GROUP SHOW/ AL SERKAL GALLERY, DUBAÏ, CURATED BY MAMIA BRETESCHESérie"Babylon" 2009, 15x15cm,"Basilica di San Pietro"  
 

Maria Rebecca Ballestra est née en 1974 à Ventimille (Italie).
Diplômée de l'école des Beaux Arts en 1998 (Accademia di Belle Arti), Florence 
(Italy). Elle vit et travaille en Italie et à Paris.

My artistic research is centred predominantly around social themes related 
to globalisation which are filtered and reinterpreted through photographs 
and video. The final result, whether installations or simple two-dimensional 
photos, offer the visitor the chance to reflect on the profound global 
transformations which are currently taking place.
The majority of my works becomes an observation of reality, an eye that spies 
or “scientifically” observes current processes: processes of profound and very 
rapid social and cultural changes, whose final effect and outcome are still 
largely unknown.
I make use of the convergence and co-existence of various means of expression
drawn from diverse areas of communication – from advertising to cinema, 
through a studied use of photography – finding in the manipulation of 
various codes the expressive matrix best suited to my own artistic style.
The aim of my art is the research of a synthesis of different cultures, 
the elaboration of different codes and different kind of thoughts. The travel 
as a way to meet different people, landscapes, cultures, to go toward 
something unknown with the intent to understand it, is an important part of 
my artistic research that enrich and influence a lot my photos, videos and 
installation.

 "Suspended time", C print, 76 x 51 cm, 2007.

Exhibition/Expositions personnelles:
Changing Perspective, series of own exhibitions, installations 
and site specific projects curated by Paola Valenti in collaboration 
with Alessandra Piatti e Daniela Legotta (Genoa – Italy), included:
Post Human Garden, Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce
Eyes on Asia, Museum of the Cultures of the worlds
The Weight of the Human Being, Sala Dogana Ducale Palace
The Future is near. The Future is now! Unimedia Modern Gallery
There’s plenty of room at the botton, Genoa Port Center
2010: The Future is near. The future is now! Kernot Art Gallery 
(Paris, France) curated by Luca Bochicchio.
2009:  Kisses form China!, Phodar Biennale, Sofia, Bulgaria.
2008: Kisses from China! Kernot Art Gallery (Paris, France).
INCONTRI: Young Art at the Museum, Borea D’Olmo Palace (Sanremo, Italy) 
curated by Leo Lecci and Paola Valenti (University of Genoa).
2006: Mosques (Beniamino Gallery, Bordighera Italy).

Serie "Babylon", C print, 21 x 21 cm, 2009.

Group Exhibition/Expositions de groupe:

2011: Al Ghaib Aesthetic of the Disappearance, Maraya Art Center (Sharjah, UAE) curated by Gaia Serena Simionati. Al Ghaib Aesthetic of the Disappearance, Stux Gallery (New York, USA) curated by Gaia Serena Simionati. Nuit Blanche, Institute Français, (Paris – France and Oran, Alger) curated by Mamya Bretesché and Gaetan Pellan). Art Price Duchessa di Galliera, 2011/1956, Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce (Genoa, Italy) curated by Anna Lercari.

2010: Nuit Blanche, Institute Français, (Paris, France and Oran) curated by Mamia Bretsché and Gaetan Pellan). Docks en Ciel curated by Adrien Pasternak – Chic Art Fair (La Cite’ de la Mode et du Design – Paris). Sunday’s Screening Kernot Art Gallery (Paris).MC² – Museum’s collections # 2, Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce, curated by Francesca Serrati. Moscow Biennale “Qui Vive?” (Moscow, Russia) curated by Daria Pyrkina. Vallebon’Arte’, Group Show, (Vallebona, Italy). Video Festival “Video Appart” (Paris, Dubai). Curated by Mamia Bretesché “Mashrab, Maghrab” Contemporary Art Exhibition selected by Bastakia Art Fair, Heritage House. Gallery, Dubaï (U.A.E.) curated by Mamia Bretesché. “La Grande Abbuffata. Scarti, Scorie e Sprechi. Risorse Energetiche?”Lucertola Castle of Apricale, curated by Ko.Ji.Ku.2009: “Sowing Seeds” Kaman Art Gallery (Jodhpur, India) curated by Nilesh Shidhpura. Phodar Biennial ’09 (Pevlen, Bulgaria) curated by Antoan Bozhinov. “Intersection- Correlation” (Berlin, Germany) curated by Brian Hackney Turn-Berlin Art Space. “La Grande Abbuffata: Scorie, Scarti, Sprechi. Risorse energetiche” (Auditorium of the Museums of Strada Nuova – Genoa) curated by Ko.Ji.Ku.

