Born in San Remo, Italy, in1974, Rebecca studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. Her works are shown all over the world in personal and group exhibitions, galleries and art fairs, public and private collections. She was awarded with several international prizes in the United States, Korea, France and Italy and held lectures and participated at symposiums in several European countries. Since 2003 Rebecca went nearly every year to a residency in Europe, Asia, Africa and North and Latin America. Difficult to say if one of her great subjects “Journey” is the original of her travels or if her numerous voyages inspire the subject. In any case her works are dealing with “meditation of history, traditions and ancient customs in different countries” as “an instrument to escape Eurocentric perspective and to offer to the public a new point of active observation and criticism.” The result of her many sojourns are often site and context specific projects, like the last undertaking: the two year lasting “Journey into fragility”. Based on Massimo Morasso’s “Manifesto for the Earth and Man” Rebecca conceived twelve different projects in twelve different countries which resulted in a permanent installation on the Isola della Certosa, Venice, inaugurated in May 2015. 

 

 

 

Solo shows

 

2015

Permanent Installation on the Certosa Island (Venice) in collaboration with ADAC (Archive of Contemporary Art of the University of Genoa and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Double Solo Show ,Maria Rebecca Ballestra - Filippo Centenari, WerkstattGalerie (Berlin – Germany) for Berlin Art Week curated by Pascul JordanDouble Solo Show The Truth of Labyrinth by Maria Rebecca Ballestra - Julien Fridler - Gallery Spazio Testoni (Bologna – Italy)

Double Solo Show Maria Rebecca Ballestra - Julien Friedler, Palazzo Molin (Venice - Italy)

 

2014

Double solo show Sapere-Sapore by Maria Rebecca Ballestra and Rachela Abbate, Museum Palazzo Borea d’Olmo (Sanremo - Italy)

 

2012-2014

Itinerary project Journey into Fragility, promoted by ADAC (Archive of Contemporary Art of the University of Genoa), Kalart (Switzerland), Galerie Alberta Pane (France), Maqroll (Italy) and Ramdom (Italy). Twelve stages around the world: www.journeyintofragility.com / www.journeyintofragility.com

Meta-Architetture, Gallery Spazio Testoni (Bologna-Italy) curated by Paola Valenti

Journey into Fragility, Gallery 400mq (Ancona-Italy) curated by Federica Mariani

 

2013

Solo Show at Goat Art Project curated by Sara Rees (Cardiff - Wales)

Double solo Show Ballestra Maria Rebecca / Andrea Francolino curated by Paola Valenti / Alberto Mattia Martini, Gallery Spazio Testoni (Bologna-Italy)

 

2011

Changing Perspective, series of solo exhibitions, installations and site specific projects curated by Paola Valenti in collaboration with Alessandra Piatti e Daniela Legotta (Genoa - Italy), included:

Post Human Garden - Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce

Eyes on Asia - Museum of the Cultures of the World

The Weight of the Human Being, Sala Dogana

The Future is near. The Future is now! UnimediaModern Gallery

There’s plenty of room at the botton, Genoa Port Center

 

2010

The Future is near. The future is now! Galerie Alberta Pane (Paris - France) curated by Luca Bochicchio

 

2009

Kisses form China!, Phodar Biennale (Sofia, Bulgaria)

 

 

 

Group shows

 

2015
Visible City for Palinsesti 2015, a project by Giorgia Gastaldon Under the patronage of: Friuli Venezia Giulia, City of San Vito al Tagliamento, University of Udine, Aldo Furlan Foundation, Casa Cavazzini, Gallery of Contemporary Art of Monfalcone, Fruili School of Mosaics
Macrocosmi, Old Postfuhramnt West (Berlin- Germany) curated by Pascual Jordan and Petra Dregger
Impatto 2.0 Art Design Environment, (Este - Italy) promoted by S.E.S.A spa - curated by Elisa Celeghin e Ilaria Magni
Arteam Cup 2015 Officina delle Zattere - (Venice - Italy)
Bologna Design Week, 5 minutes Free Zone, in collaboration with Lucia Palmero, Gallery Spazio Testoni (Bologna - Italy)
Biennial Italy - China, Mastio della Cittadella (Turin - Italy), ARCA (Vercelli - Italy), Medioeval Castel (Serralunga d'Alba - Italy), curated by EBLand
Suspended Spaces 2. Artists in dialogue with Cecilia Ravera Oneto’s art work, curated by Leo Lecci, Monica Saccomandi, Laura Valle. Exhibition Hall Piedmonte Region, (Turin - Italy)

