Ali Assaf Born 1950, Al Basrah (Iraq). Lives and works in Rome, Italy. Solo Exhibitions 2012 - Oh…if only they were here too…, MU. SP. A. C. Museo Sperimentale d’Arte Contemporanea - L’Aquila, Italy. 2008 - Faces of Exile, Associazione Culturale Tra le Volte – Rome, Italy. 2006 - Waters!, Villa Mercede – Rome, Italy. 2005 - Why are you here?, Mashrabia Gallery – Cairo, Egypt. - Lontana eco, Palazzo dell’Informazione – Rome, Italy. 2004 - Greetings from Baghdad, Nuova Icona Gallery – Venice, Italy. 2003 - The obscure object of desire, Sala 1 Gallery – Rome, Italy. 2001 - Wayfarer, Gallery Meier – Arth a/see, Switzerland. - Ingerenze, Associazione Culturale Rialto Santambrogio – Rome, Italy. 1994 - Paintings, Vittorio Caporrella Foundation – Rome, Italy. 1993 - Works on textile, De Muzerije Gallery – Ś‐Hrtogenbosch, Netherlands.

1992 - Self portrait XXL, Cafè Picasso – Rome, Italy. - Hommage à toutes Les femmes que j’ ai connues, Centre Cultural Arabe Bruxelles, Belgium. 1991 - Belsem, ex‐railway tunnel Montale – Republic of San Marino.

-Them and me under the first sky, Sala 1 Gallery – Rome, Italy. 1986 - Nostalgia and passion, Palazzo dei Diamanti – Ferrara, Italy. - 4 hypothesis on reality, Nuova Galleria Internazionale – Rome, Italy. 1985 - Immersion works in situ, Vicolo de’ Burrò underground – Rome, Italy. - Viaggiare, qui, Barte Librogalleria – Frascati, Italy. - Portraits from Iraq, Accademia studi Arte nel mondo – Rome, Italy. 1984 - La testa del grande rompiballe, Aleph spazio d’Arte – Milan, Italy. 1979 - The last paintings, Palazzo Comunale – Narni, Italy. 1977 - Faces of Middle‐east, Aeffe 66 Gallery – Rome, Italy.

1972 - Institute of Fine Arts Gallery – Baghdad, Iraq. 1971 - Education Department Gallery – Basrah, Iraq. Selected Group Exhibitions 2013 - Light Sensitive, Photographic Works from North Caroline Collections, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University – Durham, N.C. , USA. - Tuffo, Complesso architettonico Torre di Mola – Formia, Italy. - C'era una volta, una volta sola, Galleria Wunderkammern – Rome, Italy. - Raccolta di Racconti V – Galleria Sala 1 – Rome, Italy.

2012 - Guest artist at the exibition Young Masters, Sphinx Fine Art Gallery and Gallery 27 – London, UK. - Narcisse - reflets d’un mythe, Galerie Colbert – Paris, France.

2011 - Pavilion of Iraq, 54

th

International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, Italy.

- A Dream of Eternity, Boghossian Foundation/ Villa Empain – Bruxelles, Belgium.

- Roma. The Road To Contemporary Art, MACRO Testaccio- Rome, Italy.

2010 - Visioni Irachene, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy. 2009 - 2nd Gulf Film Festival, Dubai – U.E.A. - When we will be in Baghdad, BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts – Brussels, Belgium. - Open Doors, Museo geofisico – Rocca di Papa, Italy. - Painting and photography, Museo Venanzo Crocetti – Rome Italy. - London East Festival, AUGUST art’s gallery – London, UK. - Mediterranean cross roads, Palazzo Montecitorio – Rome, Italy. - Meeting of civility, Castelvecchio – Verona, Italy. 2008 - 11th International Cairo Biennale – Cairo, Egypt. - XIII Biennale d’Arte Sacra Contemporanea, Museo Staurós – Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy. - Europe present identity, difference, relation, Chiesa di Santa Incoronata – Naples, Italy. 2007 - God Art 2007, Museo ex‐manifattura tabacchi – Città Sant’Angelo, Italy.

