Gabriella Ciancimino (b. 1978, lives and works in Palermo) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo. Ciancimino focalizes on the concept of relationships that transform artworks in moments of meeting/confrontation among individuals. She creates a Free Zone where different communities can find a bond, can experiment new possibilities in their multiplicity of expressions. In her recent works, Ciancimino analyzes the relationship between man and plants by the creation of a landscape that becomes a "place" of reflection and at the same time safeguards the historical memory and collective action. This anthropological study is accompanied by experimental research, which aims to identify dissonant elements to be included in the landscape, thus generating a visual crack that modifies reality, but in an eco-friendly way. Ciancimino’s work in an invitation to a dialogue on the concept of resistance and freedom applied to the relation with the environment, experiencing Social Ecology theorized by Murray Bookchin by involving the community in the creation of the work and the transformation of a place in a space where freedom can be experienced, breaking the hierarchy between Artist and Visitor. She has developed a practice through site-specific actions and collective works using diverse media – as video, music, installation, drawing, graphic design and photography. She showed in exhibitions at Cantieri Culturali all a Zisa (Palermo, 2008), at American Academy, Rome (2009), at RISO - Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia (Palermo, 2010), at L’Appartement 22 (Rabat, 2010/2012), at Cardi Black Box Gallery (Milan, 2011) ; as well as the Volume 1 project of "Sentences on the banks and other activities" exhibition project at Darat al Funun (Amman, 2010) and Working For Change. Project for A Moroccan Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale (2011, Venice), Biennale Benin (2012) Museo Villa Croce, (Genoa, I 2013), PAV (Turin 2013), Kunsthalle Mulhouse (2013, France). Her works are in some public collections of Palazzo Riso, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, Palermo (Italy), Museo del Novecento (Milan, Italy), and Frac Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Marsille, France).
Solo Show
2013
All’Allerbaggio (Ahoy the herbs). Curated by Ilaria Bonacossa. Museo Villa Croce, Genova (Italy).
2011
Dalla Terronia Col Furgone. Curated by Ilaria Bonacossa (Art at work), Cardi Black Box Gallery, Milan (Italy).
2010
If iu Fil Homsik, Tink in Dailect ! RITRATTO IN NERO DI SEPPIA. Curated by Giovanni Iovane, Galleria S.A.C.S, PALAZZO RISO - Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, Palermo (Italy).
2008
Okkio per Okkio, Sessantaquakkio. Curated by Alessandra Ferlito e Raffaella Leone, Palazzo Bruca, Catania, (Italy).
2006
Ciancimino&Tammaro. Curated by Daniela Bigi. Galleria Francesco Pantaleone Arte Contemporanea, Palermo (Italy).
Group Show
2014
Sous nos yeux. Curated by Abdellah Karroum and Soledad Gutiérrez. MACBA, Barcelona.
GOLA. Arte e scienza del gusto. Curated by Cristiana Perrella, Triennale di Milano
2013
Togli il Fermo. Curated by curatorial board of Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, American Academy in Rome.
Sous nos yeux (1 & 2). Curated by Abdellah Karroum. La Kunsthalle, Centre d’art contemporain Mulhouse, (France).
La Materia di un sogno. Collezione Brodbeck, Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania (Italy).
Internaturalità. Curated by Claudio Cravero. PAV (Parco Arte Vivente), Turin (Italy).
2012
Bénin Biennale 2012 : "Inventing World : The Artist as Citizen". Curated by Abdellah Karroum.
Liberty Flowers. Curated by Cristiana Perrella for TUTTO project, 26Cc, Rome (Italy).
Talent Prize 2012, La Pelanda, Centro di produzione Culturale, Roma (Italy).
JF_JH LIBERTÉS. Curated by Abdellah Karroum, L’appartement 22, Rabat
(Morocco).
Video Art and Food. Il Cibo nell’Arte Contemporaneamente. Curated by Ludovico Pratesi, Castello Ducale, Ceglie Messapica (Italy).
Rondo Artists in Residence. Curated by Anna Urbas, Kultur Service Gesellschaft Steiermark, Graz (Austria).
2011
Surveillé(e)s. Curated by Abdellah Karroum (L’appartement 22), La Halle de Pont en Royans (France).
Working For Change. Project for A Moroccan Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale 2011. Curated by Abdellah Karroum. Ex Birrerie Punch, Venice (Italy).
