Presented in March 2019 at Bistrot De Venise, an exhibition showcased the work of Stefano Zanus, a multidisciplinary Venetian artist born in 1951 who has developed a distinctive approach to contemporary visual art. Zanus began painting as a self-taught artist during his adolescence and took up photography in parallel. His first solo exhibition opened in 1973. After attending the International School of Graphic Arts in 1979, he founded the Research and Information in Printmaking Group in 1983 and later became an active member of the Materia Prima art collective.
Artistic Evolution and Technique
Zanus’s photographic practice underwent decisive development in the 1980s following a cultural project in the Porto Marghera industrial area, where he documented workers’ lives during the Venice Film Festival. His signature technique, termed Dripping Light Art, emerged in 1999. Rather than applying paint directly, Zanus uses the photographic print as a working surface. He manipulates the photographic negative and inverts the photogram, then works with light effects during development and printing. Following the precedent of Man Ray, he harnesses light itself as an expressive medium, creating images charged with vital energy through techniques that make light drip, streak, and reverberate across the surface. Once a chosen edition is exhausted, the negative is marked as depleted, following the protocols of fine-art printmaking.
Exhibition History and Recognition
Zanus participated in collateral exhibitions at the 51st and 53rd Venice Biennale in 2005 and 2009, with works titled Kamikazeartwork n.1 and Krossing respectively. His exhibition record spans four decades, from 1973 onwards, including international shows in Finland, Japan, Austria, the United Kingdom, Romania, and the United States. In 2016, he proposed the refoundation of the Mestre Painting Prize, which was realised beginning in 2017 through the Circolo Veneto. Beyond artistic creation, Zanus has organised cultural events and contributed to artistic communities in the Venetian region.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dripping Light Art?
Dripping Light Art is Zanus’s technique in which he manipulates photographic negatives and prints using light as an expressive medium. The artist inverts the photogram and works with light effects during the development process, creating images where light appears to drip, streak, and reverberate across the surface, generating effects of strong tension and vital energy.
When did Zanus begin his artistic career?
Zanus started painting as a self-taught artist during adolescence and took up photography as a paparazzo. His first solo exhibition opened in 1973, and he attended the International School of Graphic Arts in 1979 before founding the Research and Information in Printmaking Group in 1983.
Which major exhibitions has Zanus participated in?
Zanus exhibited in collateral shows at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005 (Kamikazeartwork n.1) and the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 (Krossing). His work has been shown internationally in Finland, Japan, Austria, the United Kingdom, Romania, and the United States, with exhibitions documented from 1973 through 2019.