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VALENTINA GELAIN

Born in Feltre, Italy, 1992. Currently based in Ostrobothnia, Finland.

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2014-2016, Master degree in Visual Arts from Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Milan (Italy), score of 110/110; 2011-2014, Bachelor degree in Visual Arts from Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Milan (Italy), 108/110; 2006-2011, Diploma of Graphic Design from T. Catullo High School Institute, Belluno (Italy), score of 100/100.

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

Artist residency curated by Artist Residency Swap & Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, Dublin (Ireland, March 2022); Moskosel Creative Lab-Northern Sustainable Futures, Moskosel (Sweden, October-November 2024).

GRANTS (selection)

Arts Promotion Center-Taike, working grant (six months), 2025; Svenska Kulturfonden, travel grant, 2024; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, art film premiere/video art event, 2024; Eugène, Elisabeth och Birgit Nygréns stiftelse, project grant, premiere/video art event, 2023-24; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, project grant, The Peaks, 2023; Arts Promotion Center-Taike, working grant (four months), 2023; Svenska Kulturfonden, travel grant, 2022; Arts Promotion Center-Taike, working grant (two months), 2022; Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, salary, short artist residency, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden, working grant, project The Peaks, 2022; Svenska Österbottens kulturfond (Nils Lundqvists fond), working grant, project The Peaks, 2022; Svenska Österbottens kulturfond (Nils Lundqvists fond), project grant, The Grey Hour, 2020-21; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, project grant, The Grey Hour, 2020-21.

Working group:

Svenska Kulturfonden-Frans Henriksson fund, development project, (public) art events in rural and natural areas, 2025; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, project grant, 'Translucid Skins', 2023-2024; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, exhibition, 2023; Närpes City Cultural Grant, project grant, mural opening event, 2023; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, project grant, public art, 2023; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2022; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, installation - public art, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden - Frans Henriksson fond, developement project, public art, 2022; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2021-2022; Vaasa City Cultural Grantproject grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, art space - exhibitions, 2020; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, project grant, art space maintenance, 2020.

HONOURS AND AWARDS

Finalist, We Art Open 2025, No Title Gallery (Venice, Italy); Top ten Finalist (2nd position), Exibart Prize 2023-24 (Rome, Italy); Finalist, Premio Combat Prize 2022 (Livorno, Italy); Finalist, Exibart Prize 2021-22 (Rome, Italy); Finalist (special mention), We Art Open 2022, No Title Gallery (Venice, Italy); Selected, 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival 2022 (Tirana, Albania); Semifinalist, Premio Arte Cairo Editore 2021 (Milan, Italy); Finalist, Exibart Prize 2020-21 (Rome, Italy); Nominated, Premio Lynx 2019 (Trieste, Italy); Selected, 'Who I am', VIZart International Biennale 2019 (Tirana, Albania); Winners, CCSA (under 35) open call, Crema Municipality with the collective La Faretra, (Crema, Italy, 2019).

EXHIBITIONS

Solo Exhibitions:

'Panismo Androgino', G.A.P. - Globe Art Point (Helsinki, Finland, October-November 2021); 'THROWughOUT' (also online exhibition), Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, March-April 2020); 'Fall', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, November-Dicember 2018); 'Panismo', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, 2018); 'Nati Per Leggere-Libri D’artista', curator Diego Pasqualin, City Library Farinone Centa exhibition spaces (Varallo Sesia, Italy, March 2016).

Duo exhibitions:

‘The Shell Cracked’, duo exhibition, Rådhusgalleriet (Nykarleby, Finland, January-February 2025); 'The Shell Cracked', Gallery 3H+K (Pori, Finland, January 2025); 'Dripping Cavities', coordinator Silvia Rinne, Vaasa City Art Gallery-Vaasa City Museums (Finland, November 2023-January 2024);  'Dripping Cavities’, curator Anni Fahler, Galleria Albert IX (Helsinki, Finland, January 2023); 'Dripping Cavities', Makers' Gallery (Vaasa, Finland, December 2021).