Prize/Prix: 2008: Selected for the San Fedele Prize, (Cultural Center San Fedele) Milan, Italy. She is one of the 5 artists selected by the French Group Moet-Hennessy to take part in the Exhibition ““Kaléidoscope de la création émergente” to launch its new high standard cognac “Glenmoramgie” 2007: First Prize “Duchessa di Galliera”, Contemporary Museum Villa Croce of Genoa, Italy). Finalist of the prize “Premio Celeste”, young prize for the Italian figurative arts (Florence, Italy). Jury Prize at the Exhibition “Nature et Artifice” Salon des Artistes Monegasques de l’AIAP et de l’UNESCO. 2006: Finalist of the prize “Premio Celeste”, young prize for the Italian figurative arts (Florence, Italy). 2005: Winner of the prize “Movin’ up” for the young artist mobility around the world (Turin, Italy). Finalist of the Prize for Young Photographer « Fotoesordio » (University Tor Vergata of Rome, Italy). 2003: Selected for the XI Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (Athens, Greece). Signaled of the Jury at the Prize of Poems “Rivoli 2003” (Turin Italy). Finalist of the Literature Prize “Marguerite Yourcenar” (Italy). 2002: Winner of the Literature Prize “Nuove Lettere” with the group of tales “Cretans Tales” (Italian Institute of Culture, Naples, Italy).

Second Prize of the Photo Competition “Ruba un raggio di sole per l’inverno” – Città di Castello (Italy). Signaled of the Jury at International Exhibition of Photographic Art “The Hat in the world”, organized by C.I.F.A. PhotoGallery and UNESCO (Alessandria, Italy), Arles and Caussade Septfonds (France), Edegem (Belgium), Buenos Aires, Rosario and Mar del Plata (Argentina). Selected for the National Exhibition of Photography “The Children in the world” (Genoa, Italy) (Art-commissioner: FIAF Italian Federation Photographic Associations).

Workshop: 2006: Selected for the art workshop MAM “Mediterranean Art Meeting” (Bomba Lake Italy). 2004: Seminary of sculpture in slake (Caves of Slate in Molini di Triora, Italy). 2001: Seminary on “The history of Spanish ceramics ” (Ceramics Museum of Barcelona Spain). 1999 Seminar-workshop with the Spanish artist Rogelio Lopez Cuenon “The artist and the city”.(Malaga-Spain). 1998: Seminary of plastic-art with the artist Luigi Stoisa and with Sergio Risaliti, the director of the Contemporary.Art Museum “Le Papesse” at Siena.(Turin, Italy). Monographic course about “The life and the art of Pablo Picasso”, organized by “Foundation Picasso”, University and Municipality of Malaga (Spain).

Professional Experience/Expérience professionnelle:

2008: Lecture and Public presentation at the Multimedia Department of the Xiamen University (China). Lecture at the University of Genoa. Lecture and Public presentation at the Archeological Museum “Borea D’Olmo” (Sanremo, Italy). 2007: Lecture at the Accademy of Fine Arts of Genoa (Italy). 2006: Lecture and Public presentation at Taipei Artist Village (Taiwan). Workshop-Performance with 100 students of MCAST Art and Design Institute, Mosta, Malta. 2000: At the Archaeological  Museum of Rethymno (Crete, Greece) to restore Minoian ceramics. 1999: At the project for the centenary of J.Luis Borges’s birth (Malaga, Spain) realised by the Argentine writer Marcos Rosenzvaig. 1998: At Florence where I worked with the radio station “Controradio” and with the Tuscan Govern to produce a book of interviews with the most famous artists working in Florence.At the Contemporary Art Museum “Luigi Pecci” (Prato, Italy) where I worked on the project “Habitus-Abito-Abitare”, planned by Michelangelo Pistoletto.1995: At Bucharest where I worked with the NGO “Children in emergency” to paint the family houses for children with AIDS in Bucharest (Romania) , At the “Lympia gallery” (Nice- France) where I worked as art-director.

Public and Private Collection/Collections publiques et privées:

Global Arts Village (Delhi, India). Contemporary Museum Villa Croce (Genoa, Italy)
Taipei Artist Village (Taipei, Taiwan) . GAM Galley of Modern Art (Rome, Italy). Gozo Contempoarary (Gozo, Malta) . Excelsa Security (Montecarlo). Scuool San Carlo (Turin, Italy)
Foundation DARS (Milan, Italy). Kernot Art Gallery (Paris, France). CheapArt Gallery (Athens, Greece)

Catalogues:

R.Amadei “I due rinascimenti” Biken International, Japan 2002
S.Bondi, M.Gonzales, M.Longobardi, A.Smilzo. “Arte italiana dal Novecento ad Oggi”, Italy 2001 “L’altro modo di Volare” Edition

