81 Murray Street
New York, N.Y. 10007
email sonarned@aol.com

Artist, Curator, Founder and Artistic Director of The Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia


EDUCATION
1978 M.F.A., Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1971-72 Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
1970 B.F.A., Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

AWARDS
1971 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Drake Press Prize
1970 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: J. Henry Scheidt European Prize
Quaker Prize for Meritorious Achievement
Thouron Prize for Outstanding Composition

ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2007 “Who Is The Victim”, 52nd Art Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy. The Armenian Pavilion
2004 “Drawings by Sonia Balassanian”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Art, Yerevan
1993 “Shadows of My Sisters”, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, N.C.
1992 “The Other Side” The Sculpture Center, New York, N.Y.
1989 “Brooding”, Exit Art, New York, N.Y.
1982 “Black, Black Days”, Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1980 “Hostages: A Diary”, Elise Meyer Gallery, New York, N.Y.
1978 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1976 Saman Gallery, Tehran, Iran
1975 Zarvan Gallery, Tehran, Iran

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2014 “UPDATE/POST MEMORY”: International Video Art With Eastern Perspective, Motorenhalle, Dresden, Germany.
Curator: Susanne Altmmann
“Neighbours: Contemporary Narratives from Turkey and Beyond” Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey
Curators: Çelenk Bafra, Paolo Colombo
2008 “East West Dialogues, Mysticism, Satire and the Legendary Past,”
“The Gates of Mediterranean”, Palazzo Piozzo-Casa del Conte Verde, Rivoli, curated by Martina Corgnati
2007 “Yerevan Crisis”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Yerevan, Armenia
2006 “Face a Face-Armenie”, Group exhibition of photography of Armenian photographers, curated by Edward Balassanian
“The Contemporary Persian Scene: The American and European Experience”, Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery, New York, USA”
“Don’t be scared”, an exhibition of political art by Armenian artists, Curator David Kareyan at the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – ACCEA, Yerevan
“Art Without Borders“, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – ACCEA, Yerevan
“Social Games”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – ACCEA, Yerevan
2005 “Photo+”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art-ACCEA, Yerevan
“Woman Dialogue”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art-ACCEA, Yerevan
2001 Museum de Lakenhal, Holland. “4 Artists of the Armenian Diaspora”.
2000 “Continental Shift.” Stadsgalerij Heerlen, Holland.
Ludwig Forum fuer Internationale Kunst, Achen, Germany. Curator: David Galloway
Exit Art, New York, N.Y. “The End: An Independent Vision of Contemporary Culture”.
1999 Artotel, Dresden, Germany. “Nabel SCHAU”.
1998 Apex Art Gallery, New York, N.Y. “Remembering Times Past”, Apex Art Curatorial Program.
1997 XLVII Art Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy. “The Armenian Pavilion”, one of five Armenian artists from Armenia and the Diaspora, representing Armenia.
1995 CARGO International Center of Visual Arts, Marseille, France.
“International Biennale of Group Art”. Bochum Museum, Bochum, Germany. “Armenia: The Rediscovery of a Land of Ancient Culture”.
An Exhibition of Armenian Art from Prehistoric Times to Present.
1993 The Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y.
“Readymade Identities”.
Works of 6 Artists at the Project Room.
1991 Franklin Furnace Gallery, New York, N.Y. “Burning In Hell”.
A Collection of Artists’ Book Projects Invited by Nancy Spero.
1990 Ceres Gallery, New York, N.Y. “Memory/Reality”. An exhibition presented by NYFAI.
1989 Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, N.Y.
“On the Cutting Edge: 10 Curators Choose 30 Artists”
1988 The Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y. “Committed to Print”.
1986 Exit Art, New York, N.Y. “Transculture/Transmedia”.
1985-86 “The American Experience: Contemporary Immigrant Artists”.
Bass Museum of Art,Miami Beach, FL.
The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, Philadelphia, PA.
Lake view Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, IL.
An exhibition sponsored by Statue of Liberty Committee, and organized by the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies and Independent Curators Incorporated.
1985 Merilyn Pink Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1984 Pyramid Arts Center, Rochester, N.Y. “Introspectives”.
Calligrafitti, Leila Taghinia-Milani Gallery, New York
1983 Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle, U.K.
“New Work – New York: Newcastle salutes New York”.
Institute for Art and Urban Resources, P.S.1, Queens, N.Y.
“Seven Women/Image Impact”.
Ornaments as Sculpture: An Exhibition of Small Works, Sculpture Center, New York
1982 Alternative Museum, New York, N.Y. “Visual Politics”.
Louis Abrons Arts for Living Center, New York, N.Y.
“Beyond Aesthetics: Art of Necessity by Artists of Conscience”.
Just Above Midtown/Downtown Gallery, New York, N.Y.
“Decision by Arms?”
1981 Freeman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, PA. “Messages: Words and Images”.
1980 Artspace, Middlesex, N.J. “Artists and Contemporary Issues”.
Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Hartford, CT.
“Rendering of the Modern Woman”.
1980 Artists and Contemporary Issues, Artspace, Middlessex, NJ
Rendering of the Modern Woman, Joseloff Gallery,
University of Hartford, Hartford, CT. 1977 Washington
Art ’77 Exhibition, Washington, D.C.
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts, Tehran, Iran
1976 Basel International Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland.
Woman and Art, International Art Center, Tehran, Iran
Eighty Years of Modern Art in Iran, Iran- American Cultural Center, Tehran, Iran

PERFORMING ARTS/ Mixed Media Performances
2006 “Who Is The Victim”, a six-screen video installation/performance by Sonia Balassanian, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – CCEA, Yerevan, Armenia.
2005 “There Might Have Been an Insane Heart…”, multimedia installation, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art- ACCEA, Yerevan.
2002 “Brooding”, multimedia installation, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art- ACCEA, Yerevan.
2001 “Shadow of Dust”, multimedia installation, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art-ACCEA, Yerevan.
2000 “Collapse of Illusions”, multimedia installation, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art- ACCEA, Yerevan.

