Giancarlo Bolzan
Born in 1963.
Giancarlo Bolzan spent his childhood and school years in Kreuzlingen, where he is presented as self-taught.
According to his own statements, his practice focuses on critical and «uncomfortable» themes centred on the modern image of humankind; according to the same source, it forms part of a long-term reflection on the transience and fragility of existence.
His earliest works date from 1978 and were executed in oil; the biographical notice presents them as strongly marked by the legacy of French Impressionism.
Around the turn of the millennium, Bolzan developed his painterly vocabulary: around 2000, he juxtaposed geometric or constructed elements with dynamic organic forms; from 2004 onwards, he placed greater emphasis on the canvas itself by leaving certain areas unpainted, thereby making material and support active elements of the image.
Several personal events are explicitly linked to the thematic and formal developments of his work: the accidental death of his brother in 1997 is mentioned as formative, while the birth of his daughter Leandra in 2006 gave rise, according to the biography, to a series known as the «Geburtsbilder» (birth paintings).
His work has been shown regularly in Switzerland: references include representation by Galerie Siemer at ARTVIENNA (2002), an exhibition recorded at the Kunsthalle in Frauenfeld (2010), a presentation at Mayer’s Altes Hallenbad in Romanshorn (1.4.2018), and participation in the exhibition «10 Jahre - 10 Künstler» at the Museum Rosenegg in Kreuzlingen (1.6.2016).
Biographical references include the award of second prize in the Osborne competition in 2007, his joining kunstthurgau in 2009, and his participation in the publishing project associated with the 75th anniversary of this association (publication 2016).
Acquisitions by institutions are reported: the purchase of a work by the Kunstmuseum des Kantons Thurgau in 2015 and an acquisition by the city of Kreuzlingen in 2010, without specification of the titles or inventory numbers concerned.
His online presence is attested by a personal website (www.bolzan.ch), an Instagram account (@giancarlobolzan), and a professional address mentioned in the notice (Guetstrasse 16).