Biography
Alessandro Cardinale (1977 Padova – Italy) graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.He has been working developing the theme of light and visual perception through many media preferring installation.
He took part to several art exhibitions promoted by art galleries, public institutions and foundations for contemporary art both in Italy and abroad, among which: NAMOC National Art Museum of China – Beijing, Factory 798 Art District – Beijing, Building Bridges Art Foundation – Los Angeles, Italian culture institute of San Francisco.
His artworks are featured in private and public collections: Peano Foundation – Cuneo; Pardes Foundation – Mirano | Venice, Areacreativa42 – Rivarolo | Torino, North Art Space Gallery Jakarta, Indonesia, Building Bridges Art Foundation – Los Angeles.
In 2012 he won the international section of the 5th Beijing International Art Biennale exhibiting at the National Art Museum of China.

For the complete portfolio | per ricevere il portfolio completo dell’artista info@cragallery.com
NU SHU SERIES
Nu Shu is a an artwork about language and communication, in particular it deals with the dynamics of the comprehension of a message. The work has been inspired by the chinese language called “Nu Shu”, a secret women language created in the past in the region of Húnán – China, without men’s knowledge, to share their own memories and experiences secretly written in the embroided fans and suits that men thought to be simple decorations. On the contrary they were encrypted messages that were handed down from generation to generation as silent witness of the female condition of the time. Similar to a sculpture this work also has different points of view: this work changes in appearance according to the point of view of the observer up to entirely change both in the aspect than in the meaning. It is made of carved wooden sticks that recall the shape of the fan on which the messages were written. They are put together so that only from one precise position it is visible the image of an oriental female face, which can be lost when changed, as the “messages” return to be no more comprehensible.
- Equilibrium, 2017, cotton and wood, 110 x 64 cm
- Equilibrium, 2016, cotton and wood, 3000 x 84 cm
- Equilibrium, 2016, cotton and wood, 3000 x 84 cm
- Nu Shu, 2018, Iron + wood, 68x170x30cm
SCRATCHINGS
I re-develop huge slides by scratching a transparent plexiglass surface with a needle point. I start off with a black polished surface and then cross thousands of scratches which initially seem an indefinite line scrap that undergoes long elaboration to unfold into the given shape I want to pursue. Light trespassed the surface through this crossroad of filaments which represent my own personal notes on the whole. In a digital era where images are created and modified more and more rapidly, I recover slowness meant as concentration and balance. I try to trap it on glass scraping off exceeding material, as in a sculpture, spreading what was once a shot in time.
FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY
The artistic research of Alessandro Cardinale starts from sculpture, but soon his attention turns to the loss of its traditional values such as the monumentality and the heaviness, implementing a progressive “abandonment of the material”.It is a constant attempt to reverse the scale of values by giving importance to things that normally are not so important, often concentrating on the absence of material and trying to work and create through it, suggesting ideas and forms, or trying to give substance to concepts that have no weight such as memory and time.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
