Christian Balzano
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Bio
Christian Balzano was born on February 12th, 1969 in Livorno where he lives and works. In 1986 he attended the School of Fine Arts in Pisa where he gained a diploma in Applied Art, specialising in glass artworks. While studying he took part in various painting and sculpture competitions and held a solo exhibition. In 1989 he opened an artistic glassworks called “Riflesso” in Cascina (Pisa) where he worked until 1997. However he continued to exhibit. In 1995 and 1996 he took part in the third and fourth exhibition-competition Giovani e Materia: Ricerca e Tendenza (Young People and Matter – Research and Trends) during the International Crafts Show at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. At this point he also began travelling every year, to far away places – America, Africa, Asia – off the tourist tracks, this in order to enrich his cultural background and find new artistic stimuli: in 1996 Mexico and Florida; in 1997 Morocco; in 1998 Nepal; in 1999 India; in 2000 Tanzania and Zanzibar and the following year Thailand; in 2002 he went to Indonesia; in 2003 Myanmar (Burma); in 2004 Bali; in 2005 Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo); in 2006 he made a tour of South America taking in Venezuela, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Belize; in 2007 he went to Cuba and in 2008 to the United States. In these years he did not miss out on major European cities, particularly in France, England, Holland and Spain. Meanwhile he continued to exhibit: in August 1998 he took part in an extempore show, part of the Serate Illuminate (Enlightened Nights) festival at the Franco Basaglia Centre in Leghorn, and in November he participated in a group exhibition at the Atelier delle Arti in the same city. In 1999 he opened a modern ethnic furniture shop in Livorno called “Deserto” and worked there until 2005, focusing on interior design. He also took part in the 1999 second edition of the Serate Illuminate festival. In August 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 he held solo shows during the Effetto Venezia (Venice Effect) event in his hometown. In December 2003 he exhibited at the East West Gallery in Milan and in July of the following year had a solo show at the Artomat Gallery in Pietrasanta. In October 2004 he exhibited solo in the spaces of the Rome Supper Club. In 2005 he repeated the experience of a solo show during the Effetto Venezia event and in 2006 he participated in a two-man show at the Tiberti di Rovato space in Brescia. There were two group exhibitions in 2007: one at the Poliform in Bologna, the other at the Stragapede/Perini Gallery in Milan. He then took part in the group show Segni (Signs), curated by Mimmo Di Marzio at the San Lorenzo Gallery in Milan.
In 2008 he set up the event-exhibition Non ・vero ma ci credo (It is not true but I believe it) on the theme of superstition, curated by Mimmo Di Marzio at the San Lorenzo Gallery in Milan. He created a fibreglass sculpture which was placed, during the exhibition and with the patronage of the Milan Municipality, in Largo La Foppa. In the same year he participated in OPEN XI, an international exhibition of sculpture and installations at the Venice Lido, curated by Paolo De Grandis, and he took part in the group show Il vuoto e le forme 1 (The void and the forms 1), an international sculpture, installation and painting exhibition in Chiavenna (Sondrio) curated by Anna Caterina Bellati. Since May 2009 Balzano is engaged with a travelling exhibition, titled Luci del destino, in some museums in Argentina. The show is organized by the Lu.C.C.A. in collaboration with the U.C.A. - Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina of Buenos Aires, the CEC - Centro de Expresiones Contempor疣eas of Rosario and the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Franklin Rawson of San Juan. In October 2009, he exhibited his work at the "Milanogallerie' show which was held at the Palazzo della Triennale in Milan. This exhibition was promoted by the Milan Chamber of Commerce and organized by the National Association of Contemporary Art Galleries. In 2010 he had a solo show at the Lu.C.C.A. - Lucca Center of Contemporary Art, curated by Luca Beatrice. In the same year he took part to a collective exhibition at the Venturino Venturi Museum in Loro Ciuffenna, Arezzo, curated by Maurizio Vanni, obtaining the Critic Prize Award, and to "La trilogia del colore: rosso", curated by Roberto Milani, at the Galleria San Lorenzo in Milan. In December he was present at "Exhibitalia" in the Miami Art District, on the occasion of Art Basel Miami, performing on the side of a Fiat 500. In the same month he inaugurated the solo show "Passaggi" in the Rupestrian Church of S. Antonio in Matera. In April 2011 he took part to the "Thai-Italy Art and Cultural Exchange 2011" project, curated by Maurizio Vanni and Sasivimol Santiratpakdee, at the Art Centre of Silpakorn University in Bangkok. In july of that year, he was invited to the 54th International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale, Italian Pavillon, Tuscan region, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi at the Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci of the Prato..
