About the artist

Welcome to my website!

Please scroll down to find all the informations which are usually requested: Biography, About artistic work, Curriculum studiorum, List of Solo and Group Exhibitions, Participations at Art Fairs and Biennials, Publications, Correlated links, Residencies, Awards and Other work experiences.

Do not hesitate to contact me at any time for any questions about my artworks.

I can speak these languages: Slovenian, English, Italian, Spanish, Serbian, Croatian, German.

Thank you for your attention and I wish you to enjoy with my art!

Contact:  artist@veronikaban.com

Biography:

I was born 11th of July 1985 in Maribor, Slovenia (Ex-Yugoslavia) to Slovenian mother Veronika Fermevc-Ban and Italian father Mario Ban as the youngest from three daughters. As a family we lived in Slovenska Bistrica to my fourteenth year, and then my parents divorced. I went to live with my father in Maribor, where I attended High School “Prva Gimnazija Maribor.”

I first took part at an exhibition in primary school when my arts teacher chose my painting “Witch in the forest” and submitted it to an international competition where it was awarded and exhibited in Slovenj Gradec (Slovenija).

I soon become involved in dance and musical performances, later also in theatre. In 2001 I acted in a play “Filio ni doma” (Filio is not at home) directed by Damir Zlatar Frey in Slovenian National Theatre Maribor in Slovenia.

I also wrote prose and poetry, however it was becoming more and more apparent that my artistic vein was leading me towards visual arts, manifesting itself in paintings, sculpture, artistic diaries, short films, installations, collages and murals.

After high school I needed some rest of institutional education, so in Summer 2003 i went to travel to Croatian cost. Then in Autumn I decided to go live in Barcelona where I have stayed one year, involved with exhibitions, events, concerts and performances in the squatting socio-cultural centre that encouraged free expression of the young and rebellious.

From 2004 until 2009 I lived and studied in Venice, Italy. During my study at Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, I attended various international workshops and exhibitions (Real Presence, Kons, Cultural Circle Bertolt Brecht, Fondazione Bevilacqua la Masa and others…) These events are documented in various publications in newspapers, catalogues, television and internet. There are reviews of my artworks written by art critics Mario Berdič, Cinzia Bollino Bossi, Sabrina Falzone and others. In 2008 I was also chosen together with other four artists from the Academy to create murals on houses at the residency project taking place in Gavazzana (Italy) where the work of participating artist became a permanent part of the town. In same year I spent a lot of my time in London collaborating with my fellow artist Riccardo Attanasio.

I have now lived in Berlin since 2009 when was born my daughter Teodora and where I continue to create paintings and collages, sculptures and installations, performances, happenings and movies. As well as I am getting involved with art events and talks about art. Occasionally I do also artistic workshops with children.

Since 2014 I am also making part in the international group of artists called ArtNations, based in Munich, Germany.

To date I have exhibited my artworks in Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Argentina, United States of America, India, South Korea and Iran.

About artistic work

My work is inspired by life. Of course the artists often make the problems of their time and their space within it and the society the subject of their work. They question, cajole, discover and provoke. You can find all this within my works, formed through my experiences and the need to create. I believe that the artist is a slave to the need to create and the only freedom is the act of creation itself. Art is sacred but the world is no longer thus. It is full of arguments, paradoxes, destructions, hurry and tears. The artist´s role here is torn between the sacredness of mischievous poetry and the impatience of everyday life that constantly brings new situations and with them ideas and inspirations. As an artist, I am recounting the tale of my life, writing the poem of my discovery and painting my emotions, constantly filing time and space with unstoppable ideas. Somehow I believe artists have no deadlines and no break. They know culture and rules of beauty, but always hiding something revolutionary within them. Art should be a mirror and should give an option of perception to reach the truth about life, however it is colored, personally or politically, whether it speaks about emotions of an individual or about the society we live in.

All my art pieces are arranged in series which have same thematic, same object of research or simply they belong to the same period of creativity.