- Offline: Baghdad, Centro espositivo Spazio 8 – Milan, Italy. - Arabic short films and documentaries, Associazione Culturale Piccolo Apollo – Rome, Italy 2006 - Identity of 12 International Contemporary Artists, Sala 1 Gallery – Rome, Italy. - Mediterraneo Contemporaneo, Castello Aragonese – Taranto, Italy. - Le strade di casa, Palazzo Santucci – Navelli, Italy 2005 - Il senso del male, Chiostro di Sant’Agostino – Caserta, Italy. - Viaggio in Italia, Palazzo Orsini – Bomarzo, Italy. - Electric body, Palazzo Chiarulli – Ferrazzano, Italy. 2003 - Still packing suitcases…, Limonaia di Villa Strozzi – Florence, Italy. 2002 - Africa e non solo, Palazzo Comunale di Cologna – Brescia, Italy. 2001 - Open Studios – artists in Rome open their studios for the public. 1999 - The lightness, Istituto Aeronautico G. Galilei – Rome, Italy - Arab art at the 20th Century, UNESCO building – Beirut, Lebanon 1998 - Face‐off, Art Fair Riparte, Sheraton Hotel – Rome, Italy.

- T‐shirt of artist, Mashrabia Gallery – Cairo, Egypt.

1997 - Contamination photography in Art, Art in Photography, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea dell’Università di Roma “La Sapienza”. - The woman between myth, history and actuality, Museo dell’Arte e dell’Archeologia – San Buono, Italy. - Mediterraneo paradisi perduti, Palazzo Comunale di Maiori – Italy. 1996 - Under different skies, Oksenhallen – Copenhagen, Denmark. - Self portrait inside outside, VILLAGE Museum of Contemporary Art – Fornazzo di Milo, Italy. - Artists at the window, Via della Stella – Ostuni, Italy. - The politics of the heart, Gallery de’ Serpenti – Rome, Italy. - Feminine, Masculine & Co., il manifesto library – Rome, Italy. 1995 - The moon, the cross, the star, Palazzo Fizzarotti – Bari, Italy. - Faxart la velocità nell’arte, Palazzo delle Esposizioni – Rome, Italy.

1994 - Identity and cartographical representations, Museo Nazionale Preistorico – Etnografico – Rome, Italy. - Artists for Opening, British School at Rome – Rome, Italy. 1993 - Presence foreign artists in Italy today, Centro per L’Arte contemporanea – Umbertide, Italy. 1992 - Eros, Studio Cavalieri Gallery –Bologna, Italy. - Mare Nostrum, Academy of Fine Arts – Catania, Italy. - Photogrammatica, Gallery Arte Spazio – Rome, Italy. 1991 - Ex‐Moenia, Arpino City Square – Italy.

1990 - Meeting of people, Villa Lazzaroni – Rome, Italy. - Iraqi art in Exile, Haus der Kulturen der Welt – Berlin, Germany. 1989 - Away from home, Bloomsbury 1 Gallery – London, U.K. - 2nd International Algiers Biennale – Algiers, Algeria 1988 - Far away from the first sky, D.E.A. Gallery – Florence, Italy. - Iraqi Art in Exile, National Museum – Damascus, Syria. 1987 - Project against apartheid, Rotonda Lungomare di Ostia – Italy. 1986 - Genazzano ’86, Castello Colonna – Genazzano, Italy. - Art to understand, Chiostro degli Innocenti – Florence, Italy. 1985 - Iraqi graphic art, La Bottega della Stampa – Brescia, Italy. 1984 - Un confronto, Nuova Galleria Internazionale – Rome, Italy. 1983 - 10 Iranian and Iraqi artists, Spazio Incontro – Rome, Italy. - Women in the works of artists, Festa Nazionale dell’Unità – Reggio Emilia, Italy. 1982 - Iraqi art in Exile, Salle des Fêtes de la Mairie de Montreuil – Paris, France. - Museo di Roma in Trastevere ‐ Rome, Italy. Arab cultural center – Damascus, Syria.

1980 - Iraqi Art in Exile, Palagio di Parte Guelfa – Florence, Italy. Palazzo Ca’Giustiniana – Venice, Italy. 1975 - Young foreign artists, Nuova Galleria Internazionale ‐ Rome, Italy. Centro Iniziative Culturali –

Avezzano, Italy. - Young Iraqi artists, La Giada Gallery ‐ Rome, Italy. Gallery Aeffe 66 ‐ Rome, Italy.

1970 ‐ 1973 - Group exhibitions in various spaces in Basrah and Baghdad. Performances 2013 - Two faces front of me, for Festa d’artisti – Casa dell’architettura, Rome, Italy

2011 - 75 liters of water, for TAXXI, MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo - Rome, Italy. 2007 - I am…, for ComITAto di Salute Pubblica Centro d’Arti Contemporanee Duncan 3.0 – Rome, Italy. 2005 - The target, for Moscio Associazione Culturale Rialto Santambrogio – Rome, Italy. 2004 - Lampedusa check‐point, Associazione Culturale Rialto Santambrogio – Rome, Italy.

