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 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