Elena Mazzi (Reggio Emilia, 1984) studied at the University of Siena and the IUAV in Venice, after which she trained at the Royal Institute of Art (Konsthögskolan) in Stockholm.
Starting from the examination of specific territories, in her works, she reinterprets the cultural and natural heritage of places, interweaving stories, facts and fantasies handed down by local communities, in order to suggest possible resolutions to the man-nature-culture conflict. Her somewhat anthropological working method favours a holistic approach aimed at repairing the rifts that occur in society. She begins the work with observation and proceeds by combining various areas of knowledge.
Her works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions, including: Lulea Biennale, PAV – Parco Arte Vivente in Turin, der TANK in Basel, BIENALSUR, MADRE in Naples, ar/ge kunst in Bozen, Sodertalje Konsthall in Stockholm, Whitechapel Gallery in London, BOZAR in Brussels, Museo del Novecento in Florence, MAGA in Gallarate, GAMeC in Bergamo, MAMbo in Bologna, AlbumArte in Rome, Sonje Art Center in Seoul, Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, the Golinelli Foundation in Bologna, 16th Quadriennale in Rome, GAM in Turin, the 14th Istanbul Biennial, the 17th BJCEM Mediterranean Biennial, COP17 in Durban, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, Brussels, Stockholm, Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation in Venice.
She attended different residency programs and workshops such as ZK/U (DE), Skaftfell Center for the Arts (IS), HIAP (FIN), GuilmiArtProject (I), Via Farini (I), Foundation Botin (E), Bevilacqua La Masa (I), Future Farmers A.I.R. (USA), Fondazione Spinola Banna (I), Botkyrka Konsthall AIR (S). She is the winner, among others, of Cantica21 promoted by the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture, of the 7th edition of the Italian Council sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the XVII Ermanno Casoli Prize, the STEP Beyond Prize, the OnBoard Prize, the VISIO Young Talent Acquisition Prize, the Eneganart Prize, the Illy scholarship for Unidee, the Pistoletto Foundation, nctm and art prize, the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation prize, the Lerici Foundation prize, and Movin’up.
Elena Mazzi is presently undergoing a practice based PHD at Villa Arson in Nice.