1996 - Feet of sand, for Acque Chete Sala 1 Gallery – Rome, Italy. 1994 - For the year 2600, for Parzialmente Stremati, Villaggio Globale – Rome, Italy

Other professional experience

2011 - Commissioner of the Pavilion of Iraq, 54

th

International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia, Italy. - Workshop at MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo - Rome, Italy.

2010 - Curator Iraqi video art for Marsciano festival – Marsciano, Italy. 2007 - Workshop at the middle school in Città di Sant’Angelo – Pescara, Italy. 2005 - Art slide lecture, Academy of Fine Arts – L’Aquila, Italy. - Curator exhibition: Four Contemporary Iraqi Calligraphers, Festa Intermundia 2005 - Rome, Italy. 2004 - Jury member for the exhibition: Fotografare l’estate, Associazione Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino, Italy. 2003 - Art slide lecture, Temple University – Rome, Italy. 1999 - Art slide lecture, Loyola University Rome Center – Rome, Italy 1998 - Art slide lecture, Ark Cultural Studio – London, U.K. 1996 - Arabic calligraphy workshop for the exhibition: Scritture le forme della comunicazione, Museo del Folklore – Rome, Italy. 1995 - Curator responsible for choosing foreign artists working in Italy section for first Triennial of Art and Culture in Exile Under Different Skies in Copenhagen - Denmark for the European Culture Capital year. 1993 - Jury Member for Rome International School Association Annual Art show at St. Stephen’s School in Rome – Italy. 1992- 1993 - Freelance collaboration as graphic artist with weekly national news review L’Espresso - Rome, Italy. - Arabic Calligraphy Workshop at Arab Cultural Center – Brussels, Belgium. 1989 - Jury Member at 2nd International Algiers Biennale – Algiers, Algeria. - Curator exhibition: The inexistent artist, Palazzo Valentini – Rome, Italy. - Curator visual arts section of the Arabic Cultural event Amasi, Associazione Punto 8 - Rome, Italy. 1988 - Founder of the Association of Foreign Artists in Italy. 1980 - 1990 - Member and secretary of the committee of the League of Iraqi Democratic Writers,Journalists and Artists in Italy. Responsible for organising various cultural events and art exhibitions in different Italian and European cities including: Rome, Venice, Florence,Milan, Paris, Berlin, London and Damascus. Education 1973 - Diploma in plastic arts, Institute of Fine Arts – Baghdad, Iraq 1977 - Diploma in painting, Academy of Fine Arts – Rome, Italy.

Prizes 2009 - 1st prize awarded by the sport against violence Association at the exhibition Arab artists in Italy – Rome, Italy 2008 - Honour award by Ministry of Culture at the 11th International Cairo Biennale, Egypt. 1997 - Silver prize at the XXII exhibition of Contemporary Art – Premio Sulmona, Italy. 1996 - Workshop Honour award at the VILLAGE Museum of Contemporary Art – Fornazzo di Milo, Italy. 1994 - 3rd prize awarded by the Sicilarte Cultural Association at the exhibition Correnti d’Arte Fiore del Mandorlo – Agrigento, Italy. 1991 - Honour award by Lazio Region at Incontro dei Popoli cultural event – Rome, Italy. Articles, Catalogues and Video Documentation Various critics have written about Alì Assaf’s work in: Catalogues including: Viaggio in Italia, That Obscure Object Of Desire, Le Strade Di Casa, La Luna La Croce La Stella, Il Corpo Elettrico. Magazines including: Parachute, Flash Art, Arte, Arte e Critica, Al – Aram Hebdo, Al Thakafa Al Jadida, Mu, Alias, Segno, Abwab. Newspapers including: Al Hayat, il manifesto, Al Mutamar, Liberazione, Il Tempo. In addition different video documentation and archive material exists about his life and work. Video documentation including: Amid the Alien Corn, Distinguishing Marks: Foreign, Sinbad, Feet of Sand, Lampedusa Checkpoint. Public collection His works have also been acquired for public collections including: Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University – Darham , NC, USA. Museo Sperimentale d’Arte contemporanea – L’Aquila, Italy. Museo Geofisico - Rocca di Papa, Italy