PRESS RELEASE
Alessandro Volpin (1973) will open his personal exhibition NOSTALGIA Berliin/Tallinn/Helsingi 2002/2012 in Draakon gallery at 6pm on July 29th, 2013.
In august 2002 I travelled from Italy with four friends to Berlin by car for a traditional skateboarding tour, except this time it was only a beginning of a trip that is still going on for me: I continued alone by bus to Tallinn, and then by boat to Helsinki.
Ten years ago it was my first trip ever out to Eastern and Northern Europe. Although the memories of that trip feel so close, as it all was yesterday - a lot has happened in the meantime.
Ten years ago the only affordable way to get to Tallinn from Berlin was by bus, a 28-hour trip passing four borders with checkpoints.
Ten years ago Estonia was still not in the Schengen, nor EU.
Ten Years ago there were the Kroons and Italy just had abandoned the Lire for Euro.
Ten years ago there was no idea of any crisis, also the real consumption boom was yet to come.
Ten years ago the climate was different.
Ten years ago photography was different too, with not so many digital cameras, smartphones around and relateds blog.
Things have changed. People of course have become older, some skateboarding spots have become unusable for a reason or another, new spots have emerged. Urban landscape has changed with economy, borders have expanded, friends have moved on, and at the same time - the streets are the same. What's not changed for me is the passion to get out on the streets, to meet people and to document.
That summer ten years ago I met a lot of people on my way, old friends and new, already legends and future talents, Giordano Pignatelli, Claudio Fontana, Alex Sirvin, David Freiss, Sandra Ziae-Fanni, Daniel Schulz, Denis Beltramelli, Sam Ivanov, Alex Hollestein, Arne Kruger, Till Kemner, Flo Bodenhammer, Lennie Burmeister, Adam Sello, Willow, Jan Kliever, Dimitri Stathis, Maxim Rosenbauer, Valeri Rosomako, Yannick Schall, Mirko, Sarawut Wopeng, Dominick Heinsch, Mack McKelton, Javier Mendizibal, Manuel Palacios, Roman Asthler, Mark Haziza, Christopher Leib, Alex, Klaus Theuerkauf, Alex Flach, Bianca Richter, Maria-Kristiina Soomre, Ave Kuik, Valentin Kuik, Kädi Talvoja, Mari Laanemets, Paul Kuimet, Karin Lansoo, Hanno Soans, Ats Luik, Erki Lastik, Kristopher Luigend, Tanel Tepper, Martin Kuum, Jan Tomson, Karli Luik, Ingrid Ruudi, Wille Makela, Jouni Salo, Juhani Salo, Harri Puupponen, Tuukka Uosukainen, Nora Uotila, Antti Uotila, Jani Laitiala, Pirkka Pollari, Sami Miettinen, Jesse Huttunen and Niklas Salonaho.
Nostalgia is a feeling full of contradictions, it can only happen through comparisons, it is only valid if there is something to remember.
Alessandro Volpin
Exhibition will be open until August 10, 2013.
Exhibition is supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Irie Daily and Trattoria del Gallo Nero..
Exhibitions in Draakon gallery are supported by Estonian Ministry of Culture.
Thanks to: my family, Giuseppe Morandi, Sandra Ziae-Fanni, Rene' Krueger, Danny Schulz, Sam Ivanov, Arne Kruger and Radio skateboards in Berlin, Reimo Võsa-Tangsoo, Marge Monko, Haigla crew in Tallinn, Tanel Tepper, Perus crew in Helsinki, Antti&Nora Uotila, Tuukka Kaila and all friends I met so far on the path.
Janar Ala. Rulataja Alessandro Volpin üllatas rikkaliku fotonäitusega. ERR, 31.07.2013
Saatelink: http://etv.err.ee/arhiiv.php?id=140989
Alessandro Volpini isiknäitus. ERR Delta, 30.07.2013
ALESSANDRO VOLPIN
Born: November 15th 1973 in Padua
Citizenship: Italian
Residence: Tallinn, Estonia
Freelance photographer of skateboarding, snowboarding, interior and lifestyle and
design skateparks.
EDUCATION
1994 I.S.A. P. Selvatico, Padua, department of Architecture and Interior Design.
2000 Scuola Italiana Design, Padua. Industrial Design.
School of the Region of Veneto, Padua. Communication operator.
2001 School of the Region of Veneto, Padua. Autocad 2000 2D-3D, computer course.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
2000 Fabrica. (Benetton, Oliviero Toscani) Department of industrial design.
External consultant, modelmaking with designer Jaime Hayon.
2001 The 49-th Venice Biennial, Austrian Pavillion. Artistic collaborator for the live
performance group Gelatine.
2002 Comvert. External consultant, product designer for prototype.
2000 - President of the Skateboard Project Ass. and Instructor of skateboarding for
kids. Organizer of skateboarding courses. Organiser of skateboarding Contests
in Padua and Venice.
2003 - Manager, designer and main constructor of the “Enterprise Skatepark” Padua.
2004 - Collaboration with clothing brands Murder and Tofino (photography), and the skateshop “Shopanik”.
2005 - Collaboration with clothing brand Broke, publicity & photo.
Photos for the CD of an Italian band Redworm’s Farm (halleynation.com)
2006 - Photo reports: Etnies cup Munich, Slam Trick, European Championship Basel, Slaughter contest_Merano for Freestyler skateboard magazine (Italy). Skateboarding course for kids in Limena, Italy; workshop of skate structures
for Youth-project in Padua.
2007 - Design and built street area in Lido (Venice) for a skateboarding event for NoDSN
Cover Beach Brother magazine issue 31 july/august – Hossegor (France) with Georges Agonkouin
2008 - Photo lifestyle Kingpin magazine with Fabio Montagner, and London lifestyle
2009 - Sequence with Madars Apse itw july issue and photo gallery with Giulio
Pietroiusti issue november
Red Bull photography project in Milan Ride mailand with Mack McKelton
ITW Madars Apse su Beach Brother magazine in France
Continuous collaboration and published stuff with different magazines, STYLE,
(Berlin), 6AM Skateboard Culture Magazine, Baco magazine, Skateboard
magazine, Surf News, Italy, Kingpin skateboarding europa, Beach Brother
mag, (France) Sahtel, (Estonia) Freeze (Belgium).
2011 - Collabo photography with brand 55DSL worldwide limited edition T-shirt FW 12/13
2012/13 – currently adviser italian wine&food at Trattoria del Gallo Nero Lai tn 32,
free-lance photographer skateboarding for european magazines.
EXHIBITIONS
2001 Photo piece “Travel-shirt collection” at the exhibition “Segnali all’orizzonte.
Signs on Horizon” Padua Youth Project.
2003 Video “Venice-Berlin” (With Alex Sirvin and Giordano Pignatelli) at the 50-th Venice Biennale, Arsenale, Utopia Station. Project “Border Device” by Multiplicity.
ESTONIA experience
2006 work at KUMU in Tallinn for the opening, building installation of artwork.
2009 summer work like italian barman at Osteria Gallo Nero Rataskaevu 4 Tallinn
2010 summer/autumn help chef at Nunne7 restoran
2010/11 autumn/winter barman at Gallo Nero
2011/12 external collaboration for Temnikova&Kasela Gallery -installation artwork-