My creativity started in young years while doing my personal diaries, which soon become books full of poetry, fliers, collages, images, drawings, thoughts, stories… After some years I discovered that this kinds of books actually have a name: Artist´s books. I have made around 30 of them in different formats and dimensions.

In 2005 I started with the project »Long Collages« which are long pieces of collage that continue the theme first explored in the diary books. In 2008 these books were discontinued and this project became my main expression of this thematic and technique. The idea behind these Long Collages is to show the film of everyday life as a work of art because as an artist I assert: »The work of art is not just a drawing or a painting; the best work of art is the life of the artist!« This project continues alongside others up to this day. My ambition is to create the longest collage in the world that tells the story about life in our society. The initial idea was to reach 1 kilometer in length. To date, some 400 meters have been created. One piece is 21cm wide and approximately 1.5 meters long.

In High School I was also writing poetry and short stories inspired by biographic life and colored with surrealistic imagination. During the same period of my life I went to buy oil colors for the first time and started to paint on canvas. I was also involved in Theatre and Music performances which brought me a wider point of view what art actually is. I continued getting involved with performance and oil color paintings while I lived in Barcelona for a year before going to study at Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where I started to use acrylic colors and collage as my main artistic technique.

I believe that this is also the technique of life itself. In our lives we are constantly making a collage of our experiences, emotions, thoughts, ideologies and beliefs. Between my series I also created sculptures, installations, videos and performances, but  all of them include collage technique at some point.

In 2013 I started to work on a long length movie with the title: “Just because love here is not enough?” which speaks about people´s relationships and values of spirituality in our society ruled by money. It is an interesting project for me, discovering the art of movie-making. Again it became apparent that the process is similar to the collage technique: for example writing the scenes, describing the roles to actors and editing. Making this movie is a real challenge without a budget and without professional help. Through working on this project I have also learnt about the importance of time, which passes while making one single work of art. Time was an important subject for me at the moment.

In 2000, when I bought for the first time in my life a canvas and colors, i started to paint with oil colors on canvas. I felt myself as a painter. Then for many years I was using collage with acrylic colors as a main technique for realizing my ideas. I was feeling myself as an artist. But what happened is that my painting part of work became just like a decorative part of the work, because collage has already took the place of the main part.. So, I decided in late 2013, to make a new series of paintings without collages, which are also telling us long stories, but this time without items attacked on canvas, just with painting. I felt myself as a human being, trying to find an old painter inside myself and give some discipline to the artist.

Since the beginning of my art research, the main theme in my works is the society we live in and an individual person as a part of this society, this living organism in constant movement and evolution. Microcosm and Macrocosm. Diary of a person and at the same time a diary of the time in which this person is living. It is a mirror, a story, a construction, an interpretation, an interaction, an intellectual exercise… It is a composition which is always in movement, made of philosophy, poetry and experience seeking for an evolution, for a better life. I believe we learn to live throughout our lives; learning to live better and to understand better what our lives are all about. And this is my work, where my artworks are actually the results of my studies about life.

The main symbol I’ve always used for describing the society are bricks. Bricks are like particles, together creating something bigger. As in life, moments create time, experiences compose life stories, and individuals make society… For example, in music we have melody which is composed of musical notes. However, in my artworks you can find many different symbols speaking about secretes of life.

Curriculum studiorum

• MFA (Master of Fine Arts) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Visual Arts, Venice, Italy, 2011
• BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Visual Arts and disciplines of spectacle; Venice, Italy, 2007
• A-level equivalent in Humanities at High School in Maribor, Slovenia, 2003
• Diploma in acting from SNG (Slovenian National Theatre) Maribor, Slovenia, 2001
• Diploma in flute from Music school in Sl.Bistrica, Slovenia, 1999

Selected collaborative exhibitions

• “Super Power Women Show”, Projektraum Ventilator, Berlin, Germany 2017

• “Our Fukushima” at The House of Culture “Gligor Prlicev”, Ohrid, Macedonia 2017

