VALENTINA GELAIN
Born in Feltre, Italy, 1992. Currently based in Bergö - Malax, 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 RESIDENCY
Artist residency curated by Artist Residency Swap & Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, March 2022.
Upcoming residency:
Moskosel Creative Lab, Moskosel, Sweden, 2024.
GRANTS (selection)
Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, 'Translucid Skins - vibrations of us', 2023-2024; Eugène, Elisabeth och Birgit Nygréns stiftelse, project grant, art event, 2023-24; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, exhibition, 2023; Närpes City Cultural Grant, project grant, mural opening event, 2023; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, The Peaks, 2023; Taiteen edistämiskeskus-Taike, working grant (four months), 2023; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, public art, 2023; Svenska Kulturfonden, travel grant, 2022; Taiteen edistämiskeskus-Taike, working grant (two months), 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden, working grant, project The Peaks, 2022; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, installation - public art, 2022; Svenska Österbottens kulturfond (Nils Lundqvists fond), working grant, project The Peaks, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden - Frans Henriksson fond, developement project, public art, 2022; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2021-2022; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, project grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Österbottens kulturfond (Nils Lundqvists fond), project grant, The Grey Hour, 2020-21; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, The Grey Hour, 2020-21; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, art space - exhibitions, 2020; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, project grant, art space maintenance, 2020.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
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:
'The Grey Hour' Premiere, Drama Hall (Vaasa, Finland, December 2021); '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 28 - April 12 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', City Library Farinone Centa exhibition spaces (Varallo Sesia, Italy, March 2016).
Group Exhibitions (selection):
Collision Festival, Collision Art Collective, Gammal Brandkårshuset (Jakobstad, Finland, May 2023); 'Dripping Cavities’, duo exhibition, curator Anni Fahler, Galleria Albert IX (Helsinki, Finland, January 2023), ‘Booked 2022’, MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre, Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, November-December 2022); 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); Konstrundan 2022, 'The Grey Hour' screening, 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); 'Dripping Cavities', duo exhibition, Makers' Gallery (Vaasa, Finland, December 2021); Konstrundan 2021, online exhibition 'Virtual Walls? Virtual Murals¿' by Black Box Genesis (September 2022) / Art Project Presentation 'The Grey Hour', Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2021); 'The Body Lenguage', Itsliquid Group, The ROOM Contemporary Art Space & Palazzo Albrizzi Capello (Venice, Italy, March 2021); Konstrundan 2020, open studio, Black Box Genesis (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); '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', collective La Faretra, Sala Birolli (Verona, Italy, September 2018); 'Under 30', curator Diego Pasqualin, Studiodieci Citygallery Vercelli (Vercelli, Italy, June 2016).
Current Exhibition:
'Dripping Cavities', duo exhibition, coordinator Silvia Rinne, Vaasa City Art Gallery (Finland, November 2023-January 2024).
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 2020, mural painting for the 30° anniversary (August 2020); Vaasa Arts Night 2019, art installation 'Glitch - sorry, there is interference' (Finland, August 2019); 'Burning Art' Festival 2018, performance 'Deep Smoke', Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2018); Vaasa Arts Night 2018, performance 'Living Painting', Black Box Genesis art space and outdoor (Finland, August 2018).
BIBLIOGRAPHY (selection)
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 semifinalists, publisher-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 AND WORKSHOP (selection)
'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, Art in Malakta rf (17th October 2020); Artist Talk, three meetings with the students of Vasa Övningsskola, about the mural commissioned by Vaasa City (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Handmade Paper Workshop, co-host Bekim Hasaj, Art Saturday, Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 14th December 2019).
ORGANIZATIONS
August 2023–Present, Artists' Association of Finland - Artist Register;
August 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: Owner, 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
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: Owner, 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).
* For the Illustrator and Graphic Designer portfolio, please, contact us.