Louis Celia Zippo
Main themes in his works are humanity, the environment and nature, which he likes to show in black and white images. He is attracted to light like moths to a candle and will maybe one day get burned by the flame. Light, its appearance, and the release of the camera shutter are like breathing for him.
After his studies in beverage-technology he developed a deep interest in photography as an assistant to fashion photographers at the studios of the Elle magazine in Paris and received a spiritual approach to this unknown language at the Salzburg International Summer academy of Fine Arts in the class photography with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher.
1992 exhibition of his Passerwasser (catalogue), 1994 the book Transumanza and 1997 Des Weges was published (an outstanding edition with “brocia d’or”). Projects and exhibitions have followed, like à Paris, Sole, Durchs milde wilde Kurdistan, Farbenfrieden, Baalbek, nuclear con/fusion and All that jazz.
He has had solo and group exhibitions e.g. in the Foto Forum gallery, Bolzano (1997), at the International Photography Gathering, Aleppo (2001), in the gallery Espace SD, Beirut (2003), in the Total Arts gallery, Dubai (2004), at the Circuito OFF Fotografia Europea, Gualtieri (2021) and at the Bolzano Art Weeks, Frangarto (2022) and Bolzano (2023).
Education
2018
Masterclass Visual Storytelling with Alison Morley and Saul Metnick, Camera, Torino (ITA)
2014
International EMBA, SMBS, Salzburg (AUT)
1995 et al.
Workshops with the photographers Claude Nori, Guy Le Querrec, Andreas Weidner et. al. (ITA/CH)
1986
Salzburg International Summer academy of Fine Arts, Course photography with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher, Salzburg (AUT)
1984
Beverage Technology, Fachhochschule Wiesbaden, Geisenheim (GER)
Solo shows (selection)
2024
De zona rubra (catalogue), Atelier Im Kult, Marling (ITA)
Light in the cities I, Appendix Art Hub, Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg (AUT)
2014
All that jazz, Open air art gallery Gries Art Space, Lana (ITA)
All that jazz, University of Bolzano Library, Bozen (ITA)
2013
Durchs milde Kurdistan (slide show), Kunsthaus Meran, Meran (ITA)
2009
Durchs milde Kurdistan, Atelierhaus, Museion, Bozen (ITA)
2006
nuclear con/fusion, AP Gallery, Bozen (ITA)
2004
nuclear con/fusion (with Vera Lopes), Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine (FRA)
2002
All that Jazz, Parkhotel Laurin, Bozen (ITA)
2000
Sole, Vocational school Luis Zuegg, Meran (ITA)
1998
à Paris, gallery Spectrum, Linz (AUT)
1997
à Paris, gallery Fotoforum, Bozen (ITA)
Des Weges (book), Agricultural Museum Brunnenburg, Tirol (ITA)
1995
Passerwasser, Espace Vue d’Ailleurs, Paris (FRA)
1994
Transumanza (book), Verein der Bücherwürmer, Lana (ITA)
1993
Passerwasser, National Park Adamello, Saviore (ITA)
Passerwasser, gallery Fotoforum West, Innsbruck (AUT)
1992
Passerwasser (catalogue), Lesesaal, Kurhaus, Meran (ITA)
Group shows (selection)
2023
Bolzano Art Weeks, Gemeinschaftszentrum Maria Heim, Bozen (ITA)
2022
Bolzano Art Weeks, Atelier Louis Celia Zippo, Frangart (ITA)
2021
Artists for Merano, Palais Mamming, Meran (ITA)
Sulla Luna e sulla Terra/fate largo ai sognatori! Circuito OFF-Fotografia Europea, Palazzo Bentivoglio, Gualtieri (ITA)
2017
Was ist Heimat? (catalogue), Touring exhibition, NöART, (AUT)
2015
