About
Biography
Adriano Abbado has always been interested in non-verbal communication. In 1972 he made his first experiments with photography and environmental sounds. In 1977 he graduated in Electronic Music Composition at the Conservatory of Milan. In 1981 he began working with digital images and sounds.
In 1986 Adriano received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the MIT Media Lab, where in 1988 he earned an M.S. with the thesis Perceptual Correspondences of Abstract Animation and Synthetic Sound.
He taught Computer Graphics at IED in Milan (1983-86) and Electronic Music at the Conservatory of Turin (1985). In the spring of 2007 he taught Audiovisual Art at Media Arts and Technology – University of California, Santa Barbara.
He was co-author of the book Immagini con il computer: le tecniche, l’arte, published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore in 1985. In 2017 his book I maestri della Visual Music was published by Skira. The English version, Visual Music Masters, was released in 2018.
Over the years he has created prints, objects, animations and interactive environments that have been presented in various locations, including:
MEET, Milan, 2022; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2013; Danish Film Institut, Copenhagen, 2011; Italian Cultural Institute, New York, 2009; Digital Fringe, Melbourne, 2009; BizArt Gallery, Shanghai, 2005; La Triennale, Milan, 2005; Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C., 2003; Merkin Concert Hall, New York, 2003; Villette Numérique, Paris, 2002; Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milan, 2001; School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 2000; Institut Universitari de l’Audiovisual, Barcelona, 1999; Santa Cecilia, Rome, 1998; Milia, Cannes, 1994; Grand Palais, Paris, 1993; Ircam, Paris, 1989; La Biennale, Venice, 1986; Videoart Festival, Locarno, 1985; Palazzo Reale, Milan, 1983.
Life
Born in Milan, March 16th, 1958, @ 05:55 AM.
Trips to Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, the Nederlands, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA.
His interests range from traditional Asian music to online trading and astrophotography.
Education
1988
Received M.S., The Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Thesis on Perceptual correspondences of abstract animation and synthetic sound.
1977
Received diploma of Electronic Music Composition, Conservatory “G. Verdi”, Milan.
Grants
1987
Grant from the Council for the Arts at MIT for the creation of Dynamics.
1986
Grant from the Fulbright Commission to study at The Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.
Commission from Commodore Italiana for the creation of ISOMORFISMI SUONO LUCE.
Events
2022
Il video rende felici, Palazzo delle Esposizioni and Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Rome.
Future Film Festival, Bologna.
MEET, Milan.
2021
Video of the Week. Un video d’artista alla settimana, MLAC – Sapienza, University of Rome.
2019
Il colore del suono, Conservatory “G. Verdi”, Milan.
2018
When Sound becomes Form, MAXXI, Rome.
2017
Memoria della Computer Art in Italia: il Festival Arte Elettronica di Camerino, MLAC – Sapienza, University of Rome.
2016
E quando il sole cade, la città si accende, Ducal Palace, Mantua.
2013
Ciné-Concert: Abstract Animation Since 1970, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
2011
Italian Experimental Cinema, Danish Film Institut, Copenhagen.
2009
Italian Experimental Cinema, Ancona.
Seeing Sound, Bath Spa University, UK.
Digital Fringe, Melbourne.
Visual Music Marathon, New York, NY.
2008
Italian Experimental Cinema V.1 ‘08, Nuovo Cinema Aquila, Rome.
Here come the rolling bones, Studio Matteo Boetti, Rome.
2006
V-Art, Cagliari.
The Jerusalem Music and Dance Academy.
Sapienza Cinema, Rome.
2005
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY.
Iannis Xenakis Festival, La Triennale, Milan.
Festival International Cinéma Méditeranéen, Montpellier.
NYU Frederick Loewe Theater, New York, NY.
Teatro Maddalene, Padua.
Segnali Luminosi, Centro Arti Visive La Pescheria, Pesaro.
Animaction2, Rome.
Goethe-Institut, Rome.
BizArt Gallery, Shanghai.
2004
Independent Film Show, Naples.
2003
MiArt, Milan.
Italian Cultural Institute, New York, NY.
Bridges, Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY.
European Media Art Festival, Osnabrück, Germany.
CREATE, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
Digitalyart, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C..
2002
Synthetic Worlds, Mountain Box Gallery, Karuizawa.
Creativity and Cognition 4, Loughborough University, UK.
Not Still Art, New York, NY.
Villette Numérique, Paris.
Italian Cultural Institute, Strasbourg.
2001
Entre Imaginación y Utilidad, Barcelona.
DAMS, Bologna.
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milan.
Visible Sound, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
2000
Galeria Zero, Barcelona.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Esplorazioni digitali, Rimini.
CREATE, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
1999
Audiovisual Art in the Year 2000, Institut Universitari de l’Audiovisual, Barcelona.
Eurographics’99, Milan.
Color is Music, Atelier Mendini, Milan.
Opera Totale 5, Venice.
1998
Der Freischutz, Santa Cecilia, Rome.
1994
Milia, Cannes.
1993
Design Miroir du XIX Siècle, Grand Palais, Paris.
La fabbrica estetica, Italian Technology and Design for quality of life, Seoul.
1992
Domus Academy, Milan.
First International QuickTime Film Festival, San Francisco, CA.
1991
Domus Academy, Milan.
1990
Il ritmo colorato, Bergamo.
Mondi virtuali, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice.
1989
Video Biennale, Fukui.
L’Agrifoglio Galleria d’Immagine, Milan.
Ircam, Paris.
Nuove immagini e formazione, Venice.
1988
MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA.
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI.
First International Symposium on Electronic Art, Utrecht.
1987
Ericsson’s Galerie/Atelier, Zürich.
1986
Teatro del Collegio San Giuseppe, Turin.
La Biennale, Venice.
1985
Festival Arte Elettronica, Camerino.
Elettrica, Ferrara.
Computer Style, Florence.
Videoart Festival, Locarno.
Digital Art, Maastricht.
Fine Arts Academy, Macerata.
Il Diagramma Gallery, Milan.
Luciano Inga-Pin.
Contemporary Art Gallery, Milan.
5 x 5 Gallery, Rome.
1984
Festival Arte Elettronica, Camerino.
1983
L’immagine Elettronica, Bologna.
Palazzo Reale, Milan.
SICOF, Milan.
1982
Italian Cultural Institute, Bogotà, Rio de Janeiro.
Filmmaker, Milan.
Antidogma Musica, Turin.
1979
Italian Cultural Institute, Bogotà, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Lima, Mexico City, Montevideo, Quito, Tegucigalpa.