008, by Alberto Balletti
“IN/Carne: nuovo emporio della corporeità residua”, by Alberto Balletti e Mattia Serra, introduction by Edoardo Di Mauro
“Corpo EX/Posto”, Ed. Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, 2010, by Alberto Balletti e Vasil Kolev
VI Biennale Nazionale di Incisione “Giuseppe Polanschi” 2013, by Carlotta Giardini – Comitato scientifico Alberto Balletti, Giancarla Frare
Corpo IN/Formazione, 2013 Edition of National Academy of Art of Sofia and Academy of Fine Arts of Venice, by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev
UM:DRUCK, No. 26, Oktober 2014, Zeitschrift für Druckgraphik und visuelle Kultur, Wien article by Philipp Maurer
Corpo IN/Formazione – Ed. Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia 2014, by Alberto Balletti e Vasil Kolev
La Gazzetta di Venezia – NeoDogi & Nuova Icona Venezia, by Alberto Balletti
Impresa Visione, Centro di cultura La Medusa, by Alberto Balletti
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Short introductory text of last works
“The last works are the convergence point of my search poetic respect etching on iron and digital print (ink-jet). Some thing like a iron tickle. The rejoining among etching and digital print is analyzed in the series of images that connects the ink of the traditional printmaking to the ink-jet. My search in the works of the last years has had constant comparison in the international exposures of graphics.
The dual and the diptych.
The identity of the subject and his expansion in the dual. The hub of the human relationships is discovered and portrait in the instant of the comparison. The place of the comparison and its image reflected in the iron matrixes, are made to emerge in the comparison among faces, bodies, couples. The human being deprived of tinsels returns to speak a language of everybody: the bifocal look.
I am lurked in a slow regret. This is the place where I will live to discover my next series of works. I know where the next signs will be regretted: in myself, inside of my self.
Until today, in my search, I has always known about this place where the engraved signs await to be shaped. Just waiting for a glow that never comes. As in the works titled “stun Glow”.
I have laid a trap there, digging under the skin, where shame doesn’t exist. It is there that people have often confined their forgotten bodies, as in an old junkyard. “junk Opposite” is a work series’ title.
The emergence of the engraved signs rebuilds identity, starting from signs that reconstruct and contain sense. In order to develop into the last engraved signs that visually narrate faces. Through the looking glass we are distorted, but we must recognize ourselves. This truth is already written in our bones, but we are determined to deny it every day, like dead-end dogs. “Dog’s life” is a work series’ titled.
Into my images the physical component bursts out, while the engraved sign becomes its nested content, inside a slow cry. Lost confidence at the hands of ability to speak. The last series is titled “over Confidence.”
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IT/
breve biografia di un artista anfibio
Dal 1990 è incisore, fotografo e videomaker con la stereoscopia di un artista anfibio. Vive e lavora tra il Lago di Garda e Venezia.
un artista che si definisce anfibio di Cinzia Bigliosi: “Alberto Balletti è – anche – un incisore o meglio, come lui stesso si definisce, un artista anfibio. Il tormento visionario che accompagna da sempre la sua opera polimorfa sprofonda le lastre nella parossistica afonia d’una voce ai limiti dell’implosione. Abile slalomista delle tecniche miste, l’arte incisoria di Balletti è impermeabile agli stilemi che del manierismo sono le sirene dalla voce più seducente quanto pericolosa. Anche per questo motivo opere quali “Scatole di carne”, “Corpo ex-posto” e “Interni in pelle” mostrano il riuscito tentativo di ri-creare una nuova fisicità che, nell’acquaforte e nell’acquatinta, col bianco/nero che stinge in un filo rosso sangue, si fa a tratti impalpabile, spingendo il corpo a rarefarsi in un’assoluta incorporeità. Eppure, senza consolatorie note a piè di pagina, lo sguardo che smarrito si avvicina alle incisioni di Alberto Balletti verrà presto rapito dall’insopprimibile corporeità d’un segno visionario che, sulle ali d’un sogno mai destato, parla ancora l’universale linguaggio dei poeti”
diplomi: Diploma Liceo Artistico Statale di Treviso sez. Accademia 1986 – Diploma Istituto d’Arte di Guidizzolo (Mantova), sez. Decorazione 1995 / lauree: Laurea Magistrale Pittura Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (Milano) 1990 -Relatore Prof. Giovanni Maria Accame. Tecniche dell’Incisione prof. Laura Panno – Laurea Specialistica in Progettazione e Produzione di Arti Visive (CLASAV) Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia _IUAV_ 2003 (Relatore Prof. Franco Rella, Corelatore Prof.ssa Angela Vettese)
Dal 1996 insegna Incisione nelle Accademie di Belle Arti di Roma, Sassari, Napoli, Venezia, Catania, Foggia. Dal 2007 e’ docente all’Accademia di Venezia dove è titolare di Grafica d’Arte – Tecniche dell’Incisione e tiene il Corso di Tecniche dell’Incisione Calcografica e il Corso di Editoria d’Arte
Tra il 1992 e il 2004 espone in duo Balletti&MercandellI, e negli anni novanta collabora con importanti Gallerie di ricerca di arte contemporanea tra le quali Il Ponte Contemporanea di Roma, Fossati & The Box di Torino e Neon di Bologna (espone in duo alla “XII Quadriennale Nazionale d’Arte di Roma, Italia 1950-1990” del 1996)