25 Jahre Galerie Spectrum (catalogue), OÖ Landesdienstleistungszentrum, Linz (AUT)
2010
20 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz (AUT)
2009
4 x HerzBunker = Museum der Herzen, Museum der Herzen, Saltaus (ITA)
Konflikte oder die Gegenwart in der Vergangenheit (catalogue), Tammerburg, Lienz (AUT)
2006
summerendphotonights, open-air photofestival, Meran (ITA)
2005
hypegallery, galleria Assab One-Ex Gea, Milan (ITA)
2004
International Visual Art Exhibition (catalogue), gallery Total Arts, Dubai (UAE)
Arredo, Fiera di Bolzano, Bozen (ITA)
die nacht, la notte, Gunpowder Tower, Meran (ITA)
hypegallery.fr, online gallery, (web)
2003
Percorsi d’Arte (catalogue), Villa Graziani, San Giustino (ITA)
Ten Views, gallery espace sd, Beirut (LEB)
Foto in Cena, Espaço Sesc, Rio de Janeiro (BRA)
10 Jahre Fotoforum, Galerie Fotoforum, Bozen (ITA)
2001
The 5th. International Photography Gathering (catalogue), Aleppo (SYR)
Fotospectrum, Kammerhofgalerie of the city Gmunden, Gmunden (AUT)
2000
10 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz (AUT)
Übergänge (book), Expo 2000, Hannover (GER)
1999 – 2002
Überblick: die Fotoszene in Südtirol (catalogue), Touring exhibition in 7 galleries in Austria and Italy (AUT/ITA)
1999
Hundert Jahre, Hundert Bilder, (slide show, catalogue), Galerie Fotoforum, Bozen (ITA)
1998
Projekt Camera Obscura, Art school Gardeina, St. Ulrich (ITA)
1994
Panorama – young art in South Tyrol (catalogue), fair area, Bozen (ITA)
panorama & panorama, Galerie Klemens Gasser, Bozen (ITA)
1993
Giovani fotografi italiani, Spazio Ansaldo, Milan (ITA)
Giovani fotografi italiani, Sala Piazza Grande, Modena (ITA)
1989
150 Jahre Fotografie, Landesfürstliche Burg, Meran (ITA)
1987
Bäume, Artgallery Volksbank, Meran (ITA)
Expierences/Awards
2024
Artist in residence (AIR), Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg (AUT)
2009
Nomination Durst Fotopreis, Tammerburg, Lienz (AUT)
2004
Artist in residence, Fondation Ténot, Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine (FRA)
2000
Brocia d’Or for the book Des Weges, the award for communication in South Tyrol (ITA)
1998
Diploma for creative excellence, Hasselblad Open, International Photo Contest (SWE)
1996
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the book Des Weges (ITA)
1990
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the project Passerwasser (ITA)
1985
Assistant of fashion photographers, Studio Elle, Paris (FRA)
1978
Photo award Alto Adige newspaper, Merano (ITA)
Books/Catalogues
2024
De zona rubra, catalogue, 15 B/W photos colored by hand by Monika Hartl, text Heidy Kessler, limited edition of 330 copies, numbered and signed by hand, Marling (ITA)
1997
Des Weges, book, 51 B/W photos, text Markus Vallazza, Edition Raetia, Bolzano (ITA)
1994
Transumanza, book, 15 B/W and 61 color photos, text Siegfried W. de Rachewiltz and Roberto Togni, Edition Sturzflüge/Edition
Löwenzahn, Bolzano/Innsbruck (ITA/AUT)
1992
Passerwasser, catalogue, 15 B/W photos, text Ken Damy, limited edition of 550 copies, numbered and signed by hand, Merano (ITA)
Collections
Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine (FRA)
Museo Ken Damy, Brescia (ITA)
Museum der Herzen, Saltaus (ITA)
Gallery Total Arts, Dubai (UAE)
Kunstsammlung des Landes Oberösterreich, Linz (AUT)
Sammlung des Tiroler Archivs für fotografische Kunst und Dokumentation, Lienz (AUT)
Parkhotel Laurin, Bolzano (ITA)
Private collections