Group Exhibitions (selection):

We Art Open 25, finalists' group exhibition, curator Silvia Previti, Spuma-space for the Arts (Venice, Italy, January-Fabruary 2025);  'Collision Festival, Collision Art Collective, Gammal Brandkårshuset (Jakobstad, Finland, May 2023); ‘Booked 2022’, curators John Gayer, Miikka Laihinen & Rita Leppiniemi, MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre, Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, November-December 2022 | 'Simple is beautiful' by Suvi Nurmi); Premio Combat Prize 2022, curator Paolo Batoni, Museo Giovanni Fattori (Livorno, Italy, September-October 2022); 'New Beginnings' Festival, Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); 'Offside #1', Offside, curator Marcus Lerviks, pop-up space in Varastokatu 6, 65100 Vaasa (Finland, May-June 2022); 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival, VIZart, National Historical Museum & COD (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Pasila Urban Art Center (Helsinki, Finland, March-April 2022); 'We Art Open', No Title Gallery, CREA - Cantieri del Contemporaneo (Venice, Italy, January 2022); 'The Body Lenguage', Itsliquid Group, The ROOM Contemporary Art Space & Palazzo Albrizzi Capello (Venice, Italy, March 2021); 'Salong 20x20x20', Galleri Socker, pop-up space (Umeå, Sweden, March 2020); 'Ibis Open Walls', Ibis Photo Gallery (Vaasa, Finland, November 2019 - February 2020); 'Terminal', curator Stefano Monti, Sale Agello (Crema, Italy, December 2019); Premio LYNX 2019, Lokarjeva art gallery, (Ajdovščina, Slovenia, November-December 2019); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennal 2019 of Self-portrait, National Historical Museum (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); 'Le Forme Dell'Uomo', curator Giuliana Nuvoli, La Casa delle Artiste (Milan, Italy, November 2018); 'Le Bestie di Brera', La Faretra collective, Sala Birolli (Verona, Italy, September 2018); 'Under 30', curator Diego Pasqualin, Studiodieci Citygallery Vercelli (Vercelli, Italy, June 2016).

EVENTS

'Where do you come from, where do you belong?', video screening event, art brokerage event, Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, 12 March 2025); Off the Wall' av exhibition, curators Calvin Guillot & Monika Hauck, Aavistus Festival special program, Helsinki City Museum Courtyard (Helsinki, Finland, 5 October 2024); 'Deep-Scape', site-specific video/visual art event, Bock's Corner Village (Vaasa, Finland, 24th February 2024); 'The Peaks', art film premiere, Ostrobothnian Museum (Vaasa, Finland, 26 January 2023); Performative acts during the day, 'Dripping Cavities' duo exhibition, Vaasa City Art Gallery-Vaasa City Museums (12th December 2023); Konstrundan 2022, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); 'The Grey Hour' Premiere, Drama Hall (Vaasa, Finland, December 2021); Konstrundan 2021, online exhibition 'Virtual Walls? Virtual Murals¿' by Black Box Genesis / Open studio, Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2021); Konstrundan 2020, open studio, Black Box Genesis (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Vaasa-Night of Arts, 'Glitch-sorry, there is interference' urban installation (Vaasa, Finland, 8th August 2019); Vaasa-Night of Arts, 'Living Painting' performance (Vaasa, Finland, 9th August 2018); Burning Art Festival, 'Deeps Smoke' performace, Malakta Art Factory (29th September 2018).

Others:

‘Studio Visit’ on ‘Grandi Stazioni Retail’ project by Exibart, video presentation on monitors in the main Italian stations (Italy, 3rd-9th June 2024).

