JOSE’ MANUEL BALLESTER

José Manuel Ballester parte dalla fotografia d’architettura contemporanea, dal razionalismo degli edifici in cemento e vetro o dagli edifici industriali, i magazzini dello storage sempre più simbolici e rappresentativi del mondo attuale. Poi interviene con la pittura per dare vita e nuova luce alle immagini. La sua “lichtung” consiste nel mettere in chiaro l’equilibrio tra ragione e sentimento, tra colore e verticalità delle linee, le gabbie architettoniche e la liberazione del colore. Gli estremismi della ragione possono portare all’oscurità, la pittura resta emozione, intervento umano, momento di pausa nel bosco di una contemporaneità difficile da rischiarare alla ricerca di un sentiero comune di cui non si intravede ancora l’inizio.

BIOGRAPHY

José Manuel Ballester (Madrid, nato nel 1960), pittore e potografo, laurea in Belle Arti nel 1984 presso l'Universidad Complutense di Madrid, Premio Fotografia Spagnola 2010. Ha iniziato la sua carriera artistica con dipinti incentrati sulle tecniche della scuola italiana e fiamminga del XV e XVIII secolo. A partire dal 1990 ha iniziato a combinare pittura e fotografia. Tra le sue numerose esposizioni ricordiamo "Lugares de Paso" (Valencia 2003), "Setting Out (New York 2003) o "Habitación 523" (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid 2005) e ancora "2020/03/15, José Manuel Ballester" (Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao 2020).
Insieme ad altri artisti ha partecipato a numerose mostre come ARTBASEL, ARCO, ART CHICAGO, ART FORUM GERMANIA, FIAC e PARISPHOTO e città come Dallas, Miami, San Paolo, Dubai, Pechino, Shanghai, Toronto e molte altre.
Nel 1999 è stato premiato con il Premio spagnolo dell'acquaforte. Nel 2006 ha ricevuto il Premio Goya per la Pittura di Villa de Madrid e poi nel 2008 ha ricevuto il Premio per la Fotografia della Comunità di Madrid. Ultimamente, ha ricevuto il Premio Fotografia Spagnola 2010 dal Ministero della Cultura. La giuria lo ha votato a maggioranza per la sua storia personale, la sua particolarissima interpretazione dello spazio architettonico e della luce e il suo eccezionale rinnovamento delle tecniche fotografiche.
Le sue opere fanno parte delle collezioni del MNCARS, Marugame Museum for Contemporary Spanish Art in Giappone, IVAM Valencia, Art Museum Miami e Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation Miami, Central Academy of Fine Arts of Pekin, Patio Herreriano, 21 Century Museum of Kentucky, Würth Museum, Telefónica Foundation, Banco Espiritú Santo e Coca Cola Foundation tra gli altri.

Regional Parliament of Guadalajara.

Faculty of Fine Arts of Madrid.

Foundation of Colegio del Rey. Alcalá de Henares.

Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid.

Council of Castilla y Leon, Zamora.

Council of Culture of Community of Murcia.

Collection of IFEMA, Madrid.

Collection Saldañuela. Municipal Savings Bank of Burgos.

Cabinet of Stamps. National Library, Madrid.

Collection of Marugame Hirai of Spanish Contemporary Art

Collection ‘Testimoni’, Foundation of Savings Bank Caixa, Barcelona.

Foundation COAM, Madrid.

Collection Estampa of the Foundation Actilibre. Madrid.

Collection of Queen Sofía Art Center, Madrid.

Collection of Promotion of Construction and Service Agreements, Madrid.

Collection of Spanish Highways, Barcelona.

Iberia Collection, Madrid.

Santader Bank, Madrid.

National Court, Madrid.

National Etching, Madrid.

Philips Morris Collecttion. Madrid.

AENA Collection, Madrid.

ITP, Bilbao and Madrid.

Foundation of Museum of Spanish Contemporary Etching, Marbella.

Collection of Banco Val, Madrid.

Collection of Superior Council of Sports, Madrid.

Collection of Contemporary Art of the City of Pamplona.

Collection of Savings Bank Caja Madrid.

Center of Contemporary Art of Alcorcón.

