Biography
Born in Ortisei in 1924 as the son of the blacksmith Hermann Vallazza and the daughter of the painter Josef Moroder Lusenberg, Gisela. After completing his training, from 1947 to 1957, he opened his own studio and married Renata Giovannini; four children were born from this marriage: Margareth, Sabina, Georg and Sonja. In the 1960s, he began organising solo exhibitions at home and abroad.
From 1968, contacts with the art critics Garibaldo Marussi, Luciano Budigna and Giorgio Mascherpa. In the 1970s, he began a successful collaboration with the German architect Neckenik from Neuwied, who commissioned several monumental works from him.
In 1974, the art critic Giuseppe Marchiori from Venice published the monograph "I legni di Vallazza" with pictures by the photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin.
The following year, Adolf Vallazza exhibited in Milan for the first time, at the Giannferrari Gallery and at the Davico Gallery in Turin. This was followed in 1978 by an exhibition at the San Fedele Gallery in Milan, where he met the director Ermano Olmi.
In 1979, he was commissioned by the Banca di San Giminiano e Prospero in Modena to design the interior, creating wall reliefs, armchairs and tables; the design still exists and can be viewed.
1982 Participates in a group exhibition at the Museo Ca' Pesaro in Venice.
1983 Solo exhibition at the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara.
1984 The second monograph is published, with photographs by Mario de Biasi, texts by Enrico Crispolti and graphic design by Bruno Munari. In the same year, solo exhibition at the Goethe Gallery in Bolzano and participation in a joint exhibition with Berrocal, Mattioli and De Stefano at the Castell'Ivano near Trento.
In 1986 he took part with his works in the exhibition "La scultura dei fotografi: Gianni Berengo Gardin fotografa Adolf Vallazza" at the Biennale internazionale del Bronzetto in Padua.
1986-87 close collaboration with the artistic director of the Olivetti Foundation (and later director of Palazzo Grassi in Venice) Paolo Viti, who curated an extensive solo exhibition for him at the Museo P. A. Garda in Ivrea.
In 1988, he exhibited a considerable number of his sculptures in a solo exhibition at the spectacular Palladio Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta (near Padua).
In 1992, he was invited to take part in the Salone internazionale della sedia in Udine with his thrones. Under the auspices of the Venice Art Biennale, he exhibited in 1993 as part of the "Intorno al Canova" event at the Gipsoteca del Canova in Possagno; in the same year he also exhibited at the Forni Gallery in Bologna.
Two exhibitions followed in 1996: in the church of San Lorenzo in Aosta and in the Maison des Arts in Thonon-les-Bains (CH).
In 1998, the Galeria Carlina invited him to take part in the art show "Artissima" in the halls of the Lingotto in Turin and in the same year he was invited by the curator of the Salomon R. Guggenheim foundation, Fred Licht, to take part in the group exhibition "Illuminazioni" at the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, which was subsequently also shown at the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua, the Castello di Stupinigi near Turin and the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo.
In 1999, he was represented at the "Arte Fiera" art fair in Bologna by the Goethe Gallery in Bolzano. His friendship with the writer, poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra was expressed in a poem dedicated to him in 2000. Against the backdrop of Romanino's extraordinary frescoes in the church of Santa Maria della Neve in Pisogne on Lake Iseo, an extensive solo exhibition entitled "fratello legno" was organised in 2003, accompanied by photographs by Gianni Berengo Gadrin and documented in a remarkable publication.
In 2004, another exhibition of his now famous totems was organised in a historical setting, in the newly renovated rooms of the farm buildings of the Lodron Bertelli estate in Caderzone. This was followed in 2007 and 2009 by solo exhibitions at the Galleria Civica Palazzo dei Panni in Arco and the Galleria Civica in Trento.
On the occasion of his 85th birthday in 2009, the volume "Opere - Werke" was published by Priuli & Verlucca in collaboration with the critic Danilo Eccher.
In 2010, Danilo Eccher, then director of the GAM (galleria nazionale di arte moderna e contemporanea), the state collection of contemporary art in Turin, invited him to take part in the international exhibition "keep your seat", which he curated, with four of his thrones.
Also in Turin, the Museo Nazionale della Montagna organised a solo exhibition of the large totems in the same year under its director Aldo Audisio and published a catalogue with images by Canadian photographer Craig Richards and contributions by Danilo Eccher, among others. This is followed in 2010 by a solo exhibition in the cloister of the Benedictine Abbey of Muri Gries in Bolzano.
As part of the 2011 Venice Art Biennale, curator Vittorio Sgarbi organises participation in the exhibition at Palazzo Trentini in Trento.
In 2014, at the invitation of the Municipality of Bolzano, the exhibition "The Great Totems" was organised to celebrate his 90th birthday; it also featured images by photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin, documenting their longstanding collaboration and deep friendship.
In 2017, he took part in the exhibition "Legno | Lën| Holz" at the Galleria Civica di Trento, curated by Gabriele Lorenzoni.
In summer 2018, the municipality of Cles (Val di Non) is organising a major solo exhibition in the historic "Palazzo Assessorile" entitled "una storia scritta nel legno", curated by Gabriele Lorenzoni. The "Giuseppe Marchiori" Foundation realises the exhibition "VALLAZZA - BERENGOGARDIN - MARCHIORI", a tribute to the extraordinary connection between art, photography and criticism. At the "Cittadella della cultura" in Lendinara (Rovigo), from 16/10/2021 to 29/01/2022.
On the centenary of Mario Rigoni Stern's birth, Adolf Vallazza is invited to take part in the exhibition "selvatici salvifici - gli animali di Mario Rigoni Stern" at the Palazzo delle Albere in Trento; organised by MART in collaboration with MUSE, 23.10.2021 to 27.02.2022. From December 2021 to February 2022, the "Mirad'Or" gallery in Pisogne on Lake Iseo (Brescia) will be exhibiting the large totems.
From October 2023 to January 2024, several important works will be on display at Palazzo Scarpa in Verona, the headquarters of banco BPM. The Eccel-Kreuzer Provincial Museum in Bolzano is dedicating an exhibition to him in the historic rooms on the ground floor of the Eccel House in Bolzano's old town, from 22 September 2023 to the end of March 2024
Numerous other exhibitions are not mentioned here and for more than 60 publications such as monographs, important exhibition catalogues and documentation, please refer to the comprehensive bibliography on the website www.adolfvallazza.com.
His totems, mythical creatures, menhirs and famous thrones can be seen in the gallery at Via Reziastrasse 285 in Ortisei in Val Gardena and are visited by connoisseurs, collectors, critics and admirers from all over the world.
His works are part of the collections:
Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck (A)
City Museum, Bolzano
Museo diocesano, Palermo
GAM Galleria civica d'arte moderna e contemporanea, Torino
Museum Eccel Kreuzer, Bolzano
ARTE SELLA, the contemporary mountain, Borgo Valsugana, Trento
MUSEION Provincial Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Bolzano
Museo del novecento, Milan
MART museo di arte moderna e contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto
And in numerous private collections.
January, 2024
