Louis Celia Zippo
(*1960, Meran)
The main themes of his work are people as well as the environment and nature, all of which he likes reflecting in black and white photos. For him, light is vital for life and pressing the shutter release on a camera is like breathing air.
After completing a technical degree his interest in photography grew and he worked as an assistant to international fashion photographers at Elle magazine in Paris. Attending a photography class at the Summer Academy in Salzburg along with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher enabled him to develop a spiritual connection to the unknown language of photography.
In 1992 he presented his first solo exhibition Passerwasser, followed by the books Transumanza and Des Weges as well as other projects such as à Paris, Sole, Durchs milde wilde Kurdistan, Farbenfrieden, Baalbek, nuclear con/fusion, All that jazz and Sabbioneta-Frangart. He takes part in group exhibitions and photography festivals, e.g. International Photography Gathering in Aleppo, Espace SD gallery in Beirut, Total Arts gallery in Dubai, Circuito OFF Fotografia Europea, Gualtieri and the Bolzano Art Weeks in Bozen.
In 2024 he has been offered from Kunst Meran an artist residency at Künstlerhaus Salzburg and in addition he is presenting his De zona rubra exhibition at the Im Kult Atelier in Marling.
Education
2018
Masterclass Visual Storytelling with Alison Morley and Saul Metnick, Camera, Torino
2014
International EMBA, SMBS, Salzburg
1995 et al.
Workshops with the photographers Claude Nori, Guy Le Querrec, Andreas Weidner et. al.
1986
Salzburg International Summer academy of Fine Arts, Course photography with Verena von Gagern and Michael Mauracher, Salzburg
1984
Beverage Technology, Fachhochschule Wiesbaden, Geisenheim
Solo shows (selection)
2024
De zona rubra (catalogue), Atelier Im Kult, Marling + Raiffeisen Meran, Meran
Light in the cities I, Appendix Art Hub, Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg
2014
All that jazz, Open air art gallery Gries Art Space, Lana + University of Bolzano Library, Bozen
2013
Through the mild and wild Kurdistan (slide show), Kunsthaus Meran, Meran
2009
Through the mild and wild Kurdistan, Atelierhaus, Museion, Bozen
2006
nuclear con/fusion, AP Gallery, Bozen
2004
nuclear con/fusion (with Vera Lopes), Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine
2002
All that Jazz, Parkhotel Laurin, Bozen
2000
Sole, Vocational school Luis Zuegg, Meran
1998
à Paris, gallery Spectrum, Linz
1997
à Paris, gallery Fotoforum, Bozen
Des Weges (book), Agricultural Museum Brunnenburg, Dorf Tirol
1995
Passerwasser, Espace Vue d’Ailleurs, Paris
1994
Transumanza (book), Verein der Bücherwürmer, Lana
1993
Passerwasser, National Park Adamello, Saviore + gallery Fotoforum West, Innsbruck
1992
Passerwasser (catalogue), Lesesaal, Kurhaus, Meran
Group shows (selection)
2024
Homo ferens / Frauen tragen (catalogue), Museum Brunnenburg, Dorf Tirol
Il mare dentro, Satura Palazzo Stella, Genova
2023
Bolzano Art Weeks, Gemeinschaftszentrum Maria Heim, Bozen
2022
Bolzano Art Weeks, Atelier Louis Celia Zippo, Frangart
2021
Artists for Merano, Palais Mamming, Meran
Sulla Luna e sulla Terra/fate largo ai sognatori! Circuito OFF-Fotografia Europea, Palazzo Bentivoglio, Gualtieri
2017
Was ist Heimat? (catalogue), Touring exhibition, NöART, St. Pölten
2015
25 Jahre Galerie Spectrum (catalogue), OÖ Landesdienstleistungszentrum, Linz
2010
20 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz
2009
4 x HerzBunker = Museum der Herzen, Museum der Herzen, Saltaus
Konflikte oder die Gegenwart in der Vergangenheit (catalogue), Tammerburg, Lienz
2006
summerendphotonights, open-air photofestival, Meran
2005
hypegallery, galleria Assab One-Ex Gea, Milan
2004
International Visual Art Exhibition (catalogue), gallery Total Arts, Dubai
Arredo, Fiera di Bolzano, Bozen
die nacht, la notte, Gunpowder Tower, Meran
hypegallery.fr, online gallery, web
2003
Percorsi d’Arte (catalogue), Villa Graziani, San Giustino
Ten Views, gallery espace sd, Beirut
Foto in Cena, Espaço Sesc, Rio de Janeiro
10 Jahre Fotoforum, Galerie Fotoforum, Bozen
2001
The 5th. International Photography Gathering (catalogue), Aleppo
Fotospectrum, Kammerhofgalerie of the city Gmunden, Gmunden
2000
10 Jahre Galerie Spectrum, Linz
Übergänge (book), Expo 2000, Hannover
1999 – 2002
Überblick: die Fotoszene in Südtirol (catalogue), Touring exhibition in seven galleries in Austria and Italy
1999
Hundert Jahre, Hundert Bilder, (slide show, catalogue), Galerie Fotoforum, Bozen
1998
Projekt Camera Obscura, Art school Gardeina, St. Ulrich
1994
Panorama – young art in South Tyrol (catalogue), fair area, Bozen
panorama & panorama, Galerie Klemens Gasser, Bozen
1993
Giovani fotografi italiani, Spazio Ansaldo, Milan
Giovani fotografi italiani, Sala Piazza Grande, Modena
1989
150 Jahre Fotografie, Landesfürstliche Burg, Meran
1987
Bäume, Artgallery Volksbank, Meran
Experiences/Awards
2024
Minimalist Photography Awards 2024, Night Category Honorable Mention
Artist in residence, AIR, Künstlerhaus Salzburg, Salzburg
2009
Nomination Durst Fotopreis, Tammerburg, Lienz
2004
Artist in residence, Fondation Ténot, Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine
2000
Brocia d’Or (award for communication in South Tyrol) for the book Des Weges, Bozen
1998
Diploma for creative excellence, Hasselblad Open, International Photo Contest, Göteborg
1996
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the book Des Weges, Bozen
1990
Postgraduate grant from the Ministry of Culture for the project Passerwasser, Bozen
1985
Assistant of fashion photographers, Studio Elle, Paris
1978
Photo award Alto Adige newspaper, Meran
Books/Catalogues
2024
De zona rubra, catalogue, 15 B/W photos colored by hand by Monika Hartl, text Heidy Kessler and Louis Celia Zippo, limited edition of 330 copies, numbered and signed by hand, 89books, Palermo
1997
Des Weges, book, 51 B/W photos, text Markus Vallazza, Edition Raetia, Bozen
1994
Transumanza, book, 15 B/W and 61 color photos, text Siegfried W. de Rachewiltz and Roberto Togni, Edition Sturzflüge/Edition Löwenzahn, Bozen/Innsbruck
1992
Passerwasser, catalogue, 15 B/W photos, text Ken Damy and Andreas Zipperle, limited edition of 550 copies, numbered and signed by hand, Meran
Collections
Sammlung Stadt Salzburg, Salzburg
Museum Brunnenburg, Dorf Tirol
Centre d’art Camac, Marney s/Seine
Museo Ken Damy, Brescia
Museum der Herzen, Saltaus
Gallery Total Arts, Dubai
Kunstsammlung des Landes Oberösterreich, Linz
Sammlung des Tiroler Archivs für fotografische Kunst und Dokumentation, Lienz
Parkhotel Laurin, Bozen
Private collections