2014
La photographie, une seconde nature! - Ibn El Farouk, Maria Rebecca Ballestra,  Dalel Tangour,  Luis Moragon - Mamia Bretesche Gallery  (Paris - France)
Exhibition Cambridge Sustainable Residency, Norforlk Street Gallery (Cambridge - UK) curated by Marina Velez
Appearance Eco Arts Festival , S.E.A Gallery - Princetown (USA)

2013
Video Projection “Dialogue for Preservation” during the Swiss Annual Development Cooperation Conference "A fragile world - young people’s perspectives" - Lugano Congress Center (Switzerland)
Sea Art Festival by Busan Biennale (Busan - Korea) project in collaboration with Rachela Abbate,
Invisible Cities - 12 artist for Calvino”, Accademia Ligustica (Genoa, Italy), organised by Foundation Mario Novaro
Video Festival Old Ambulance Depot in Edinburgh (Scotland)
5th edition of FIVAC, International Video Art Festival, in Camaguey, “The Next Resistance” section, (Cuba)
Marais Digital - Galerie Mamia Bretesche - Paris (France)
RicCAA International Biennial of Art and Design of Padova (Italy) curated by Marisa Merlin

2012
Centenary Docks Dora, cultural event organized by SAL - Spazio AdLbitum for the celebrations of 100 years of Docks Dora  
Rolli Days, Tobia Pallavicino Palace (Genoa - Italy), courtesy UnimediaModern Gallery
International Multimedia Art Festival in Yangon (Myanmar, Burma) organized by New Zero Art Space and the French Institute of Culture.

2011
Al Ghaib Aesthetic of the Disappearance, Maraya Art Center (Sharjah - UAE)  curated by Gaia Serena Simionati
Al Ghaib Aesthetic of the Disappearance, Stux Gallery  (New York - USA)  curated by Gaia Serena Simionati
Nuit Blanche, Institute Français, (Paris - France and Oran - Alger) curated by Mamya Bretsche and Gaetan Pellan
Art Price Duchessa di Galliera, 2011 - 1956, Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce (Genoa - Italy) curated by Anna Lercari

2010     
Nuit Blanche, Institute Français, (Paris - France and Oran - Alger) curated by Mamya Bretsche and Gaetan Pellan)
Docks en Ciel curated by Adrien Pasternak - Chic  Art Fair (La Cite’ de la Mode et du Design Paris - France)
Sunday’s Screening Galerie Alberta Pane  (Paris - France)
MC² - Museum’s collections # 2, Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce, curated by Francesca Serrati
Moscow Biennale “Qui Vive?” (Moscow - Russia) curated by Daria Pyrkina
Video Festival Video Appart (Paris - Dubai)
Mashrab - Maghrab Contemporary Art Exhibition selected by Bastakia Art Fair - Heritage House Gallery - (Dubaï - U.A.E.)

2009     
Sowing Seeds Kaman Art Gallery (Jodhpur - India) curated by Nilesh Shidhpura
Phodar Biennial ’09 (Pevlen - Bulgaria) curated by Antoan Bozhinov
Intersection- Correlation (Berlin - Germany) curated by Brian Hackney Turn-Berlin Art Space
La Grande Abbuffata: Scorie, Scarti, Sprechi. Risorse energetiche (Auditorium of the Museums of Strada Nuova - Genoa - Italy) curated by  Ko.Ji.Ku

2008     
Sculpture Quadrennial of Riga (Latvia), organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia  and Centre for Art Management and Information (MMIC)
21th Instants Video (Marseille - France) supported by The French Ministry of Culture, The Regional Council (PACA), The city of Marseille and the European Commission
Tracing love 24/7” Gallery  Magacine (Belgrade, Serbia) curated by DEVE
Urban Jealousy 1st International Roaming Biennial of Tehran (Istanbul Turkey) , curated by Amirali Ghasemi and Serhat Koksal
Kaléidoscope de la création émergente, (Paris-France, Strasbourg, Bordeaux) curated by Helene Mugnier and Adrien Pasternak
Video Appart  (Paris-France) curated by Mamia Bretesche
Arrivi e Partenze.Italia  at the Mole Vanvitelliana (Ancona-Italy) curated by Alberto Fiz and Walter Gasperoni.

 

 

Prizes

 

• 2015 Finalist of Arteam Prize (Venice – Italy)

• 2013 Award Honorable Mention by the Santo Fondation (USA) for the 2013 Artist Awards

• Second Prize at the Busan Sea Art Festival by Busan Biennale (Busan - Korea)