• “Berlino in Arte”, August 35 Art Space, organized by Sabrina Falzone Gallery & Art Nou, Berlin, Germany 2017

• “GAPI-Solidarity & Hope”, Cultural Center Achterolmen, Maaseik, Belgium 2017

• “ConCorso Buenos Aires”, OpenArt Milano Association, Milan, Italy 2016

• Private Office Berlin, Marburger Straße 2, Berlin, Germany 2016

• “Portraits”, Kunstforum Arabellapark, München, Germany 2016

• “GAPI – My Fukushima”, Museum of Kumanovo, Kumanovo, Macedonia 2016

• “GAPI – My Fukushima”, Flux Gallery and House of Culture ‘Koco Racin’, Skopje, Macedonia 2016

• “Environment & Coexistence”, Haegeumgang Theme Museum, Geoge island, South Korea 2016

• “People & Eastern Art”, Ahvaz Contemporary Art Museum, Tehran, Iran 2016

• “GAPI”, Haegeumgang Theme Museum, Geoge island, South Korea 2015

• “Eine Phase in meinem Leben”, Projektraum Ventilator, Berlin, Germany 2015

• “Concorso in mostra”, Sabrina Falzone Gallery, Milan, Italy 2015

• “Arte in Palazzo”, Farini Gallery, Palazzo Fantuzzi, Bologna, Italy 2015

• “Atmosphere”, Art Gallery Accorsiarte, Turin, Italy 2014

• Art Spectrum Miami, EUART Panorama Europa, Miami, United States of America 2014

• “MORPHOS II”, Palazzo Albrizzi, Venice, Italy 2014

• “Pink gets red”, Art Gallery Rosanna D´Adamo, Pescara, Italy 2014

• “La Quadrata”, Melograno Art Gallery, Livorno, Italy 2014

• “Senso della vita”, Sabrina Falzone Gallery, Milan, Italy 2014

• Espace Art Gallery, Brussels, Belgium 2014

• “Berlino in Arte”, AquabitArt Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2014

• Curious Art-Pie Show, Curious Duke Gallery, London, United Kingdom 2014

• Re:Gallery, Koper, Slovenia 2011

• “Postcards”, Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany 2010

• Neuköllner Kunstsalon, Berlin, Germany 2010

• Gallery Krajcar, Izola, Slovenia 2008

• “Archipelago”, Nova Gorica, Slovenia 2008

• “Seek-refuge”, Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Italy 2008

• “Real Presence”, Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Italy 2008

• Residency exhibition, Gavazzana, Italy 2008

• “Interventor”, KargArt Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey 2008

• “Microart”, Red Church, Milan, Italy 2008

• “ArteXregalo”, Cultural Circle Bertolt Brecht Gallery, Milan, Italy 2007

• “Real Presence”, Central Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia 2007

• “Okna v svet”, City Gallery Ljubljana, Slovenia 2007

• “Labyrinth – Artist´s books exhibition”, Botkyrka Konsthaall, Sweden 2006

• Festival Buje, Buje, Croatia 2006

• Art Festival “Extempore, Koper, Slovenia 2006

• 50×50, KONS, Trieste, Italy 2006

• The House of Culture in Gorizia, Italy 2006

Individual exhibitions

• “Weibliche Kunst”, AWO-Frankfurter Allee, Berlin, Germany 2017

• “Self-portrait”, Re:Gallery, Koper, Slovenia 2017

• “Artistrate”, Caffè degli Artisti, Berlin, Germany 2015

• “Odraščanje”, Dijaški Dom Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia 2015

• Slovenian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium 2014

• “Exhibition for The Film”, Kunst Fabrik, Berlin, Germany 2013

• “Življenje človeka”, Dom Jožeta Potrča, Poljčane,Slovenia 2013

• Castel Štatenberg, Makole, Slovenia 2012

• Slovenian Embassy in Berlin, Berlin, Germany 2011

• “Rdeča nit je kri umetnika”, Anna´s Gallery, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia 2010