Torrelaguna Museum, Madrid

CCCB (Contemporary Center of City of Barcelona), Barcelona.

Telefonica Foundation, Madrid.

Artium Museum, Vitoria.

Spanish Embassy in Berlin. Berlin.

IVAM Collection. Valencian Institute of Modern Art. Valencia.

Endesa Collection. Madrid.

Caja de Burgos Collection.

Collection of Patio Herreriano Museum. Contemporary Arts Association.

Collection of Congress of Delegates.

Collection of Puerto de Barcelona.

Espirito Santo Bank. Lisbon. Portugal.

Collection of Astroc Foundation. Palma de Mallorca.

Collection of Community of Madrid.

Collection of Mediterranean Savings Bank. Valencia.

Collection of Cervantes Institute of Pekin.

Collection Pérez Art Museum. Miami.

Bancaja Collection. Valencia.

Cajasol Collection. Sevilla.

Collection of Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO).

Shoes or no Shoes. Museum. Kruishoutem, Belgium.

Collection Fine Arts Museum of Murcia.

Würth Museum Collections. La Rioja.

Cathedral of Burgos Collection.

21C Museum. International Contemporary Art Foundation, Lousville. Kentucky.

Coca Cola Foundation. Spain.

"Generos y Tendencias". Alcobendas Collection. Madrid.

Foundation Maria Cristina Masaveu Peterson.

AENA Foundation. Madrid.

Guggenheim Collection. Bilbao.

Collection SESC Pompeia, Sao Paulo.

Collection Pinacoteca del Estado de Sao Paulo.

Collection Itaú Unibanco S.A. Sao Paolo.

Iberdrola Collecction. Londres, Bilbao.

Collection Evolución Humana Museum, Burgos.

Teatro Real Collection . Madrid.

DKV Collection . Valencia.

La Caixa Collection. Madrid.

Repsol Collection. Madrid.

Caja Rural of Jaen Collection. Jaén.

Contemporary Arts Museum Esteban Vicente Collection. Segovia.

Collection AAL (Arte al Límite). Chile.

Ferrovial Collection. Madrid.

Garrigues Collection. Madrid.

Uria Menéndez Collection. Madrid.

Collection CEART (Centro de Arte Tomas y Valiente), Fuenlabrada, Madrid.

Collection Foundation Picasso. Malaga.

BBVA Collection. Madrid.

Llorente & Cuenca Collection. Madrid.

Collection Museum Pablo Serrano. Zaragoza.

Foundation Juan March Collection. Madrid.

Center Niemeyer Collection, Oviedo.

Collection Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

2021

"Concealed Spaces 2007-2020". New Jerusalem Museum. Istra, Moscow.

2020

"2020/03/15, José Manuel Ballester". Museum Guggenheim Bilbao.

"A day at the Zoo". Pilar Serra Gallery, Madrid.

2019

"Fervor do Brasil". Casa América, Madrid.

"Beauty and Memory: Ubeda, Baeza and Jaen". Hospital of Santiago in Ubeda.

2018

“Fervor of Metropolis”. Cielo de Salamanca Hall and Patio de Escuelas Hall of University of Salamanca.

"Encounters". Bulevar Salvador Allende, Alcobendas. Madrid.

"Fervor of Metropolis". Niemeyer Center, Avilés , Asturias.

2017

"Uninhabited Landscape". Centro de Arte Tomás y Valiente. CEART. Fuenlabrada, Madrid.

"Gli Spazi Nascosti di Jose Manuel Ballester nei Palazzi di Genova". Museo di Palazzo Reale , Musei Strada

Nuova, Palazzo Rosso e Musei di Strada Nuova, Palazzo Bianco. Genova. 2017.

"Al Arbol". Universidad Internacional de Andalucía. (UNAI). Edificio Mena. Málaga.

2016

“Discovered Landscapes: El Bosco, El Greco, Goya”. Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid.

2015

“Blanc Museums”. Ivorypress Galleries. Madrid.

“Allumar”. Museu da Electricidade. Lisboa.

“Backgrounds”. Exhibition room of lower transept of Royal Hospital, Granada. 2015

2014

“Mapamundi”. Rafael Ortiz Gallery, Seville.

" An Abstraction of Reality". Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery, Paris.