Archive Fever. Curated by Giovanni Iovane, Archivio Sacs, Frigoriferi Milanesi, Milan (Italy).
2010
Flowers, Animals, Urbans, Machines (fleurs, animaux, urbains, machines), curated by Abdellah Karroum, L’Appartement 22, Rabat (Morocco).
1° volume di "Sentences on the banks and other activities". Live art exhibition curated by Abdellah Karroum, Darat al Funun, The Khalid Shoman Foundation, Amman (Jordan).
PPS paesaggio e popolo della Sicilia. Curated by Giovanni Iovane , PALAZZO RISO - Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, Palermo (Italy).
11° Premio Cairo. Curated by Luca Beatrice, Palazzo della Permanente, Milan (Italy).
VIDEOit 2010- A NORD/SUD DEL MEDITERRANEO. Curated by Francesco Poli, Francesco Bernardelli, Mario Gorni, Fondazione Merz, Turin, (Italy).
Videoart Yearbook 2010 Curated by Dipartimento delle Arti Visive dell’Università di Bologna, Chiostro di Santa Cristina, Biblioteca Civica - ARCHIVIO REGIONALE DI VIDEOARTE, Bologna (Italy).
Senza Titolo con Sottotitolo. Curated by Alessandra Ferlito, BeBocs, Catania (Italy).
2009
Verso Sud-Est. Curated by Francesco Lucifora, COCA , Modica/Rg (Italy). The Buffer Zone. Curated by Cecilia Canziani and Lexi Eberspacher, American Academy, Rome (Italy).
A Sud (del mondo) -Identità culturali e diversità geo-politiche nell’arte contemporanea. Curated by Rosalba Branà, Università degli Studi, Palazzo Dei Ponti, Taranto (Italy).
2008
La Casa Oltre - Progetti per un territorio 2. Curated by Anna Ajò, Daniela Bigi, Ex Scuderie Palazzo Farnese - Caprarola/VT (Italy).
Passport#2. Curated by Daniela Bigi e Gianna Di Piazza. Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, Palermo (Italy).
2007
Unto. A critical food experience.
Curated by Maurizio Coccia, Matilde Martinetti e Mara Predicatori. Palazzo Lucarini, Trevi/PG (Italy).
2005
Il Genio di Palermo – Spazi aperti degli artisti - VI edizione. Curated by Daniela Bigi, Marina Giordano, Antonietta Malleo. Palermo (Italy).
2004
Passport # 1. Curated by Daniela Bigi. Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, Palermo (Italy).
Special Projects
2011
Racconto di una relazione con le erbette aromatiche. Curated by Art at Work, Mambo, Bologna (Itay).
R22 Program at MDE11, Medellin, Colombia. Curated by L’appartement 22 (Rabat, Marocco).
Residency Programmes
2014
Artist in residence, Komplot Bruxelles.
2013
Artist in Residence, Fondazione Brodbeck, Catania (Italy).
Artist in Residence. La Kunsthalle, Centre d’art contemporain Mulhouse, (France).
2012
Rondo Studios – Artist in Residence 2012, scolarships offered by the province of Styria. Rondo Studios, Graz (Austria).
Artist in Residence - L’appartement 22, Rabat (Morocco).
WARP Artistes Village, C-MINE, Genk (Belgium)
2011
Expedition 9 / Montagnes du Rif by L’appartement 22 (Rabat, Morocco), Beni - Boufrah village, Rif Mountains (Morocco).
2010
Research residency at Centre Culturel Blaise Senghor in Dakar (Senegal), invited by L’appartement 22,
Rabat (Morocco).
Artist in Residence - L’appartement 22, Rabat (Morocco).
Workshop
2008
Independence... da cosa, da chi, per fare cosa e con chi ?! Un workshop sulle politiche ed economie delle iniziative indipendenti. (Independence... From what, from whom, to do what, with whom ?!A workshop on the politics and economics of independent initiatives) Curated by Cecilia Canziani, Francesco Ventrella, 1:1projects, Rome (Italy).
2011
6° sessione del Laboratorio Art, Technologie et Ecologie ; Production, Post-production : du travail à l’oeuvre (Production, Post-Production : from work to expression), Lot 219, atelier de L’appartement 22 in Fez (Marocco), in collaboration with ESAV-Marrakech.