Short Biography
Margherita Gramegna - multimedia artist filmmaker, born in Italy, currently based in UK. Trained initially in graphic arts and later involved in video production following a creative collaboration that lead to the founding of ‘Ripetta 9’ studio in Rome. Graduated in Video Media Arts at University College for the Creative Arts, followed by further experimentation with film, photography, music and live art.
Work includes interactive site-specific interventions exploring connectivity in cultural differences and issues related to belonging and mutual acceptance within a foreign environment. Showcased in the UK and Europe including Whitechapel Gallery and Cannes Film Festival winning Emergeandsee film festival, Berlin.
Practice also includes curatorial and cultural-exchange activities working in conjunction with the Valenciennes (Fr) and Medway (UK) International Relations.
Margherita is a full member artist at Lighten Up, www.lightenuparts.com
Statement
Margherita Gramegna’s art explores modes of connectivity: abstract, emotional as well as physical, observing human behaviour and investigating possibilities for interaction.
Her art is catalyzed by her continuing interest in inter-relationships between people particularly in the context of cultural-diversities, questioning the extent to which they can be held responsible for breakdown in communication and to what degree that is influenced by the personality of the individuals. Her work translates her concern with how cultural difference can create obstacles to communication, and yet how they can open one up to a higher understanding and appreciation of life in general. Her art proposes angles of observation and adaptations on these themes; using herself as the subject and also engaging with the role of the viewer she explore issues related to belonging and mutual acceptance within a foreign environment often choosing a playful approach. (See First Impressions)
Working across media using audio/video, photography, visual and live art she experiments with dynamic interventions engaging with the public and the environment recording people’s responses in relation to her output and the presence of the camera. (See Nel Nome del Padre) Music and humour elements are recurrently employed to create accessibility to her work. (See Perdutamente Mia)
Her art is situated within the gallery and film festival but also with the wider public realm, away from the limitations of the conventional art and film spaces, exploring the boundaries of her practice through site-specific, outdoor projects involving communities and places. (See On the Street)
Her work also aim to achieve tangible effects or transformations, whether of mind, perception or physical that allows her to contribute to the development of an area building bridges and creating connections between people and places. (See Artists don’t Bite)
Experimental processes and experiential practices are as essential to her work as the final outcome; she invests in ideas of process, presence and experience as much as in the production of an effect or result.
She has exhibited in solo, group exhibitions and film festivals in the UK and Europe, including Whitechapel Gallery, Raindance and 60th Cannes Film Festival-Short Films Corner winning Emergeandsee film festival, Berlin.
Projects includes Artists Don’t Bite with Art at the Centre, an Arts Council England funded initiative, Maidstone; Messing with Mozart with the City of London Sinfonia; A Kentish Gypsy Tale video installation at Rochester Cathedral; Scopos, collective, Kaleidoscope gallery, Sevenoaks, Angles solo exhibition F.A.R.M.4, Barcelona; Galeria, Parc de l'Espanya Industrial, Barcelona, Summer Salad, Poble Espanyol, Barcelona.
Practice also includes curatorial and cultural-exchange activities working in conjunction with the Valenciennes (Fr) and Medway (UK) International Relations.
Forthcoming projects
My Kind video installation and touring exhibition.
51-0 Film Festival and International Cultural Exchange Activities Programme with links to France, Berlin, Amsterdam and Italy. Awarded by NAN Go and See bursary (a-n The Artists Information Company). Supported by Valenciennes Council; Medway Council; University College for the Creative Arts-Pop Up Gallery; Hundred of Hoo School; Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone; Lighten Up. Funded by Kent County Council-Arts Development.
Previously produced and curated projects have been funded by:
(see Awards/Grants in CV)
C.V. - CV download
MARGHERITA GRAMEGNA www.margheritagramegna.co.uk margheritagramegna@yahoo.co.uk +44(0)7932 698 209
FORMAL EDUCATION
•University College for the Creative Arts, BA (Hons) Video Media Arts, 2001-04.
•La Sapienza, University of Rome, New Media-Sociology of Communications; English, Cinema & Theatre part/studies degree, 1987-89.
•Comune di Roma, Graphic & Advertising Diploma, 1986-87.
•Istituto Belzoni, Padova, School living certificate, 1981-85.
SELECTED TRAINING:
•Researcher/ Producer. Ravensbourne College, 2007.
•Camera training and Production Techniques. The Video and Film Workshop, 2007.
•Documentary project development & pitching. UCA, Farnham, 2006.
•Production budget & use of equipment. Platform 1, London, 2006.
FILM FESTIVALS / TV
2010 Cut Films, London
2009 ITV, South East England
2007 Raindance, London, England
2007 Cannes 60th - Short Film Corner, Cannes, France
2007 Loop, Barcelona
2006 Supershort, London, Manchester
2006 Emergeandsee, Berlin, London, Budapest
2006 Zlinky Pes, Zlin, Czech Republic
2004 Eat Our Shorts, NFT, London
1992 U-Tape, Ferrara, Italy
1992 Festival Di Torino, Torino, Italy
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008 Artists don’t Bite, Town Hall, Maidstone, England. Video installation.