"LUX". Centro de Arte Faro Cabo Mayor. Santander.

"Thresholds of Silence". Contemporary Arts Museum Esteban Vicente. Segovia.

"In ictu oculi". Cathedral of Jaen. Jaen.

2013

60 Looks on Ferrovial. Caixa Forum Madrid.

Concealed Spaces. Frost Art Museum . Miami

"Forests of Light ". Tabacalera building.Madrid

2012

"Spazi Nascosti. II Lavoro del Rinascimento italiano". Real Academia de España en Roma

2011

"Arquitectura e Simulacros". Museo Lasar Segall. Sao Paulo

"Reflections", Archaeological Museum of Madrid. 201

"ABSTRACTION IN REALITY". Showroom Alcalá 31. Regional Government of Madrid.

2010

“The Devotion of the Metropolis”. Pinacoteca of the State of Sao Paulo.

2009

"The Big City in Modern China". New Monastery of San Juan de la Peña. Jaca. Huesca.

“Trespass the emptiness”. Almudi Palace. Murcia.

2008

“Photo Miami”. Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery. Paris.

“Spaces for de Music”. Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery. Paris.

“Madrid-berlín”. Palacio de Comunicaciones de Madrid. Madrid.

2007

"Recent works abaut China". Central Academy of Fine Arts. China.

"Hyper-architecture and Hyper-design: New Urban Models in China of the XXI century” Casa Asia, Barcelona.

Foundation Astroc, Madrid.

"Jose Manuel Ballester". Nicholas Metivier Gallery, Toronto.

"Jose Manuel Ballester". Charles Cowles Gallery, New York.

2006

"José Manuel Ballester”. Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery. Paris.

"Following the Line” Vanguardia Gallery. Bilbao.

2005

“Habitación 523” (“Room 523”). Velázquez Palace, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (National Museum, Queen Sofia Art Center)

“Museums” Valencian Institute of Modern Art. Valencia.

2004

“Galleries of Light” Art Center of Savings Bank of Burgos (CAB). Burgos.

"Setting out”. Charles Cowles Gallery. New York.

2003

“Passing by-Locations”. Hall La Gallera. Generalitat Valenciana, Council for Culture and Education. Valencia.

2000

“Traits of Architecture”. ??? of Contemporary Art: Spanish Art. Exhibition hall of the DRAC. Clermont-Ferrand. France.

1999

Rivadavia Hall. Delegation of Cadiz and Cruz Herrera Museum. Line of Conception.

1998

« José Manuel Ballester. Dead Natures ». Camón Aznar Museum, Ibercaja. Zaragoza.

1997

ARCO’97. Antonio de Barnola Gallery.

"International Festival of Arts, City of Medellín”. Palacio de Exposiciones (Exhibition Palace). Medellin,

Columbia.

"Architecture and Landscapes”. Amós Salvador Hall. Cultural Rioja. Logroño.

1996

“The Essential View” . Palacio de Almudi (Almudi Palace).

1995

“Fragments”. Graphic Work. COAM Foundation. Madrid.

1994

Tórculo Gallery. Madrid. (Díptico).

Space of Caja Burgos.

1992

Levy Gallery. Hamburg.

1991

Levy Gallery. Madrid.

1990

Fundación Colegio del Rey (Foundation of Royal Academy). Capilla del Oidor (Chapel of the Hearer). Alcalá de Henares. Madrid.

Hall of Image. Caja San Fernando. Sevilla.

1988

“Time in Freedom”. Albéniz Theater. Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid). Council of Culture.

2019

"COMEBACK" Renacimiento histórico del Arte. Museo Kunsthalle Tübingen, Alemania.

"Luz y Memoria". Exposición en Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal, México.

2018

"Origins". Caja Mediterraneo Foundation. Art Center of Alcoy (CADA), Alcoy, Murcia.

“Lina Bo Bardi: tupí or no tupí”. Juan March Foundation. Madrid.

“Inhabit the Mediterranean”. IVAM, Valencia.

“Twelve photographs in the Prado Museum". Prado Museum, Madrid.

“The Principle Asia”. China, Japan and India and the contemporary art in Spain (1957-2017). Juan March Foundation. Madrid.

