Michele Tombolini (1963) was born and raised in Venice. He began his art studies at the Istituto Statale d’Arte in Venice, experimenting in various artistic disciplines. The paintings – in oil and in mixed techniques on canvas – are today the fulcrum of his work. Graphic designers and photographers collaborate in his team, with whom he manages to push himself into extreme experimentation, between video sculptures, art collages, video photography installations while maintaining his language, his message and his recognisability. The social is at the center of Tombolini’s work and art, also defined as Social Pop. Tombolini has been represented by many international galleries and in Italy, Hong Kong, Miami, Oslo, London, Milan and Venice. In recent years he has been represented by the Cris Contini Contemporary Gallery. In 2015 Tombolini created a mural installation of 18 meters by 13 meters in the heart of Berlin, entitled Butterfly, addressing the abuse of minors in the world in a particularly significant and impactful way. This installation which is part of the cycle of works called Indelible Marks is still visible today at Krossenerstrasse 36 Berlin. In the last two years he has experimented with passion and dedication to augmented reality. In 2019, during the Venice Art Biennale, he installed his mannequin “the beggar” transformed into a homeless woman with a designer bag and positioned it to do charity in the historic center to raise awareness of the new poverty. In 2020 he places an “X”, a now distinctive sign of his work, on the mouth of Banksy’s migrant mural in Venice, creating a performance and news on a work by the great Bristol artist that goes around the world. In 2021 he permanently installed a two and a half meter sculpture entitled XSQUARE, in the center of Mestre VE, depicting his right hand with fingers crossed as a symbol of luck and hope during the terrible period of the pandemic. In 2021 he promotes an installation symbol of climate change The Voice Off The Planet, placing papier-mâché skulls with plants on the head and an X on the mouth throughout Italy, synchronizing with the international group of environmentalists XR: 3 masks on the head of 35 monuments of the main Italian cities on the same day, including: Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo. In 2022 he participates in the Venice Biennale with the Republic of San Marino, in which he had already made a significant appearance by adhering to the invitation to the 55th Venice Biennale at Palazzo Bembo in 2013, together with world-famous artists, such as Hermann Nitsch, Yoko Ono , Roman Opalca, presenting an installation on violence against women.
ESIBIZIONI PERSONALI
2019 Ca ‘Zanardi Venezia esposizione la mendicante
2019 Collaterale Biennale Venezia La Mendicante
2016 Spazio Iqos per Philippe Morris, Milano
2015 Vecchiato Art Gallery, Padova
2014 Emerson Art Gallery, Berlin
2014 Green Art Asia, Hong Kong
2013 Biennale di Venezia collaterale Palazzo Bembo
2012 Vain Art Gallery, Mestre Venezia
2011 Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venezia
2009 Palazzo Michiel, Venezia
2009 Galleria Viola, Novara
2008 Parentesi Studia Gallery, Vittorio Veneto Treviso
GALLERIA
Cris Contini Contemporary COLLETTIVE
2019 Bugno Art Gallery Venezia
2018 Palazzo Lombardia Milano
2018Villa Burba Rho, Milano
2018 Histerya Gallery, Milano
2017 Spazio Tethis Venezia
2016 Spazio TID, Milano
2011 Palazzo regione MILANO
2016 Contini Art Factory,Venezia
2014 Art rooms London
2014 Spazio Tadini, Milano
2010 Galleria Santo Stefano, Venezia
2010 Galleria Viola, Novara
2009 Galleria Barbara Paci, Pietrasanta Lucca
2008 Artvienfalt, Munchen
2008 Missart, Limone del Garda
GALLERIE PRECEDENTI
Galleria Barbara Paci, Pietrasanta Lucca
Galleria Missart, Limone sul Garda
Galleria Santo Stefano, Venezia
Galleria Contini art factory, Venezia
Galleria Berga, Vicenza
Galleria Vecchiato Art Gallery, Padova ARTE FIERE
Arte Verona 2022 Arte Padova 2022
Precious7 Art Basel Miami 2016
Art Fair Bergamo 2015 Padova Arte 2004 – 2008
Miart 2006 ArtVerona 2004 2008
Art Innsbruck 2002 Artmuc 2003
Art Gent 2005 Shanghai Art Fair 2004