VICTOR SPINELLI
Multi Media Artist-Photographer, Painter, Sculptor
Born: White Plains, New York
Lives in Ibiza, Spain
I'll describe a little bit about my life below but I can say that art, which has profound significance, is very critical to our awareness on the planet. We live on a magical paradise which we call Mother Earth but seem to take her for granted. We must respect her in every way, and with good intention. A few thoughtful series of mine that I have created in the last several years emulate this belief. Most notably they are my: Crucifixion Series, Beast of Burden Series, Balance Series and Read my Lips Series (Not shown).
One day, more than 20 years ago, after becoming a commercial pilot/instructor, I flew my Hot Air Balloon to almost 4000 meters as a jumping platform for sky divers. While descending, I noticed what looked like a high school from a mile up, and made my way toward it. I soon realized that it was a prison and almost landed within the guarded walls that had snipers in each corner. With a smattering of luck and some, in the moment, piloting skills, I edged the balloon over the walls and into the visitors parking lot. I am 100% & absolutely sure that I was the first balloon to park there. After landing, the warden and guards all had a laugh about my mile-high confusion, posing for pictures with the balloon. It was soon thereafter that I decided to sell the balloon and start traveling. Camera in hand.
During most of my adult life I have split my time between New York, Colorado, the Mediterranean and California. The photography skills and artistry I developed along my travels have evolved into several multimedia platforms such as film, commercials, music videos, documentaries, print campaigns and now graphic novels. Globetrotting through about 80 countries led me to Mykonos, Greece where I first started making a living with my photography skills for three fabulous summers. After which, I was drawn to another island in the Mediterranean: Ibiza, Spain. While in Ibiza,
I was brought on board by Manumission, a surreal theatrical clubbing party, to document the inside of its production. Many of my photographs captured the “Fellini-esque” happenings of Manumission and have gone down in Ibiza lore.
Good fortune arrived in 2011 when I was graciously commissioned by Ibiza Rocks to outfit their newly acquired Pikes Hotel in Ibiza, Spain. Then, in 2013 a venture capital group invested in my work and creative foresight and opened the first installment of “SPiN Galleries” in Shanghai, China. This was also a deeply appreciated blessing.
I earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of Buffalo, and honestly my only goal with this degree is to build a very unique, ecological and kick-ass livable tree house. Previously in high school I was merited with the title of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts of America, and this has taught me how to live a rich and fulfilling life.
2022 will ring in the first edition of the SPiN Art Residency in Ibiza, Spain, (linked here) which I am organizing. Its objective is to help bring awareness to our worlds' population about the important issues on our planet, through art. Each selected artist will attend for free, to mix progressive ideas within this critical thinking bouillabaisse of artists. A symposium of ‘Art for the betterment of the planet’ will commence in April of 2022.
In 2019, I orchestrated the construction of an 8-foot wooden sculpture of my popular photograph “Diver UP” for Burning Man. The sculpture was torched on “The Mans” ashes after "he" burned to the ground. This symbolized a metamorphosis of not only the evolution of Diver UP, but also a demarcation point in my career thus beginning a new chapter within it. Into the sunset……….
Please stay tuned for more new creative developments…
SHOWS
