Rossella Biscotti (IT/NL)
Il sole splende a Kiev (The sun shines in Kiev), 2006
9:50
The sun shines in Kiev is a film on the life of Vladimir Shevchenko, one of the first filmmakers who was allowed access to the “red zone” after the meltdown of the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl in 1986. In the film the incident is not mentioned and there is not any visual representation of the disaster. The incident is used to reflect on the way filmakers can document extreme events and on our sense of collective memory.
The sun shines in Kiev uses the oral narration as a main element to create a visual context.
In this film most of the footage is missing. All the information given is personal, fragmented and in contradiction with each other. Since the Chernobyl disaster the official information have been modified in relation to the interests of the governments. I use these contradictions to reconstruct the biography of Shevchenko to explore the ways in which history shapes individual memories.
The soundtrack is specially composed by the Italian electronic musician FRAME using pieces of music, voices and statements recorded by Vladimir Shevchenko in 1987.
About Rossella Biscotti
Rossella Biscotti uses the documentary aesthetic to explore the relationship between historical, real and fictional time through video and installation. Her videos have been exhibited in galleries and museums including Netherlands Foundation for Visual Art, Design and Architecture (Amsterdam), Italian Academy at Columbia University (USA), National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi), National Gallery of Modern Art (Mumbai), TENT (Rotterdam), American Academy in Rome (Rome), Galerie Paolo Boselli (Brussels), Gallery of Modern Art (Monfalcone), Viafarini (Milan), Smart Project Space (Amsterdam), Prodajna Galerija (Belgrade), Trevi Flash Art Museum (Trevi), Fondazione Adriano Olivetti (Rome). In 2006 she won the award for contemporary art “Premio NY” from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Italian Academy at Columbia University.
Filmography
Patricia and Antonio, video, 16', 2002
Rick, video 18', 2002
Coming back (Portrait of a family), video, 16', 2003
Muctar, 3 channel videoinstallation, 10'-5'-5', 2003
Italy is a democratic republic founded on labour, video, 10', 2004
Shooting on the Dam, video, 10', 2005
The sun shines in Kiev, 16mm, 18’, 2006
New Crossroads, video, 22', 2006 (co-directed together with Kevin van Braak)
The renovation of the empty bath, video, 7'30'', 2006 (co-directed together with Kevin van Braak)
Solo exhibitions
2007
Premio NY, Italian Academy at Columbia Univesity, New York, NY (USA)
Cities of Continuous lines, Netherlands Foundation for Visual Art, Design and Architecture, Amsterdam (NL) (together with Kevin van Braak)
2006
Cities of Continuous lines, open studio American Academy in Rome, Rome (together with Kevin van Braak)
2005
Xavier Martin and Rossella Biscotti, Cypres Galerie, Leuven (BE)
L’Italia è una repubblica democratica fondata sul lavoro, Galerie Paolo Boselli, Brussels (BE)
2002
Rossella Biscotti and Danilo Donzelli, Galleria T293, Napoli (IT)
Group exhibitions
2007
Cyprus International Film Festival, Nicosia (CY)
New video idioms from Italy, Ficci-Frame, Mumbai (India)
On the edge of vision, Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta / National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi / National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (India) curated by L. Canova and M. C. Bastante
Fake Movement, Galleria Neon, Bologna (IT)
Video.it, Accademia Albertina, Torino (IT) curated by F. Bernardelli
2006
Sense and Sensitivity, TENT, Rotterdam Center for the Arts, Rotterdam (NL)
Video_Report, Galleria D’Arte Moderna, Monfalcone (IT)
Fiac at Louvre, Galerie Paolo Boselli, Paris (FR)
Fair Play 2006, Play gallery for still and motion pictures, Berlin (DE)
Video invitational, Viafarini, Milano (IT)
Beautiful nature, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Castel San Pietro Terme (IT) curated by Synapser
Cascoland, Public art / New Crossroads, Cape Town (ZA)
I costruttori: il corpo del lavoro 1906-2006, Castel Sismondo, Rimini / Palazzo Belmonte-Riso, Palermo (IT) curated by M. Margozzi, L. Martini and A.Negri
2005
Il grande teatro del mediterraneo, Teatro Clitunno, Trevi (IT) curated by Trevi Flash Art Museum
Artissima Art Fair, Galerie Paolo Boselli, Torino (IT)
Beograd nekad I sad, Prodajna Galerija, Belgrade (CS) curated by M. Stamenkovic and J. Van Woensel
Adam, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam (NL)
Fuijama, Archeo DOC Festival, Napoli (IT) curated by A. Amendola
Padiglione Italia-Out of Biennale, Trevi Flash Art Museum, Trevi (IT) selected by B. Pietromarchi
Honey money - Premio Masay Art Factory, Assab one, Milano (IT)
2004
Video contest, Studio Pompstraat, Rotterdam (NL)
Conflitto e conflitti, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Bologna (IT) curated by Synapser
Prototipi 03, Fondazione Adriano Olivetti, Roma (IT) curated by S. Chiodi and B. Pietromarchi
2003
Young Italian artists, Galerie Paolo Boselli, Brussels (BE) curated by T293
Anteprima- Quadriennale, Palazzo Reale, Napoli (IT) selected by M. Picone
Collaudi, Galleria d’Arte Moderna/Villa delle Rose, Bologna (IT) curated by M. Altavilla and D. Lotta
Start, Care/Of, Milano (IT) curated by L. Aiello and T. Fattaposta
Perspective, El Adelph, Roma (IT) curated by P. Capata and M. Bastante
Space is still the place, TPO, Bologna (IT) curated by M. Altavilla and A. De Manincor
2002
Doppiavù, Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena (IT) curated by M. Tonelli
III Mostra d’Art Sonor y Visual, Convent de Sant. Augustì, Barcelona (ES)
2001
Tracce di un seminario, Viafarini /Care/Of, Milano (IT) curated by G. Di Pietrantonio and A. Vettese
2000
Mostra di fine corso, ex chiesa di San Francesco, Como (IT) curated by G. Di Pietrantonio and A. Vettese
Education
1998
Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, Naples (IT)
Award
1 Premio NY 2006/2007, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Italian Academy and the Columbia University in New York, NY (USA).
