Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Installation view at Making New Time, Sharjah Biennial 14
Sharjah, UAE, 2019
With exhibition format and other museological methodologies as his medium, Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck’s multifaceted practice incorporates the activities of a researcher, archivist, historian and curator. Attempting to reveal the political strategies and motives at work in the world, he focuses on power and propaganda in modern history.
All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset (2019) is situated in the heritage house that once belonged to Issa bin Abdul Latif Al Serkal, who worked for the British during the mandate era. Balteo-Yazbeck has conceived of a temporary wall built over the permanent wall that physically and metaphorically engages with the historical vernacular architecture of the building. Focusing on the now decorative remains of the original wall niches, which served as openings for indirect sunlight and ventilation, the artist foregrounds architecture as an expressive construct of local identities that can simultaneously adopt and confront global influence. The focus on sunlight as an architectural leitmotif plays off an age-old British characterisation of the empire- “the empire on which the sun never sets”-which resonates with the venue’s history. Also apt is the presentation of a heterogeneous grouping of objects and materials of multiple origins, ranging from artist Atilio Napolitano’s sculptures of various hand gestures crafted from centenary olive tree wood to vintage regional maps and other publications found during the artist’s derive between Sharjah and Berlin. The project references the emirate’s port economy and its present processes of historicisation and alludes to multiple entangled narratives.
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Ian's Gulf (collage version I), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Paper collage on anodized metal
Unframed: 30 x 50 cm, Unique, Version 1 of 3
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, Ian Gulf (map diptych), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Two maps (lithographs) custom mounted on conservation mat board, individually framed
Installed: 43 x 75 cm, Framed: 43 x 35 cm (each)
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, In advance of the broken model, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Tempered glass on compressed wood, vinyl, glue, solar cell on printed circuit board, brass, paper collage on anodized metal and coral, 7 x 88 x 40 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, In advance of the broken model (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
You!, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue
insect-based shellac and Fimo clay, 20 x 44.5 x 15 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Opposable thumb, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue, insect-based
shellac, damaged cellphone, 48.5 x 33 x 26 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Nail polish, 3000 BC, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Acrylic nail polish on centenary olive wood, rabbit
skin collagen-glue insect-based shellac, and
velvet, 56.5 x 34.5 x 17 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Nail polish, 3000 BC (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Midas, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue
insect-based shellac, and glove finger with touch
screen tip, 42 x 24 x 20.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Midas (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Man-made, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue, insect-based
shellac, and printed circuit board with various components, 12 x 44 x 32.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Forethought-afterthought (singularity), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue, insect-based
shellac, velvet and highlighted printed document: Tribute to
John von Neumann by Stanislaw Ulam, May 1958, 67.5 x 33 x 22.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Snap (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Snap, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue
insect-based, shellac, and IBM Selectric typrewriter
head, 45.5 x 35.5 x 23 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Snap (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
VoIP, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue
insect-based shellac, and Voice-over Internet Protocol
hardware, 50 x 37.5 x 28 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
VoIP (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
VoIP (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Afterthought-forethought (singularity), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue
insect-based shellac, and fiber optic lighting
components, 33.5 x 30 x 18 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Afterthought-forethought (singularity) (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
O.K, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Neon spray paint on centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue, insect-based
shellac, and felt, 48.2 x 30 x 22.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Cheap. From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset, 2018
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue, insect-based shellac, velvet, lead
weights and integrated circuit data storage microchip with near field
communication technology, 22 x 40 x 18 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Cheap (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
in collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Cheap (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset