SCHOOL EDUCATION

1993High School Diploma
1995 Winner of the scholarship Erasmus I studied Photography, Graphics and Audiovisual at the "Universidad Real de Bellas Artes" of Granada (Spain)
1997Winner of scholar-ship Leonardo, I worked for three months as camerawoman at
the Malaga-TV (Spain)
1998Graduated in Fine Arts at "Accademia di Belle Arti" Florence- Italy with the following Thesis: "The origin of the "Cante Jondo"" (110/110)

RESIDENCES

2007 Selected for the Artist Residence Program at Global Arts Village (Delhi India)
2006Selected for the Artist Residence Program at Gozo Contemporary (Malta)
2005 Selected for the Artist Residence Program at Taipei Artist Village (Taipei Taiwan)
2003Selected for the Artist Residence Program at Europos Parkas, the Open-Air Contemporary Art Museum of the Centre of Europe Vilnius (Lithuania)

PRIZES

2006Finalist of the prize Premio Celeste, young prize for the Italian figurative arts (Florence Italy)
2005 Winner of the prize Movin up for the young artist mobility around the world (Turin- Italy)
Finalist of the Prize for Young Photographer Fotoesordio (University Tor Vergata of Rome Italy)
2003Selected for the XI Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (Athens Greece)
Signaled of the Jury at the Prize of Poems Rivoli 2003 (Turin Italy)
Finalist of the Literature Prize Marguerite Yourcenar (Italy)
2002 Winner of the Literature Prize Nuove Lettere with the group of tales Cretans Tales
(Italian Institute of Culture Naples - Italy)
Second Prize of the Photo Competition Ruba un raggio di sole per linverno Citt di Castello (Italy)
Signaled of the Jury at International Exhibition of Photographic Art The Hat in the world, organized by C.I.F.A. PhotoGallery and UNESCO (Alessandria - Italy), Arles and Caussade-Septfonds (France), Edegem (Belgium), Buenos Aires, Rosario and Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Selected for the National Exhibition of Photography The Children in the world (Genoa Italy) (Art-commissioner: FIAF Italian Federation Photographic Associations)

WORKSHOPS

2006 Selected for the art workshop MAM Mediterranean Art Meeting (Bomba Lake Italy)
2004 Seminary of sculpture in slake (Caves of Slate in Molini di Triora Italy)
2001 Seminary on The history of Spanish ceramics (Ceramics Museum of Barcelona
Spain)
1999Seminar-workshop with the Spanish artist Rogelio Lopez Cuenon The artist and the city.(Malaga-Spain)
1998Seminary of plastic-art with the artist Luigi Stoisa and with Sergio Risaliti, the director of the Contemporary Art Museum Le Papesse at Siena.(Turin-Italy)
Monographic course about The life and the art of Pablo Picasso, organized by Foundation Picasso, University and Municipality of Malaga (Spain)

