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)
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).
Upcoming Exhibitions:
'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)
‘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)
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);
October 2022 – Present, Vice Board Member of Art in Malakta rf (Malax, 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);
May 2019 – 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: Founder and Owner of Black Box Genesis, Freelance Visual Artist for Black Box Genesis. Collaboration with Malakta ry/rf, Malakta Films ltd, Elokuvakeskus Botnia ry/rf, Regional Dance Centre of Ostrobothnia ry/rf, private customers etc.
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.