Recidencies/workshops
2006
Selected for the Research Program in the Center of Contemporary Art, Kitakyushu (JP)
2004–2005
Artist in residence, B.a.d. Foundation, Rotterdam (NL)
2005
Artist in residence, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam (NL)
2003
Prototipi 03, Fondazione A. Olivetti, Roma, curated by S. Chiodi and B. Pietromarchi
Master of film direction with Abbas Kiarostami, Scuola Holden, Torino (IT) curated by National Museum of Cinema and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
2000
Advance Course in Visual Art, visiting professor Ilya Kabakov, Fondazione A. Ratti, Como (IT) curated by G. Di Pietrantonio and A. Vettese
Grants
2006
Dienst Kunst en Cultuur, Rotterdam (NL)
2006
STEP, European Cultural Foundation, Amsterdam (NL)
2004
Movin’up, Giovani Artisti Italiani, Torino (IT)
Selected press reviews/ catalogues
P. Nicolini, La nuova arte italiana? E’ a NY, GQ, April 2007, p. 256-257
K. van Braak, Cities of continuous lines, BK informatie, March 2007, p. 16 17
E. Gandolfi, S. Pilat, Cities of Continuous lines, catalogue, Netherlands Foundation for Art, Architecture and Design, Amsterdam 2007
L. Canova, M. C. Bastante, catalogue, On the edge on the vision, Victoria Memorial Hall, Calcutta / National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi / National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (INDIA) 2007
A. Amendola, Il quotidiano e l’estetica nei video di Rossella Biscotti www.nimmagazine.it
R. Fiorito, Amsterdam Archivio mentale, Pool Magazine, February 2007, p. 15-16,
A. Serino, Beautiful Nature. Premio Mauro Manara, catalogue, GAM, Castel San Pietro Terme 2006
A. Bruciati, A. Crippa, Video_report, catalogue, GAM, Monfalcone 2006.
M. van Oosterhout, Cascoland, catalogue, Cape Town (ZA) 2006
M. Margozzi, L. Martini, A.Negri, I costruttori, catalogue, Ed. SKIRA, Milano (IT) 2006
M. Moccia, Il grande teatro del mediterraneo, catalogue, Trevi Flash art Museum, Trevi 2005
M. Stamenkovic, Beograd nekad I sad, catalogue, Prodajna Galerija, Belgrade (CS) 2005
A. Serino, Adam, Arte e Critica 44, October/December 2005, Roma pp. 80
G. Massoni, Adam, Made 05, October 2005, Milano pp. 100-101
K. Chandler, Adam, Amsterdam Times, Amsterdam 9 September 2005
B. Pietromarchi, Italiaci vizi e virtù, Flash Art 253, August/September 2005, Milano pp. 72
C. Marfella, Dal fronte giovani, Flash Art 247, August/September 2004, Milano pp. 80
S. Chiodi and B. Pietromarchi, Prototipi 03, catalogue, Fondazione Adriano Olivetti, Roma 2004
R. Biscotti, Speciale Napoli, Flash Art 247, August/September 2004, Milano pp.71
M. Altavilla, Rossella Biscotti, Around Photography 00, February/March 2004 Bologna pp. 26-28
M. Picone, Anteprima- Quadriennale, catalogue, De Luca Editori d’Arte, Napoli 2003
C. Negherbon, Napoli piccola Russia, Urban 23, November 2003, pp. 17-19
P. Capata, Collaudi, www.exibart.com, September 2003
M. Altavilla and D. Lotta, Collaudi, catalogue, Galleria d’Arte Moderna/Villa delle Rose, Bologna 2003
R. Biscotti, self portrait, Tema celeste 99, September 2003, pp. 78-79
M. Altavilla, Interview-Rossella Biscotti, www.exibart.com, January 2003
G. Pietrantonio, A. Vettese , I. Kabakov, Quaderni del Corso Superiore di Arti Visive., catalogue CSAV Fondazione Antonio Ratti, Como, Edizioni Charta, Milano 2000