• Aurora Café Gallery at San Marco, Venice, Italy 2008

• “Cordone ombelicale od ombelico cordonale?!”, Academy of Fine Art / My Studio Apartment, Venice, Italy 2008

• “Homo sapiens sapiens”, Gallery Mizzart, Lubljana, Slovenia 2008

• “Note e colori”, Cultural Circle Bertolt Brecht, Milan, Italy 2007

• Gallery Media Nox / MKC Maribor, Slovenia 2007

• Jazz Club Satchmo, Maribor, Slovenia 2007

• KREŠ, Student cultural center, Slov.Bistrica, Slovenia 2005

• Socio-cultural centre Macabra, Barcelona, Spain 2004

Participations at Contemporary Art Fairs

• Art Spectrum Miami, EUART Panorama Europa, Miami, USA 2014

• ArtePadova, Contemporary Art Fair in Padua, Italy 2014 

• ArtePadova, Contemporary Art Fair in Padua, Italy 2013

• Art Shopping, International Contemporary Art Fair at Carousel du Louvre in Paris, France 2013

Participations at Contemporary Art Biennials

• International Art Bienal Palermo ArtExpo, Italy 2015

• International Art Bienal at Centro Cultural Borges, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2014

Publications in newspapers, catalogues and books

• Presentation of my artwork at Art Magazine “Biancoscuro”, Italy 2016

• Catalogue of group exhibition / contest “ConCorso Buenos Aires”, Open Art Milano Association, Milan, Italy 2016

• Catalogue of group exhibition “Portraits” at Arabellapark Kunstforum, published by ArtNations, Munich, Germany 2016

• Catalogue of group exhibition “People & Eastern Art” at Ahvaz Contemporary Art Museum in Tehran, Iran 2016

• Interview article in “BlunBlun” Magazine, August, Online 2015

• Interview article in “Times of Youth”, International Youth Magazine, August, Online 2015

• “Ne po trendih, po inspiraciji”, interview article in newspaper “Večer” (3th April) , Maribor, Slovenia 2015

• “Contemporary Art of Excellence”, book published by Global Art Agency, United Kingdom 2015

• “Over Art”, art magazine directed by Sandro Serradifalco, EA Editore, Palermo,May/June, Italy 2014

• Interview article in “Punto e Linea Magazine”, Italy 2014

• “The best modern and contemporary artists 2014”, book curated by Salvatore Russo and Francesco Saverio, EA Editore, Palermo, Italy 2014

• Catalogue of the exhibition presented by Gallery Sabrina Falzone at the International Art Fair at Carousel du Louvre in Paris, France 2013

• Article in newspaper “Panorama” about solo show at “Dom Jožeta Potrča” in Poljčane, Slovenia 2013

• Article in Slovenian newspaper “Bistriške novice” about solo show at Castel Štatenberg in Makole, Slovenia 2012

• Article in Slovenian newspaper Panorama about the solo exhibition at Anina Galerija in Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia 2010

• Article in Slovenian newspaper Rogaške Novice about my artworks presented at solo exhibition in Anna´s Gallery in Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia 2010

• Two articles in Italian newspaper il Secolo XIX – Basso Piemonte about residency project of murals in Gavazzana, Italy 2008

• Catalogue Corti&Web of the short films festival Mestre Film Fest at Cultural center Candiani in Mestre/Venice, Italy 2007

• Publication written by art critic Cinzia Bollino Bossi for the solo exhibition “Note e Colori” at Cultural Circle Bertolt Brecht in Milan, Italy 2007

• Catalogue of collective exhibition “Okna v svet” at City Gallery Lubljana, Slovenia 2007

• Catalogue of group exhibition “Labyrinth” at Botkyrka konsthall in Tumba, Sweden 2006

• Catalogue of group exhibition “Okna v svet” in Slovenia 2006

• Article in Slovenian newspaper Panorama, written by art critic Mario Berdič about my artworks presented at my first personal exhibition at KREŠ in Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenia 2005