ARTS EXHIBITIONS

2007 Exhibition at Kernot Art Gallery (Paris France) curated by Alberta Pane
Exhibition Art for Prabhat at the Global Artist Village (Delhi India)
2006 Exhibition The Barbie Picture Show CVB Space di New York curated by Stefania Carrozzini
Exhibition Provocazioni (Accademia Balbo Bordighera Italy) curated by Judit Torok
Exhibition FLASHES- BAG of Genoa (Italy) curated by Contemporary Art Museum Villa Croce
Exhibition Big Screen Yunnan Art Institute, (Kunming Yunnan China)
Exhibition Exhibition Bear in Mind studio H2o - Milan and Gay Pride - Turin curated by Rieko Hagiwara
Esposizione Ecce Omo Spazio Umanitaria di Milano, curated by Ass. Arte da Mangiare (Milan Italy)
2005 Exhibition Secrets CVB Space of New York (USA) curated by Stefania Carrozzini
Exibition Arts diary Intervene Taipei Artist Village (Taiwan) curated by Ashley Chang
Exhibition Capturing Utopia Fournos Center for Digital Image (Athens Greece)
Exhibition Rolled up Piclked Art of Bejing (China) curated by Stefania Carrozzini
Exhibition The most beautiful thing I ever saw Berliner Kunstprojekt (Berlin -Germany)
Exhibition Fotoesordio (University Tor Vergata of Rome) curated by GAM (Gallery of Moder Art) Rome Italy
Exhibition Talk to the City (Milan - Italy) curated by Fabbrica del Vapore
Exhibition Arte da mangiaremangiare larte (Castello Sforzesco of Milan) Italy
2004 Exhibition The sense of signs Salle dexposition 4 Montecarlo Principality of Monaco
Exhibition San Carlo per lArte (Torino-Italy)
Exhibition XM-Atto1 (Bologna-Italy)
Personal Exhibition (Beniamino Gallery Bordighera Italy)
2003 Exhibition Free Target Gallery San Vidal U.C.A.I. Venice Italy (art-
commissioner: G.Pilla, P. Rizzi, C.Cinelli)
Exhibition San Carlo per lArte Turin Italy
Selected for the Exhibition for young artists Expogiovani (Arcore
Milan - Italy) (art-commissioner: F.Presti, F.Sala)
Exhibition Art to eat, eat the Art - A.P.T of Milan - Italy (art-commissioner: Association Arte da Mangiare)
Exhibition Shelters Monique Goldstrom Gallery New York USA (art-commissioner: Stefania Carrozzini)
2002Exhibition Artists for Peace Cultural Islamic Centre of Madrid (Spain) (art-commissioner : Immaculada Arricivida)
Exhibition of installations Agor Bordighera (IM) Italy (art-commissioner : Accademia Riviera dei Fiori G.Balbo)
Exhibition of land art Sassi Vivaci Barge (CN) Italy (art-commissioner: M.Gattinoni, L,Perlo, O. Gamberi)
4700 International mail art project against the death penalty (Milan) Italy (art-commissioner: Surico, Del Basso)
2004 Exhibition in The Centre of Modern Art in Bologna - Italy (art-commissioner:
Alberto Raimondi)
Exhibition at Oulxio, Exilles, Sestriere-France -Italy (art-commissioner: Sergio Risaliti)
Exhibition of urban projects Art and Message -Palazzo Ducale Genoa (Italy)
1996Sculpture Exhibition Castello Doria (Dolceacqua -Italy)
Exhibition at the gallery Espacio tres (Malaga-Spain) (art commissioner: Immaculada Calero)
Exhibition at Monasterio (Torremolinos-Spain) (art-commissioner: Joaquin Laguna)
1995Exhibition at the gallery La Cuba dOro (Rome-Italy)
Performance at the disco Tenax (Florence-Italy)
Exhibition for a land-installation Mediterraneo (Ventimiglia-Italy)
1994 Exhibition at Casa de Porras (Granada-Spain) art commissioner:
Vicerectorado de la Universidad de Granada
Exhibition Sala del Quartiere I (Florence-Italy)
Exhibition at Chiesa di San Paolo allOrto (Pisa-Italy)
Pagine Contemporanee (Cecina-Italy)
1993ITALART (Milan-Italy)
Art and Music (Imperia-Italy)
Exhibition at Studio Theatre (Florence-Italy) (art-commissioner: Dario Evola)
II Contemporary Paint festival (Sanremo-Italy)

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTION:

Global Arts Village (Delhi, India)
Contemporary Museum Villa Croce (Genoa Italy)
Taipei Artist Village (Taipei - Taiwan)
GAM Galley of Modern Art (Rome - Italy)
Gozo Contempoarary (Gozo Malta)
Excelsa Security (Montecarlo)
Scuool San Carlo (Turin - Italy)
Foundation DARS (Milan - Italy)
Kernot Art Gallery (Paris France)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

R.Amadei I due rinascimenti Biken International, Giappone 2002
S.Bondi, M.Gonzales, M.Longobardi, A.Smilzo. Arte italiana dal Novecento ad Oggi, Italy 2001 Editor Laltro modo di Volare

Susan Kendulaz, Summertime and viewing is easy, Taipei Times, 25th August, p.13
Ed McCormack At CVB Space, Secrets come out into the light, Gallery and Studio, April/May 2005, p.12 Illustrated
Inge Bohn The most beautiful thing I ever saw, Corriere dellArte, 19th March, 2005, p.7
Isadora Weller, secrets, Corriere dellArte, 30th April 2005, p.7
Chiara Carfi, Opere rivelatrici di segreti, America Oggi, 24th April 2005, p. 9
Rebecca Seefen-Soliman Beauty in Art, Art in Beauty, New York Art Magazine, May/June 2005 p.67 illustrated
Daniela Borghi Lartista Maria Ballestra stata invitata a Taiwan La Stampa,
Angelo Splendore La cosa pi bella che abbia mai visto, Corriere dellArte, 25th June 2005, p.7 illustrated
V.Zunino Futuro January 2004, Switzerland
Daniela Borghi Prisoner:la maxiopera di Ballestra, La Stampa, 21st August 2004

,

Maria Rebecca Ballestra