Next Exhibition/Event:

'The Shell Cracked', duo exhibition, Varikko Galleria (Seinäjoki, Finland, October-November 2025); 'The Shell Cracked', duo exhibition, Taidekeskus Itä-Gallery Riutta (Lappeenranta, Finland, November-December 2025); Tempus-Jakobstad Museum (Jakobstad, Finland, date to be confirmed).

COLLABORATIONS / PROJECTS (selection)

‘Awake’ mural painting for D.P.A.R.A. pilot (Övermark, Finland, April-June 2023); 'Unfolding thoughts - Requiem of a phoenix', public art installation for 'Book - the Lafkan project' (Vaasa City Library, Finland, 2021-22); 'Click', mural painting for WIC-Wasa Innovation Center (Vaasa, Finland, August-September 2021 / June 2022); 'Mural Rural' Festival, selected artist, Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, autumn 2020, postpone to spring 2021); Vaasa Arts Night 2020mural painting for the 30° anniversary (August 2020).

​´The Peaks´ multidisciplinary project by Valentina Gelain, 2022-present; ´The Grey Hour´multidisciplinary project by Valentina Gelain, 2021-2023.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (selection)

Interview by Reija Penttinen for ´Followers of the Movement´ column, Regional Dance Center of Ostrobothnia (31 January 2025); Article by Elsa Barbieri about 'The Shell Cracked' exhibition, Exibart (12 January 2025); 'Exibart Prize 2023-24', finalists' digital catalog, publisher - Exibart (19th September 2024); Interview by Elsa Barbieri about 'Dripping Cavities' exhibition, Exibart, 12 November 2023; '222 Artisti emergenti su cui investire / 2024', book, curator Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, publisher - Exibart (Rome, Italy, 12th October 2023); Premio Combat Prize 2022’, finalists’ catalog, BlobART, publisher - Sillabe (Livorno, Italy, 2022); 'Exibart Prize 2021-22', finalists' digital catalog, publisher - Exibart (19th July 2022); ‘WAO 2022’, finalists’ digital catalog, publisher - No Title Gallery (24th January, 2022); Globe Art Point online exhibitions archive (19th November 2021); Offside #1, online exhibition archive (May 2022); ‘RINart’, Tirana Contemporary Art Festival, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Article about 'Mural Rural' Festival by Clara Amodeo, Another Scratch In The Wall (Milan, Italy, 31st August 2021); Mention in 'Arte'Cairo Editore, for Premio Arte semifinalistspublisher-Giorgio Mondadori (Milan, Italy, August issue 2021); Interview and online article by Luca Curci, Itsliquid Group (8th April 2021); Interview and photo documentation about 'Growing' mural painting, 'Mural Rural' project, for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, May 2021); 'Exibart Prize 2020-21', finalists' digital catalog, publisher - Exibart (3rd March 2021); Interview and photo documentation about Vaasa Arts Night Mural Painting for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Interview, article and video documentation by Vaasa City cultural department, about the Mural for Vaasa Arts Night 2020 (Vaasa, Finland, 1st September 2020); Radio interview and article by Yle cultural section (Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland, 31st July 2020); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennal 2019 of Self-portrait, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); Video documentation by Crem@online and article by Cultura Crema about 'Terminal'  group exhibition (Crema, Italy, December 2019).

PUBLICATIONS 

Illustrations in Eos Megazine (n. 6-7-8 2019, n.1-2-3-4-5-6 2020, n.2-3 2021); S. Gelain, V. Gelain, 'I Memorabili', Il Ciliegio, Como, Italy, 2013; S. Gelain & V. Gelain, 'Lady Schumi' (vol. II), Il Ciliegio, Como, 2011 / S. Gelain & V. Gelain, 'Lady Schumi' ( vol. I), Il Ciliegio (Como, Italy, 2010); Illustrations in 'L'Artiglio - L'oro del dio Hunn', Donato Altomare, Edizioni Della Vigna (Varese, Italy, 2010).