Exhibitions’s Catalogues/Catalogues d’expositions:

D. Gandolfi “Apronia e le altre”.
Antoan Bozhinov, « Phodar Biennial 09 », Sofia (Bulgaria), 2009.
KoJiKU, “La Grande abbuffata”, Erga Edition, Genoa, 2009.
Luca Bochicchio, “The future is near. The future is now!”, Bellug, edition 2009.
Paola Valenti “Kisses from China”, Bellugi edition, 2008.
Alberto Fiz e Walter Gasperoni, “Arrivi e Partenze”, Ancona, Italy, 2008.
Paola Valenti, “Incontri” , Ydea Services, Sanremo 2008.
Reijinsha Co.Ltd. – Comitè National Monègasque, « Monaco-Japon », Monaco, 2008.
Tea Nicolic, “Tracing Love”, Belgrado 2008.
Slick’er ’08, Paris 2008.
Indira Tatiana Cruz, “VideoAppart”, i2m, Paris, 2008.
N2o Studio, “Le Mois de la Photo », SNEL, Belgio, 2008.
Francesca Serrati, , “BAG Borsa Arte Giovane”, Genoa, 2007.
Aarti Sethi, “Art for Prabhat”, Archana, Delhi, 2007.
Frère Independent, DIVA, Verdographics, Belgium, 2007.
Stefani Carrozzini, “The Barbie Picture Show”, Deho editon, Milano, 2006.
Emilia Marasco e Francesca Serrati, “BAG Borsa Arte Giovane”, Genova, 2006.
Paola Ardizzola, “Bombart”, Pescara, 2006.
Stefania Carrozzini, “Secrets” , New York, 2005.
Stefania Carrozzini, “Rolled Up”, Deho’ edition, Milan, 2005.

MAGAZINE/Magazines: “Shanghai for SHContemporary”, Modern Painters, September 2010.

Federica Mariani, “Maria Rebecca: photography worth collecting!, BEALUX Trade Business Magazine,April 2009.
Angelo Giacobbe “La Cina di rebecca in mostra a Parigi”, Il Secolo XIX, 16 November 2008.
Giulio Gavino “Kisses from China” Maria Rebecca Ballestra espone a Parigi, La Stampa, 15 November 2008.
Luca Bochicchio, Teknemedia, 23 October 2008.
Fulvio Lanteri, “Come sanremo, storia multimediale di canzoni e costume italiano”, Il Secolo XIX, 24 February 2008.
Giulio Gavino, “A Rebecca il premio Galliera”, La Stampa, 4 June 2007, p.67.
“Pittori Bosniaci e serbi espongono a Bomba”, Abruzzo Oggi, 8 Settembre 2006.
“Mediterranean Art Meeting prima edizione”, La Cronaca di Abruzzo, 8 settembre 2006.
“The Barbie Picture Show”, Il corriere dell’arte, 24 June 2006.
Angelo Splendore, “Scarpe Diem”, IL Corriere dell’Arte, 8 October 2005.
Susan Kendulaz, “Summertime and viewing is easy”, Taipei Times, 25 August 2005, p.13.
Ed. McCormack “At CVB Space, Secrets come out into the light”, Gallery and Studio, April/May 2005, p.12 Illustrato.
Inge Bohn “The most beautiful thing I ever saw”, Corriere dell’Arte, 19 March, 2005, p.7.
Isadora Weller, “secrets”, Corriere dell’Arte, 30 April 2005, p.7.
Chiara Carfi, “Opere rivelatrici di segreti”, America Oggi, 24 April 2005, p. 9.
Rebecca Seefen-Soliman “Beauty in Art, Art in Beauty”, New York Art Magazine, May/June 2005 p.67 illustrato.
Daniela Borghi “L’artista Maria Ballestra è stata invitata a Taiwan” La Stampa.
Angelo Splendore “La cosa più bella che abbia mai visto”, Corriere dell’Arte, 25 June 2005, p.7 illustrated.
V.Zunino “Futuro” Gennaio 2004, Switzerland.
Daniela Borghi “Prisoner:la maxiopera di Ballestra”, La Stampa, 21 August 2004.
Viola Lilith Russi “Rolled up: 12 artisti italiani a Pechino”, Corriere dell’arte, 2 July, p.7

School Education/Formation:
1993: High School Diploma
1995: Winner of the scholarship “Erasmus” at the « Universidad Real de Bellas Artes » of Granada (Spain)
1997: Winner of scholar-ship “Leonardo”, I worked for three months as camerawoman at the “Malaga-TV” (Spain)
1998: Graduated in Fine Arts at « Accademia di Belle Arti » Florence- Italy with the following Thesis: « The origin of the « Cante Jondo » » (110/110)