Ethereal Group Show -Ibiza- October 2021Tropic of Ouzo- Graphic Novel Launch- IT Mykonos, Greece July 2021House of Abundance Group Show, Ibiza 2021Half Baked Retrospective, Pikes Hotel Ibiza, July 2021Tropic of Ouzo- Graphic Novel Launch- Paradiso Art Hotel, Ibiza July 2021Ethereal Group Show -Ibiza- March 2021WoW Ibiza 2021Galleria d’Arte Portofino, Portofino, Italy 2020Gallery Red - Private Air Terminal - Ibiza 2020Gallery Red Mallorca, Spain 2020Association Cultural Ibiza Natural - August -September 2020Nagai, Ibiza. May 2020Crucifixion Series, Xposed Gallery - Chelsea NYC Dec 2019-2021Group Show- Not Another Art Show. Miami, December 2019Group Show -Ethereal -Elements- Ibiza, November 2019Group Show- Ethereal. Ibiza September 2019Group Show- Coldwell Banker Opening- Ibiza Sept 2019Burning Man - Diver UP 8 foot & Burned! Black Rock City 2019SPiN Dome Exhibition. Pikes. Ibiza July 2019Group Show- Ethereal- Who Cares- Cova Santa, Ibiza- July 2019Tracy Park Gallery, Malibu, California June 2019Aubergine- Atzaro - Solo Show Ibiza June 2019Group Show -Ethereal-Las Dalias-Ibiza-May 2019Me Hotel- Solo Show- Ibiza - May 2019Maya Beach Club, Cala Vadella, Ibiza. Permanent collection, 2019Group Show- Ethereal Ibiza April 2019Min Art Museum Guadalajara, Mexico Permanent collection 2018Group Show-Hospicio Cabanas, Guadalajara Mexico 2018BoxPark Shoreditch, London. November 2018BoxPark Croydon, London. November 2018VW Contemporary, Group Show- Greenwich, Connecticut, Oct 2018Paradiso Hotel- Permanent Collection Ibiza 2018Ibiza Vibe TV Collective-Show launch- Ibiza, Spain May 2018Market Art & Design Show- Bridgehampton Museum-Aced Gallery 2018Revolver- Ibiza, Spain February 2018ChaCha Gallery collection. Aspen, Colorado 2017Scope Art Fair, Emmanuel Fremin Gallery December 2017Spectrum Art Fair, Aced Gallery. Miami December 2017Art Aspen, SPiN Galleries, Aspen, Colorado. August 2017World Trade Gallery. Broadway. New York City. May 2017Affordable Art Fair, SPiN Galleries, Hong Kong May 2017GX Gallery, Denmark HIll, London 2017Kevin Barry Fine Arts. Las Vegas, Nevada 2017Art on Paper Fair. Pier 36. S Artspace Gallery. NYC March 2017Scope Art Fair. Miami Beach. December 2016Red Dot Air Fair. Bruce Lurie Gallery. Miami, Florida December 2016Pier Antique Show. Pier 94 Bruce Lurie Gallery. NYC November 2016London-Ibiza Collective Group Show-SoHo New York October 2016Affordable Art Fair-Emmanuel Fremin Gallery. NYC. September 2016Ginvi Gallery. Rotterdam, Holland. September 2016Hidden From View, Pikes Hotel, Ibiza, Spain. July 2016Art Hamptons, Bridgehampton, NY June 2016Affordable Art Fair, NYC April 2016Smith&Jones for “Love is a Battlefield". Brooklyn Jan 2015Sulkin/Secant Gallery. Santa Monica, California 2015Sheraton Tarrytown, Tarrytown, NY 2015Aqua Art Miami, December 2015The Norwood Spring Collective New York March 2014Opening of SPiN Galleries- Chelsea NYC April 2014Juicy-Group Show- Gitana Rosa Gallery Chelsea, NYC Sept 2014Diver UP! Showdown. Stray Kat Gallery NYC Nov 2014Opening of SPiN Galleries – Shanghai, China. March 2013Pulp Fiction Show. The Norwood Club. NYC. October 2013The Norwood Club, New York Permanent Collection 2013The Jinn Gallery, Ludlow St, New York City, 2012The Robert Anderson Gallery. New York City, 2012The Joseph Bottari Gallery. Lambertville, NJ, 2012The Westbank London Art Gallery. London UK, 2012Essential Erotica Show. Broadway. New York. May 2012Work featured in the John Turturro film “Fading Gigilo” 2012Pikes Hotel, Permanent collection, Ibiza 2011Delano Beach Club Gallery, Ibiza, Spain. August 2011Urban in Ibiza collective show, Atzaro, Ibiza, Spain, August 2011Prive Show. Joy Wai Gallery. New York 2011Rogue Gallery-group show, New York City, February 2010Bar Suzette, NYC 2010. Permanent collection205 Club, NYC 2009-2010Sushi Club 133- Lago Di Garda, Italy 2010La Barchessa Gallery-Bardolino, Lago Di Garda, Italy 2010Atzaro-Ibiza, Spain 2010MA (Music Arts) Club, Catania, Sicily 2010Burning Man Diver UP Photo Banner 20 feet. Black Rock City 2009White Plains Public Library, NY-Beaches & Cream Show July 2009Miami Art Week, December, Miami Beach, Florida 2008Tracy Park Gallery, Mailbu, California Oct 2007-2010Exposure Gallery, Palm Springs, California 2007Ibiza Spring Art Show, Ibiza, Spain 2006Earth2Mars Exhibition, NYC May 2006Museo-Palazzo di Ariccia. Lazio, Italy. 2006- Permanent collectionThe Bedroom, Ibiza, Spain 2005Duncan Miller Gallery, Hollywood, California 2005Ocean Brewing Company, Laguna Beach, California 2003Café De Ville, New York -Permanent collection 2002Galleria Ikebana, Ibiza, Spain 2001Enigma, Ibiza, Spain 2001Belmont Lounge, New York 1999.Vail Library, Vail, Colorado 1998Galleria Portoportiani, Mykonos, Greece 1997
