Biography:

Marc Adornato (1977 – 2062)

 

Adornato was born in Montreal, Quebec to Italian / French immigrants. He spent much of his childhood in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and travelling the world, before his family settled in Ottawa, Canada. In 2001 he received his BFA from NSCAD University with a major in Media Arts. He has since exhibited across Canada, in venues such as the Canadian War Museum, the National Art Gallery of Canada, the Bank of Canada's Currency Museum, etc. .....(view exhibition history)

"Adornato is nothing short of impossible to pin down with his art, and I mean this in the most exquisite of complaints possible. " - Zouch Magazine

Adornato's art combines sculpture, light, sound, video, performance, mix-media, ready-mades, etc. His recent work can't escape a hybridity of the ‘old’ and the ‘new’, the marriage of the organic with technology, or the occasional satirical epigram addressing current social affairs.

In 2002-2009, Adornato produced a series entitled "Anarchos Apokalypsis" where he created numerous artworks, video mash-ups, and reckless performances where he burned, shredded and smashed shit to pieces.

Currently, Adornato is in the process of creating a large body of work entitled "Made In Canada" which consists of over 50 artworks, made from mostly antique, found, and reclaimed objects from the 1880s to 1970s. This series marks a shift in Marc's work, and is much more reflective, archival, and subdued than his earlier projects.

"Adornato has a subtle sense of the paradoxes of transgression, the limits of tolerance, and our place in history. Adornato's work simulates and subverts the rules of culture, history and society in a continuous game of detournement, acts of insubordination and symbolic theft. During the last decade, his work has provoked and challenged the limits of contemporary value systems through the use of irony and humour. "

Constantly exploring different materials, contexts and strategies, Adornato concentrates on observing, reflecting and presenting reality in all its sublime beauty, absurdity, and horror.

Adornato lives and works in Ottawa/Gatineau, Canada, exhibiting when invited.

*An extensive interview with Adornato was recently conducted with ZOUCH magazine - read interview here

To read past stories and interviews of Adornato's endeavors visit the 'Press' section.

Contact Marc Adornato: info@adornato.com

 

BIG THANKS: Ula, Mom Dad Rob n Chirstine, Uncle Rick and my Maurice fam, Dan Martelock n Tanya Sprowl, Geoff Davies, Shelley Leach wow! merci !Matt Erica and all the Loves, Mat Danielle Lainie Lee Yves, Sparky Paul Lea and the OVRC, Kev Steph Helen and the breakfast club, sarah jess joby mars joel, the HOC krew, - SPAO, SAW, NSCAD farstad, Tony McAuley and the Funshawe team, SPAO for the donations, Andrea Stokes, Tom at Hintoneburger, BENGT STAN n RoSS, Don Monet, my vintage loving clients and fellow collectors, people of Ottawa/Gatineau for the donations and putting good garbage to the curb.

 

 

 

Artist Statement

Marc Adornato's poly-media art installation MADE IN CANADA addresses the hybridity of the organic and natural world, and modern technology. It is a reaction to our rapidly evolving culture, a reconfiguration of our history over the last 100 years, and an exploration of the old and the new. This recent body of work is comprised of more than 50 pieces of antiquated 2D and 3D art, sculpture, video, and installation artworks ranging from ‘ready-mades’ to unique, original creations.

All artworks were created since 2010, but were made from recycled, reclaimed or reconfigured antique objects that date from approximately 1880s to 1970s. Many of the antiquated creations are accented with modern elements such as LED lights, video screens, speakers, and motors. The installation also includes everyday antique consumer objects and furniture to create a historical and nostalgic atmosphere. The exhibition space is transformed into both a history museum and a modern art gallery.

To create this exhibition, Adornato uses a range of antiquated objects including vintage toys, taxidermy, reclaimed wood, antique and ornate frames, and antique electronics (phonographs, vacuum tubes, typewriters, sewing machines). The artistic process is a combination of deconstruction, reconstruction, assemblage, ‘ready-mades’, mash-ups, and other non-traditional mixed media techniques. Design and visual aesthetics play an important role in the creation and presentation of the artworks, but Adornato also places a great deal of emphasis on the symbolic transformation and social and historical significance of his pieces.

MADE IN CANADA series explores the symbolism of antique technology and consumer objects, the nostalgic relationship we have with the past, and the evolution of the North American consumer culture. The work invites viewers to think about our not-so-distant past, the relationship we have with the modern environment, and the consumer objects that we surround ourselves with. The installation also addresses an array of political, social, and historical themes including science, religion, evolution, the environment, anti-war, anti-capitalism, and existentialism. Finally, the installation provokes philosophical and theosophical debate with its poignant satirical epigrams and the sometimes humorous titles of the artworks.

-View the Made In Canada Gallery

Contact Marc Adornato: info@adornato.com

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