Two Italian and two German artists were selected by Valentino Catricalà, Artistic Director of the Media Art Festival, to participate in the pilot project on artists in residence project with the Goethe-Institut. The project, which began last December, involves four cultural exchanges between Rome and Berlin to create a cultural network of museums, art galleries and institutions.

 

Simone Pappalardo and Donato Piccolo are the Italian artists who worked in Germany at the Berlin Mazzoli Gallery and Neue Galerie, while Kristina Paustian, a Russian artist living in Berlin was at the Phyrtual Innovation Gym in Rome, where she collaborated with makers, coaches, designers and experimented with digital manufacturing and augmented reality tools.

 

The works created during the artists in residence project will be showcased at the Media Art Festival. The last residence will be held in November with German Artist Ulf Aminde.

 

Donato Piccolo

His art investigates natural, physical and biological phenomena through technological and mechanical installations. Most of his works combine complimentary and inseparable aspects: they are both sculptures and machines, forms and processes. This hybrid aspect is the true nature of “holistic art,” art whose essential function is to explore the “incomprehensible mystery of the visible world.” His works have been exhibited in various national and international museums and institutions.

 

Simone Pappalardo

Simone Pappalardo graduated with honours in Electronic Music at the Rome Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia. He works on electronic compositions, interactive sound installations and “augmented” musical instruments. His works have been performed and exhibited at many international festivals. He was an artist in residence at the Berlin Goethe-Institut.

His composition entitled “Hyde. For piano solicited by electromagnetic impulses” won a special mention at the Premio nazionale delle Arti, while he won the Media Art Festival at the Rome Maxxi with the “Murmur. LC librans” installation.

 

Kristina Paustian

Kristina Paustian was born in 1985 in Omsk, Russia. She studied communications, arts and media at the Berlin Universität der Künste. She then worked as Photography and Editing Director for video and art installations. Since 2012, her video-art has been showcased at festivals and shows, including the European Media Art Festival in Osnabrück, Vkunst in Frankfurt, the Instant Video Festival in Marsiglia and the Goethe Institut in Berlino. Swimmers (2015) is her first documentary.