SET DESIGN
1992 Set Design for “Law of Remains”. A performance created and designed by Reza Abdo, and presented by Dar A Luz, New York, N.Y.
1991 Set Design for “The True Story of a Woman Born in Iran and Raised to Haven in Manhattan”.
Written and Directed by Assurbanipal Babilla, and co- produced by Purgatorio Ink and One Dream, One Dream, New York, N.Y.
1989 Set Design for “Eyeless Tears in a Universe of Ether”. A performance conceived, choreographed and directed by Linda Rappaport, Dia Art Foundation, New York.

ARTIST’S PUBLISHED WORKS
2006 “Two Books” Republication of two books of poems by Sonia Balassanian (1982, 1991) in one combined volume, Yerevan, Armenia. “Portraits”, Second Edition, Yerevan, Armenia.
1991 “To Present Dreams of Emotions To The Noisy Rain” Selected Poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian “, New York, N.Y.
1983 “Portraits”, New York, N.Y.
1982 “There Might Have Been An Insane Heart”, Selected Poems in the Armenian Language by Sonia Balassanian”. New York, N.Y.

CATALOGUES
2007 Nina Moentmann, “Who Is The Victim?”, VII Art Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy.
1997 Thomas McEvilley, “The Armenian Pavilion”, XLVII Art Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy.
1993 Fereshteh Daftari, “Readymade Identities”. New York: Museum of Modern Art.
1993 Susan Lubowsky and Jeff Fleming, “Sonia Balassanian: Shadow of My Sisters”. Winston-Salem: Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art.
1992 Geoffery Young, “Sonia Balassanian: The Other Side”. New York: The Sculpture Center.
1989 Donald Kuspit, “Sonia Balassanian: The Art of Brooding”. New York: Exit Art.
1988 Deborah Wye, “Committed to Print”. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.
1980 Robert Hobbs, “Sonia Balassanian: Hostages, A Diary”. New York: Elise Meyer.

REVIEWS
2007 Shake Matossian, “52. Biennale of Venice”, Haratch daily (Paris, France) and Hay- Bulletin d’information du Comite des Armeniens de Belgique, September 2007. Salar Abdoh,
“Vanishing Point”, Guernica/A magazine of Art & Politics,
August 2007 Jackie Wullschlager, “Emin and Femininity”,
Financial Times, London, 9 June 2007 Sandy Zurikoglu Erdogan,
“’Who is the Victim?’ at the Venice Biennale”, Agos.com.tr, 8 June,
Nairi Sahakian, “The Armenian Presence at the 52.
International Venice Biennale of Art”, 2007
1994 Mona Hadler and Joan Marter, “World War II: Reverberations”, Art Journal, Winter 1994.
1992 Jude Schwendenwein, “Sonia Balassanian”, New Art Examiner, June/Summer 1992 Elizabeth Hess, “Dress To Kill”, The Village Voice, March 24, 1992
1989 Eileen Myles,”Sonia Balassanian at Exit Art,” Art in America, 77, No. 9 (September).
1983 Mina Roustai, “Sonia Balassanian,” Arts Magazine, (February).
1981 Robert Hobbs, “Museum Under Siege,” Art in America, (October).
1980 Carrie Rickey, “Sonia Balassanian’s “Hostages: A Diary”, ” Artforum, (October) Mina Roustai, “Sonia Balassanian,” Arts Magazine, (September). Kay Larson, “Reports from the Front,
“The Village Voice, 2 July. William Zimmer, “Sonia Balassanian: Hostages, A Diary,” Soho News, 2 July.
1978 William Zimmer, “Drawing Words,” Soho News, 6-12 July.

CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2007 “Yerevan – Crises”, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – ACCEA, Yerevan
2006 “Art Without Borders“, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art – ACCEA, Yerevan
2002 “Brooding…” a multimedia performance event organized on the occasion of 10th anniversary of founding of ACCEA./ACCEA, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia.
2001 “Shadows of Dust,” a multimedia performance event organized at the park across the entrance of ACCEA./ ACCEA, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. XLIX Art Biennale of Venice, “The Armenian Pavilion,” Organizer.
2000 “Collapse of Illusion,” a multimedia performance event at public park, including 4 new video pieces by Sonia Balassanian, ACCEA, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia.
1999 XLVIII Art Biennale of Venice, “The Armenian Pavilion,” Organizer.
1997 XLVII Art Biennale of Venice, “The Armenian Pavilion,” Curator.
1995 XLVI Art Biennale of Venice, “The Armenian Pavilion, “Commissioner and Curator.
1992-Present: Annual group exhibitions of painting, sculpture and installation by Armenian and international avant-garde artists, curated and participated in by Sonia Balassanian, in Yerevan,
Republic of Armenia.

PUBLIC & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
2003 H.M. Farah Pahlavi, Queen of Iran
2001 Prof. Edward M. Bergman Collection
2000 Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art
1986 Pippo and Carla Traversi Collection
1987 King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia
1976 Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran, Iran Tomas Tomassian Collection
1970 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
… and a number of individual collectors.