ARCO´18. Dan and Pilar Serra Galleries.

2017

ARCO´17. Dan and Pilar Serra Galleries.

2016

“Arts in Palace. 30 years of exhibitions in the Casa del Cordón. Burgos.

"Espacios ocultos / Espacios imaginarios." Galería Hispánica Contemporánea. Mexico.

“Cruz and Ortiz 1/200…….1/2000”. ICO Museum, Madrid

Art Paris Art Fair. Pascal Vanhoecke Gallery, Paris.

ARCO´16. Dan and Pilar Serra Galleries

2015

ARCO´15. Dan and Pilar Serra Galleries.

2013

Selections of the Collection of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao IV. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Seduced by the art: past and present of the photography. Caixa Forum Madrid.

On Painting. Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Seduïts per I´Art. Passat i present de la Fotografia. Obra Social "La Caixa". Barcelona

2012

"KIAF/12". The 11th Korea International Art Fair. El Museo Gallery.

“air_port_photo”. Botanic Garden. Aena Foundation. Madrid.

“Art as Life”. Sala Kubo in San Sebastian. Pilar Citoler Collection.

2011

“VIENNA FAIR”. Galería Distrito 4, Madrid. International Fair of Contemporary Art of Vienna, Austria.

“MADRIDFOTO”. Pilar Serra Gallery, Madrid. International Contemporary Photography Fair.

"ART BRUSSELS”. Galería Distrito 4, Madrid. International Fair of Contemporary Art in Brussels. Belgium.

Fictions and Realities. Spanish Art as of 2000 in the Collection of Contemporary Art. Patio Herreriano Museum.Moscow.

ZOOM. Marlborough Gallery. Madrid.

2010

“SPANISH MUSE”: A Contemporary Response. Meadows Museum. Dallas.

2009

"Poetics of the 20th Century". Regional Museum of Modern Art of Cartagena. Murcia.

"Far away.....so close". National Museum of Soares dos Reis de Oporto. Portugal.

2008

The Stenersen Museum, Oslo.

Kuntsi Museum of Moderm Art, Vaasa. Finland.

National Museum of Photography, Royal Library, Copenhagen.

“Abstractions”. Charles Cowles Gallery. New York.

SPAIN 1957-2007. Palermo, Palazzo Sant’Elia. Italy.

"Plus Marca Art and Sports". IVAM. Museum of Modern Art of Valencia. Iberia Center for Contemporany Art.

Beijing

"Meeting Likes". Iberia Center for Contemporany Art. Beijing.

2007

“SALZILLO 21”, Veronicas Hall. Murcia.

PARISPHOTO 2007.Charles Cowles Gallery.Paris, France.

1 ST PHOTOGRAPHY CIRCUIT . Dan Gallery. Sao Paulo.

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC. Nicholas Metivier Gallery. Toronto.

RADIANCES . Cloister of Burgos Cathedral. Burgos.

2006

“Imaginary Spaces” El Corte Inglés. Madrid.

ARTBASEL: Galería Joan Prats. Basel.

"Enlaces+Dos. Últimas adquisiciones. Colección Arte Contemporáneo. Museo Patio Herreriano, Valladolid.

"Ouverture du nouvel space”. Galería Pascal Vanhoecke, París.

FIAC 2006: Galería Distrito 4, París.

PARISPHOTO 2006: Galería Charles Cowles, Galería Estiarte.

"Modern Photographs: The Machine, the Body and the City: Selections from the Charles Cowles Collection”.

MAM. (MUSEO DE ARTE DE MIAMI). EE.UU.

"Arquitecturas de la vida cotidiana” Modelos y aplicaciones en la España de los siglos XX y XXI. Museo Nacional de la Revolución Hanoi. Vietnam.

2005

Estiarte, Museum, Arts Center Conde Duque. Madrid.

" Enlaces+Dos” (“Bondings+Two”) Recent Acquisitions. Collection of Contemporary Art. Patio Herreriano

Museum. Valladolid.

MAM. (ART MUSEUM OF MIAMI).

"Architectures of the Ordinary Life” Models and applications in Spain’s XX and XXI century.

National Musuem of Hanoi Revolution. Vietnam.

