Marco Cianfanelli was born in Johannesburg in 1970 and graduated, with a distinction in Fine Art, from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1992. He has had seven solo exhibitions – the most recent being data: process – and has won numerous awards, including the ABSA L’Atelier and Ampersand Fellowship.
Well-known for his bold public art pieces and large-scale sculptural works, he was a member of the design team for The Freedom Park, South Africa’s national monument to freedom, situated in Pretoria. And his monumental fragmented portrait sculpture, Release, was inaugurated to symbolically mark the 50th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s capture at the site in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. Cianfanelli’s latest public works, of unprecedented scale, have just been realized in Abu Dhabi and he is currently working on a project for Texas tech University System.
His work can be found in public and private collections in South Africa (Sasol, Absa, Diadata, Bloemfontein Art Museum) Europe and the United States (MOMA NY, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
www.marcocianfanelli.com
2014
selected commissions projects and public work
Falcons, a collaboration with architect Jeremy rose; Yas Mall; Abu Dhabi
Convergent & Divergent, Yas Mall; Abu Dhabi
selected group exhibitions
From Sitting to Selfie, the Standard Bank Gallery; Johannesburg
Blood, Sweat & Tears, ABSA Gallery; Johannesburg
2013
selected commissions projects and public work
Shadow boxing, Johannesburg CBD
Seed, Standard Bank, Rosebank Johannesburg
selected group exhibitions
Earth matters, the Smithsonian National Museum of African art; Washington
2012
selected commissions projects and public work
Release, Nelson Mandela Capture site, Howick
Dying Slave, Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
selected solo exhibitions
data: process, The University of Johannesburg; Johannesburg
2011
selected commissions projects and public work
Sharpeville memorial, Sharpeville, Johannesburg
Leopard’s Leap Winery, Franschoek, Cape Town
selected group exhibitions
Site-Specific, Plettenberg Bay
2010
selected group exhibitions
Twenty: South African sculpture of the last two decades curated by Andrew Lamprecht, Nirox Foundation; Johannesburg
The winter show, The Goodman Gallery; Johannesburg
?, The Cairo Bienale; Cairo
selected commissions projects and public work
Tokara Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, Cape Town
The Fields 2, Hatfield, Pretoria
ABSA Towers West, Johannesburg
Freedom Park, Member of professional design team, Pretoria (2004-10)
2009
selected solo exhibitions
Absent Fields, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
selected group exhibitions
Contemporary Sculpture in the Landscape, Nirox Foundation; Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
Pieter Roos Park, Hillbrow (Commissioned by the Trinity Session, on behalf of the Johannesburg Development Agency)
University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park
Durban International Conference Centre, Durban
NWU, Potchefstroom, North-West Province
The Fields 1, Hatfield, Pretoria
selected awards, residencies and grants
Nirox Foundation residency
2008
selected group exhibitions
Intervention, UNISA Art Gallery, Tswane
Production Marks, National Arts Festival, KZNSA Gallery, The Goethe Institute
Heptad, The Art Space, Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
ABSA, 11 Diagonal Street, Johannesburg CBD (2007-2008)
ABSA Capital, Sandton
Baragwanath Taxi Rank, Soweto (Commissioned by the Trinity Session, on behalf of the Johannesburg Development Agency)
Donald Mackay Park, Hillbrow (Commissioned by the Trinity Session, on behalf of the Johannesburg Development Agency)
selected awards, residencies and grants
Nominee, Mercedes-Benz Award for Art Project in Public Spaces
2007
selected group exhibitions
Spier Contemporary 07, Stellenbosch
Positive, Sun City
Aardklop 10, Potchefstroom
selected commissions projects and public work
Worldwear Mall, Johannesburg
Anglo Gold Ashanti: Head office, Newtown, Johannesburg (2006-2007)
2006
selected solo exhibitions
Projected Development: Return to Begin, Aardklop Festival Artist, Potchefstroom
selected commissions projects and public work
Sunday Times Heritage Project: Origins Centre, Wits University, Johannesburg
Department of Science and Technology: CSIR, Pretoria
University of Johannesburg Arts Centre: Auckland Park, Johannesburg (2005-2006)
selected awards, residencies and grants
Beeld Plus Aartvark Award for Innovative Work, Aardklop Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
2005
selected solo exhibitions
Projected Development, Solo exhibition at Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
Forum Homini, The Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng
MTN, Head office, Fairlands, Johannesburg (2002-2005)
selected awards, residencies and grants
Final shortlist of three, Mandela Bay Statue of Freedom Competition (joint entry with Jeremy Rose of Mashabane Rose Architects)
2004
selected group exhibitions
Brett Kebble Art Awards, Cape Town
selected commissions projects and public work
CTICC, Cape Town
selected awards, residencies and grants
Major Award, Brett Kebble Art Awards
2003
selected solo exhibitions
Absa Gallery, Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
FNB Call Centre, Randburg, Johannesburg
2002
selected group exhibitions
Joint exhibition with Stephanus Rademeyer, The Art Space, Johannesburg
Once were Painters, KKNK, Oudtshoorn
selected commissions projects and public work
Roche Pharmaceuticals, Head office, Sebenza, Johannesburg
Tristar Construction, Head office, Edenvale, Johannesburg
selected awards, residencies and grants
Absa Atelier Award
Joint second place, International Architecture Competition, Freedom Square, Kliptown, Johannesburg (group entry with Paragon Architects and Green Inc Landscape Architects)
2001
selected group exhibitions
We Love our Customers, Hungarian Embassy, New York
selected commissions projects and public work
Hollard Street Mall Upgrade, Hollard street Mall, Johannesburg CBD
Pikitup, Head office, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Rosebank African Market, Rosebank, Johannesburg
selected awards, residencies and grants
Absa Atelier Merit Award
Ampersand Foundation Fellowship
2000
selected group exhibitions
Tourguides of the Inner City, Urban Futures 2000, Rembrandt van Rijn Gallery, Johannesburg
Hoerikwaggo, South African National Gallery, Cape Town
Sasol New Signatures Revisited, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
Emotions and Relations, Sandton civic Art Gallery, Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
Media 24, Sandton, Johannesburg
1999
selected group exhibitions
Channel, Association for Visual Arts, Cape Town
1998
solo exhibitions
Atlantis, Mark Coetzee Fine Art Cabinet, Cape Town
selected group exhibitions
! Xoe: Site Specific, Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape
selected awards, residencies and grants
Montagu White bursary for overseas study
1997
selected group exhibitions
Taking Stock, Co-curated and exhibited, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Johannesburg
Cyst: Works in Paint; Good Hope Gallery, The Castle, Cape Town
No. 4, Hillbrow Fort, Johannesburg
selected commissions projects and public work
Faraday station Muti-Market Project: Faraday Station, Johannesburg CBD
1996
solo exhibitions
Record, Art Space, Newtown Cultural Precinct, Johannesburg
1992
BA FA majoring painting (with distinction), University of the Witwatersrand
selected awards, residencies and grants
Merit Award, New Signatures, South African Association of Arts
1988
Matric, Diocesan College, Cape Town
1970
Born in Johannesburg