2005 Angles, FARM 4, Barcelona.
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWS
2010 Whitstable Biennale Satellite On the Street-Intervention Series, video-installation.
2010 Kaleidoscope, Sevenoaks, UK - Scopos.
2009 Exhibitions-Spot 2, Ignition Gallery, The Joiners Shop, Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, UK.
2008 Graham Clarke Gallery, Maidstone, UK - Artists Don’t Bite. Video screening, interviews.
2008 Maidstone Town Centre, UK - launch of Buskers Spot 1. Show: music, art, performance etc.
2008 Corn Exchange, Rochester, UK - Bespoke.
2008 Nucleus, Medway, England.
2007 Rochester Cathedral, UK - A Kentish Gypsy Tale.
2006 NAC, Medway, UK - Now and Then; Adam and Eve. Video and Photography.
2005 Summer Salad, Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain. Show: performance and video.
2005 Galleria, Parc de l'Espanya Industrial, Barcelona, Spain.
2004 Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, England.
1992 Festival di Narni, Narni, Italy.
1992 Museo di Arte Contemporanea – Universita’ La Sapienza, Rome Italy.
RESIDENCIES
2007-2011 Hundred of Hoo School. Hundred of Hoo, England.
AWARDS
2006 Emergeandsee film festival. Berlin, London, Budapest. Winner.
2006 Chatham Vine Award. Chatham, England. Final short list.
2008 Medway Cultural Award. Medway, England. Commendation: Best Kept Secret. Nomination Visual Arts, Best Newcomer.
2009 Rouse Kent Award. England. Nomination for ‘Artists don’t Bite’.
2010 Medway Cultural Award. Medway, England. Nomination New Media, Tourism
GRANTS
2012 Kent County Council
2011 NAN Go and See bursary, a-n The Artists Information Company.
2010 Better Medway
2010 Grass Root
2008 Maidstone Borough Council - Art At The Centre
2008 Arts Council England
REVIEWS
2011 a-n Magazine. Aug 2011 issue. NAN Go and See bursary.
2008 a-n Magazine. Dec-Jan 2008/9 issue. Review by Mark Hewitt.
2008 AQQ-Artists Quarter Quarterly. Review by Mark Hewitt.
2007 Made in Medway. Steve Rowland-Bianca Donnelly
2005 Le Cool. Dec issue. Review by Rigo Pex.
2005 Departure42. Barcelona
2005 Tendencia. Barcelona
2005 LO Magazine. Review by Adi Jorda’
FILMS
2012 Bianche scogliere di Dover, forthcoming
2011 Cliffe Skate Crew
2010 Ciggy Busters
2008 Artists don’t Bite
2007 A Kentish Gypsy Tale
2005 Dancing is a possibility (Barcelona version)
2005 Faces of the Future
2005 Nel Nome del Padre
2004 First impressions from people that I met on the street
2004 A Story
2004 I am not a puff
2003 Amazing Gaze
2003 Casa mia, casa mia…
2003 What goes round comes round
2002 Perdutamente mia
2002 Skid marks
2002 Sola
2001 An Italian Trademark
SELECTED PROJECTS / COMMISSIONS
2010 Ciggy Busters. Anti smoking campaign with Hundred of Hoo School; Film-Club exchange project with Valenciennes, France. Funders: Better Medway, Grass Root. Selected by Cut Film, The Deborah Hutton Campaign.
2010-12 CCIF. Promo, Fashion, University College for the Creative Arts
2009 Figure Ground. Photographic documentation: Brighton, Bracknell, Chatham and London.
2009 Medway Culture Strategy. Promotional for Medway Council.
2009 Medway Summer Festivals. Promotional for Medway Council.
2009 Digi Gift Cards. Fuse Festival, Medway.
2009 Dickens World. Commercial ITV South East England.
2008 Artists don’t Bite. Project part of Art at the Centre scheme. Funder: Arts Council England; Supported by Maidstone Borough Council
2008 Messing with Mozart. London Sinfonia Orchestra collaboration. Commissioner: Youth Music.
2008 Medway Muse for Made in Medway art publication.
2008 My Space Project documentation.
2007 A Kentish Gypsy Tale. Video-essay for Many Tales exhibition, Rochester Cathedral.
2006 iC-Berlin. Promo
2006 Seafort by Stephen Turner. Film editing of 6 short films.
2005 Daydream by Maurita Van Droogenbroeck. Film editing for Berlinale Talent Campus.
2005 Research/camera Hiro Enoki at Goldsmith University, London
1995-2011 James Taylor-JTQ, photography, promotional material.
1990-93 La Madonna by Theo Eshetu. Research, graphics and video production collaboration, Ripetta 9, Rome;
SELECTED GRAPHICS
1990-2011 Design & Publicity material for Artists don’t Bite; Spot 1; Angles; JTQ; New Jersey Kings; Acid-Jazz record label; Simon Wallace & Fran Landesman composer/songwriter; Designers Formation theatre design; Joanna Martin broadcast journalist. Freelance with graphics and marketing studios: P.A.I., UK; BIG, Rome; Ricevuto, Rome; First of May Programmes music festivals, London.
