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, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA.

His interests span from traditional Asian music, to 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 feliciPalazzo 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 suonoConservatory “G. Verdi”, Milan

2018
When Sound becomes FormMAXXI, 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, BogotàRio de Janeiro

Filmmaker, Milan

Antidogma Musica, Turin

1979
Italian Cultural Institute, BogotàGuatemala City, Guayaquil, Lima, Mexico City, Montevideo, Quito, Tegucigalpa