Mario Sasso

Interview

• "Art and new media in Italy" (Monaco - IMAGINA, 20-02-1997)

Biography

Video artist Mario Sasso was born in Staffolo (AN) in 1934 and now lives and works in Rome. Initially a painter, Sasso began to work as a graphic artist for the Italian public service broadcaster RAI in 1958, creating the titles for the programme "Non è mai troppo tardi". Since then he has created many other titles, from "Telescuola " to the recent "Grandi Mostre". He has contributed to the graphic identity of the RAI channels and news programmes: in 1984 he created the titles for Tg2 (the Rai 2 news bulletin), in 1986 those of Tg3 and the graphic identity of Raidue, in 1990 the graphics for Tg3 and the titles for DSE (Rai Educational). In 1993-94 he designed the graphic identity of San Marino Rtv.

His project for RAISAT (1990-1993) was awarded a prize at the Festival Ars Elettronica in Linz. The work which Sasso produces privately is also characterised by a desire to communicate to the widest possible audience: in his multimedia installations the immateriality of the electronic coexists with the dilated time of painting.

Mario Sasso was a member of the jury of Imagina 97 in Monaco.

• In 1964 holds his first personal exhibition in Jesi.
• In 1968 works on a project in Libya for the national television channel.
• In 1970 exhibition at Galleria Molino.
• In 1973 presents "Il Cile come la Comune" at the Paris-Milan exhibition.
• In 1974 exhibitions at Brescia, Rome and Saronno.
• In 1979 further exhibitions in Rome and Cosenza.
• In 1980 begins experimenting with electronics and computer graphics.
• In 1982 exhibits in Rome in and Jesi.
• In 1983 exhibition in Arezzo.
• In 1985 exhibits in Ancona.
• In 1986 participates in the Quadriennale in Rome and the Biennale in Venice, Video Section.
• In 1987 participates in shows in Viterbo and Ibla.
• In 1988 personal exhibition in Rome at the Galleria "M.R.".
• In 1990 personal exhibition in New York. Is awarded a Golden Nica by the Prix Ars Electronica in Linz.
• In 1991 personal exhibition at the Galleria Agrifoglio in Milan.
• In 1992 'ARTEL' at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Cagliari and personal exhibition at Tecnopolis in Bari.
• In 1993 participates in the "Tridente" in Rome and in "Tutte le strade portano a Rome?".
• In 1994 participates in the "Mondi Virtuali" in Rome and holds a personal exhibition in the Lingotto in Turin.