– Nüshu – Writing the Void
A cura di / curated by Anna Lisa Ghirardi, Marta Boscolo Marchi
Museo d’Arte Orientale, Venezia – Complesso Museo Ca’ Pesaro Italia / Venice – Italy
– See The Unseen
curators: Francesca Cundari, Patrick Pii – Texts by Anna Lisa Ghirardi
iSculpture Art Gallery, San Gimignano – Italy
– Silent Tales
curator: El
2021 CONFINI, CRAG Gallery, Turin – Italy
2018 NU SHU | curators: Francesca Cundari, Patrick Pii, iSculpture Art Gallery – San Gimignano- Italy
2017 DIALOGHI | curator: Elisabetta Donaggio | “L’Occhio” Gallery | Venice – Italy
2016BETWEEN THE LINES | CRAG Gallery | Turin – Italy
I N B E T W E E N | curator: Elisabetta Donaggio | “L’Occhio” Gallery | Venice – Italy
2015 Apocalipsis | curated by: Spazio Supernova | Santa Maria del Torresino Cittadella – Padova, Italy
2014 SUB TRACK | curated by Gaia Pasi | Zak Project Space Gallery | Siena, Italy
2013 FRAMMENTI DI MEMORIA | L’Occhio Gallery | curated by Elisabetta Donaggio | Venezia, Italy
2011 ALESSANDRO CARDINALE solo exhibition | curated by Karin Reisovà | AreaCreativa42 | Rivarolo Torino, Italy
2010 DAL NERO – FROM THE DARK | L’Occhio Gallery | curated by Elisabetta Donaggio | Venezia, Italy
2001 VENUS | Peano Foundation Park | Cuneo, Italy
2000 L’UNO E’ L’ALTRA Installation of the permanent public sculpture | curated by Peano Foundation | Cuneo, Italy
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
– Roma Arte In Nuvola
AXRT Contemporary Gallery, La Nuvola – Roma – Italy
– Art Verona
AXRT Contemporary Gallery, Verona Fiere, Verona – Italy
– Los Angeles Art Show 2024
Building Bridges Art Exchange, Curated by Marisa Caichiolo, Los Angeles – USA
2023
– Mondi Immaginari
Curator: Anna Lisa Ghirardi, Fondazione Raffaele Cominelli, Cisano di San Felice del Benaco, Brescia – Italy
– Roma Arte In Nuvola
AXRT Contemporary Gallery, La Nuvola – Roma – Italy
– Art Stays – 21Th Festival of Contemporary Art
Curators: Jernej Forbici, Marika Vicari, Ptuj – Slovenja
2022
– Roma Arte In Nuvola
AXRT Contemporary Gallery, La Nuvola – Roma – Italy
2021
– Open House Torino
curators: Elisabetta Chiono, Karin Reisovà, CRAG Gallery, Torino – Italy
2020
– CONTEMPORANEAMENTE – Alchimie
Curated by Stefano Forgione – AXRT Contemporary Gallery – Avellino – Italy
– In our eyes
Curated by Elisabetta Chiono, Karin Reisova – CRAG Gallery, Torino – Italy
2018
PINTA MIAMI | Building Bridges Art Exchange, mIAMI
THE RELATIVE SHAPE OF BOUNDARIES | Building Bridges Art Exchange
curated By Marisa Caichiolo, Bergamot Station Art Centre, Los Angeles – USA
2017
SET UP CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR, Crag Gallery, Bologna, Italy
LONDON ART FAIR, Crag Gallery, Business Design Center, London
LOS ANGELES ART SHOW | Building Bridges Art Exchange, curated By Marisa Caichiolo, Los Angels – USA
2016
CONTEMPORARY ZURICH ART FAIR | Crag Gallery, Kongresshaus Zurich, Switzerland
BIENNALE CHINA – ITALY | Curated by Sandro Orlandi and Mian Bu, Plastic Factory #3 Culture Center, Beijing, China
FAR OFF | Federico Rui Arte Contemporanea + Zak Gallery, Maria Wildeis Hansaring | Köln
INFRA – ROSSO | Curated by Gaia Pasi, Teatro Elfo Puccini | Milano
ART PRAGUE, Art Fair, Crag Gallery, Kafka’s House | Prague
2015