ARTIST TALKS (selection)

Guest artist for the Kuvata​ Webinar with focus on ‘As an Artist in a Sparsely Populated Area', organised by Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the University of Lapland’s Faculty of Art and Globe Art Point,  20 January 2025; The Peaks’ premiere, Ostrobothnian Museum (Vaasa, Finland, 26th January 2024); ‘Dripping Cavities’ duo exhibition, finissage, Vaasa City Art Gallery  (Vaasa, Finland, 4th January 2024); Artist Talk, three meetings with the students of Vasa Övningsskola, about the mural commissioned by Vaasa City (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020).

WORKSHOPS (selection)

'Kroki-Figure Drawing', with a live model, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, 20th April 2024); 'Figure Drawing', workshop on the analysis and drawing of the human anatomy, with a live model, in collaboration with Regnbågsallians rf and Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, 16th November 2023); Online lllustration Workshop 'Your Story, Your Character!', co-host Susanne Marins, Art Saturday, Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 13rd March 2021); 'Muminpyssel' Workshop, after 'Det osynliga barnet' show by Wasa Teater hosted at Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland,  28th November 2020); Online Workshop 'Play With Leaves', co-host Susanne Marins & Ann-maj Granstubb, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (17th October 2020); Handmade Paper Workshop, co-host Bekim Hasaj, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 14th December 2019).

ORGANIZATIONS

March 2024-Present, Artists Bank of Rakennustieto rts sr; August 2023-Present, Artists' Association of Finland - Artist RegisterAugust 2023-Present, member of Suomen Taideyhdistys  (Finland); January 2023-Present, full member of MUU ry (Helsinki, Finland); February 2021-Present, full member of Globe Art Point ry (Helsinki, Finland); January 2021-Present, client of Kuvasto ry, Visual Arts' Copyright Society (Helsinki, Finland); October 2022-September 2023, vice board member of Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland); May 2019-October 2022, board member of Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland); June 2020-June 2021, vice board member of Elokuvakeskus Botnia ry/ Film Centrum Botnia rf (Vaasa, Finland).

WORK EXPERIENCE (selection)

August 2021–Present, manager and art curator of Black Box Genesis Art Space (online and pop-up events); May 2018–Present, Black Box Genesis co-founder as visual artist, creative freelancer & cultural worker / Visual artists and visual art experts | Organisation of exhibition and cultural events | Planning and management of projects, including long-term ones | Collaborations​; November 2024, guest teacher at Novia University to hold Drawing class for third-year visual art students (Jakobstad, Finland); July 2024, photo documentation of the dance performance 'Dance of the Fisherman' organized by the Regional Dance Center of Ostrobothnia on Bergö island (Ostrobothnia, Finland); February 2024, guest teacher at Novia University to hold an intensive workshop on handmade paper for second/third-year visual art students, the position is shared with colleague Valentina Gelain (Jakobstad, Finland); October-November 2023: Guest teacher at Novia University to hold the course Ateljestudier 7 for second-year visual art students. The position is shared with colleague Bekim Hasaj (Jakobstad, Finland); September-October 2022, co-organizer of Mural Rural project and curator of New Beginnings Festival exhibition by Malakta rf (Malax, Finland); June 2018-July 2021, manager and art curator of Black Box Genesis Art Space (Vaasa, Finland); October 2019-April 2021, illustrator for Eos children magazine, Nykterhetsförbundet Hälsa och Trafik rf (Vaasa, Finland); April 2020-August 2021, co-organizer of Mural Rural Festival by Art in Malakta rf project (Malax, Finland); January-August 2020, communication, social media coordinator and production assistant of mAPs-migrating atists project, for Malakta Films ltd; March 2019-May 2020, production assistant for Elokuvakeskus Botnia ry/ Film Centrum Botnia rf (Vaasa, Finland); June-July 2019, production assistant for Touched - film documentary by Jukka Rajala and Marc Wagenbach (Wuppertal, Germany / Malax, Finland).

Copyright © 2018-2025 Valentina Gelain

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