ARTBASEL: Joan Prats Gallery. Basel.

" Fountains” IVAM. Museum of Modern Art of Valencia.

2004

“ The city that never existed. Fantastic architecture of the occidental art” CCCB of Barcelona and Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao (Bilbao Fine Arts Museum).

" Light and Atmosphere” Miami Art Museum. 23 April – 19 September 2004. Miami.

" Monochromes. From Malevich to the Present”.Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Madrid . (Queen Sofia Arts Center).

2003

"La Spagna dipinge il Novecento”. Collection of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (National Museum,Queen Sofia Arts Center).Course Museum. Rome. Italy.

" FORO SUR”. District 4 Gallery. Cáceres.

" Memory of a Route”. Collection of Caja de Burgos (Savings Bank of Burgos). Circle of Fine Arts. Madrid.

FIAC Paris 2003. DV Gallery. France.

2002

" Hall of Spring”. Antonio de Barnola Gallery. Montreal. Canada.

" Big South. New Spanish Art. Hamburger Bahnhof (Hamburg Train Station). Berlin. Germany.

" The Century of Picasso” Collection of Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Queen Sofia Arts Center). National Gallery of Athens. Greece.

" Arts and Sports”. Arts Center of Almeria Museum. Almeria.

Simultanious exhibition “2002 National Award of Engraving and Graphic Art”. ARTIUM Center-Basque Museum of Contemporary Art Victoria-Gasteiz.

2001

" Keys to the XX Century” Museum of Arts and Sciences of Valencia. Valencia.

" Spanish Art of the 80’s and 90’s in the collections of the Museum Centro de Arte Reina Sofía” (Queen Sofia Arts Center).

" Impressions”. Touring exhibition: National Copper Engraving. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San

Fernando. Madrid. (Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Madrid) Museo de Pasión (Museum of Passion), Fundación Municipal de Cultura (Municipal Foundation of Culture), Valladolid. Palacio Caja Cantabria,

Santillana del Mar. Museum of Engraving Art in Digital Stamping, Outeiro-Artes, A Coruña.

" Contemporary Madrid” Acquisitions 1999-2001. Permanent exhibition. Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid. Madrid.

2000

National Award of Engraving. Touring exhibition: Palacio de Sástago, Zaragoza. National Copper Engraving.

Museum of Navarra, Pamplona. University Hall. Santander. City Hall. Logroño.

Morera Museum. Lleida.

1998.

" Hundred and … postal cards to Federico Garcia Lorca 1898- 1998”. Postal and Telegraphic Museum. Madrid.

1997

ART FORUM’97, Berlín. Antonio de Barnola Gallery. Berlín.

1995

" Madrid seen by eight painters.” City Museum, City Hall, Madrid.

Biannual Festival of Alexandria”. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Spain. Alexandria, Egypt.

" The Contemporary Spirit of Realism”. El Museo Gallery. Bogota. Columbia.

1993

“Young Painters of the European Community”. Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Touring exhibition: Seoul Arts Center y Hangaran Art Gallery.

«Nobody’s Land ». Museum of Fine Arts, Bilbao and Regional Delegation of Cadiz

1991

" The Landscape in the Contemporary Spanisch Painting”. Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Touring exhibition in Germany: Unterer Rathausfletz”. Augsburg and City Hall of Norderstedt. Hamburg.

" The Realisms in Contemporary Spanish Arts”. Takashimaya Museums: Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto. Japan.

1989

“Existence: 14 Masters of Realism”. Caja San Fernando. Chicarreros Hall. Sevilla.

Madrid Prints: 11 Artists working in Madrid". Scottish Arts Council y Comunidad de Madrid. Edinburgh Festival

Exhibition. Print-Workshop Gallery. Edinburgh.

Levy Gallery. Madrid.

1988

“XVIII Edition of Painting Award, City of Alcala”. Capilla del Oidor (Chapel of the Hearer). Alcala de Henares. Madrid.

"Young Designers of Europe". Comission of the European Communities with the Design Council. Glasgow, Scotland.

1987

«Young Madrid ». Collective of young artists of Madrid. Yesqueros Gallery. Murcia.

«IV Hall of Young Painting of Madrid » Juvenile’s Council of the City Administration, Madrid.