6TH BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ART BIENNALE | NAMOC – National Art Museum of China | curator: Wang Yong, Wu Changjiang | Beijing – China
BIENNALE ITALIA – CINA | Curated by Sandro Orlandi and Mian Bu | Mastio della Cittadella |Torino – Italy
FOLLLOW ME | curated By Katharina Rosemberger and Anna Dusi | Italian Cultural Institute | San Francisco – USA
About New Ideas| Curated by Francesco Liggieri | Area 35 Gallery | Milano – Italy
2014
BIENNALE CHINA – ITALY | Curated by Sandro Orlandi and Mian Bu | Factory 798 Art Zone District | Beijing, China
ENERGEIA | curated by Maria Luisa Trevisan | Pardes Foudation | Mirano | Venezia, Italy
ARTE FIERA | Zak Project Space Gallery | curated by Gaia Pasi and Marina Gennari | Bologna, Italy
SET UP ART FAIR | Un Tubo Art | Curated by Gaia Pasi and Stefania Margiacchi | Bologna, Italy
2013
IN NATURA | curated by Gaia Pasi and Marina Gennari | Zak Project Space Gallery | Siena, Italy
THE OTHERS ART FAIR | Ufo Fabrik Art Gallery | Torino, Italy
THE WITCH HUNT | curated by Anna Zerbaro Pezzin | Palazzo Fogazzaro | Schio (Vicenza), Italy
ART VILNIUS | Ufo Fabrik Art Gallery | Vilnius, Lituhania
SOFT POWER | Museo Revoltella | Trieste, Italy
BAF Bergano Art Fair | Ufo Fabrik Art Gallery | Bergamo, Italy
2012
V°BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ART BIENNALE | National Art Museum of China | curated by Wu Changjiang, Wang Jong, | Beijing, China
A BIG ISSUE | curated by Anna Zerbaro Pezzin | Lanificio Conte | Schio (Vicenza) Italy
48 STUNDEN NEUKÖLLN | Silver Silver Lopez Studio Galerie | Berlin, Germany
MOTUS URBIS | Museo Revoltella, | Trieste, Italy
RELATIVITY | curated by Maria Luisa Trevisan | Pardes Foudation | Mirano | Venezia, Italy
2011
RECONSIDERING EARTH | curated by Rifky Effendy | North Art Space Gallery | Jakarta, Indonesia
AMERICA LATO A – LATO B | curated by Anna Zerbaro Pezzin | Palazzo Fogazzaro | Schio, Vicenza, Italy
CUORI SULLA TERRA | curated by Cristina Gennari and Mirella Cisotto | Spazio Ex Macello | Padova, Italy
ADAMÀ | curated by Maria Luisa Trevisan | Pardes Foudation| | Venezia, Italy
2010
GEMINE MUSE | curated by Teresa Iannotta | Padova, Italy
EMERGENZA ARTE | curated by Carolina Lio, Villa Farsetti | Santa Maria di Sala | Venezia, Italy
L’ARCHITETTURA INCONTRA L’ARTE | curated by Stefania Schiavon | Cultural Center San Gaetano | Padova, Italy
ITALIA CREATIVA FESTIVAL | Kursal Santa Lucia theater | Bari, Italy
2009
MOVIMENTAZIONI | curated by Martina Starnini | Palazzo Ducale | Genova, Italy
GARGLING SKY | curated by Polyxene Kasda | Heraclion – Atene, Grece
QUOTIDIANA 09 | curated by Stefania Schiavon and Teresa Iannotta | Palazzo Trevisan | Padova, Italy
2008
IL CORPO NUDO | Galleria Narciso | Fondazione Sandro Penna | Torino, Italy
ARTE IN VERDE | curated by Ornella PiIuso | Società Umanitaria | Milano, Italy
2007
PAESAGGI LETTERARI | curated by Maria Luisa Trevisan | Pardes Foudation| | Venezia, Italy
2006
ARTE & SUD | curated by Antonio Arévalo | Castello di Accastello | Catania, Italy
Prizes
PREMIO CELESTE 2014, (shortlisted)
PREMIO ORA, curated by Carolina Lio (Winner)
V BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ART BIENNALE, NAMOC National Art Museum of China, Beijing – China ( winner of the International section )
CARLO BONATTO MINELLA PRIZE, organised by Areacreativa42, Rivarolo Canavese, Torino (Winner)
INVASIONI E TERAPIE ART PRIZE, Schio Vicenza (Winner)
SCULTURE DA VIVERE PRICE Peano Foundation, Cuneo (Winner)