Awards

• Second price at online competition for the exhibition Curios Art Pie Show, London, United Kingdom 2014

• Top Five artists at contest Essence Explored by House of Sillage, California, USA 2014

• Recognition for participation at the project Painted Gavazzana by mayor Dott.Claudio Sasso in Gavazzana, Italy 2008

• Third price for Video installations and video performance with my short movie Horror vacui at Venice Biennial Virtual Pavilion created by Celebrity Group, Italy 2007

Residencies

• Real Presence / Floating Sites: ten days of living and working together with other young international artists for the final exhibition, organized by curator Dobrila Danegri, at the Museum of Modern Art Castello di Rivoli in Turin, Italy 2008

• Gavazzana Murals Project: three weeks of living and working together with five other chosen young artists from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, to create murals and exhibition in Gavazzana, Italy 2008

• Real Presence: two weeks of living and working together with young international artists for a final exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia 2007

• Real Presence: two weeks of living and working together with young international artists for a final exhibition organized by curator Dobrila Danegri in Belgrade, Serbia 2006

Other work experiences

• Artistic workshops with children at organization SOS-Kinderdorf, Berlin, Germany 2016/17

• Gallery assistant in art Gallery Sabrina Falzone, Milan, Italy 2014

• Artistic workshop with children at Italian-German kindergarten Brighella in Berlin, Germany 2014

• Collaboration with Domo sapiens circus from Barcelona during their residency in Berlin, Germany 2012

• Gallery assistant in Re:Gallery, Koper, Slovenia 2011/12

• Artistic workshops with children during the residency in Gavazzana at Murals project, Italy 2008

• Artistic workshops with children at school of glass Scuola di vetro Abbate Zanetti in Murano – Venice, Italy 2008

• Actress in National Theater Maribor at the play Filio ni doma , directed by Damir Zlatar Frey, Slovenia 1999/2000

Online publications/Links 

• Virtual Gallery “Inovelmedia”, “Welcome in my art world”, Slovenia 2017

• Buy My Artworks Now Online at Saatchi Gallery  

• Short documentation video from the opening of solo exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, September 2014

• Participation at group show Morphos II at Palazzo Albrizzi in Venice, Italy, July 2014

• Article interview about my art life at Punto e Linea Magazine, Italy, June 2014

• Participation at group show La Quadrata at Melograno Art Gallery in Livorno, Italy, June 2014

• Publication at EspoArte about group exhibition at Sabrina Falzone Gallery in Milan, Italy 2014

• Vernissage “Berlino in arte” at Acquabit gallery in Berlin, March 2014

• Article about exhibition “Berlino in Arte” at Celeste.network, 2014

• About group show “Berlino in Arte” at Pensiero Artistico magazine 2014

• Group show “Berlino in Arte”, article at the italian newspaper La Repubblica Veneta, 2014

• My videos on Vimeo

• Buy My Original Artworks at Saatchi Gallery Online

• You can Buy Online products with my Art at FineArtAmerica

• ArtPrice, The world leader in art market information

• Artist´s profile at Art Limited

• New Artist Expo

• Participation at La Quadrata & Melo.Arte.it 

• “Portraits of artist and friend” by photographer Giorgio Coen Cagli, 2012

• Documentary experimental short video about solo exhibition at Castel Štatenberg in Makole, Slovenia 2012

• Video about Veronika Ban Art Exhibition in Berlin 2011

• News about solo exhibition at Slovenian Embassy in Berlin 2011

• Article and video of solo exhibition at “Anna´s Gallery” with art critic Mario Berdič, Kozjansko-info newspaper 2010

• Article about solo show at Circolo Culturale Bertolt Bercht in Milan, Italy 2007

• “Horror vacui”, short film, Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, Italy 2006

• Interview movie for local television in Slovenska Bistrica, SLovenia 2005

• Second part of Interview movie with short reportage about first solo exhibition at KREŠ in Slovenska Bistrica 2005