Aldo Tambellini

"Black' is not the opposite of white; it is a state of being. We come from this womb. We come from this planet enveloped by 'Black'"

– Aldo Tambellini 

Aldo Tambellini (1930–2020) was a visionary artist who made a lasting impact on the art world as a pioneer of new media and as an activist for social justice. As a poet, painter, sculptor, filmmaker, and video artist, he fused artistic autonomy with social engagement. His work, especially his exploration of the color black, reflected spiritual, aesthetic, and political concerns, influenced by the horrors of World War II and his lifelong commitment to social equality.

Tambellini, born in Syracuse, New York in 1930, spent his early years in Italy and, after returning to the United States in 1946, became a key figure in New York's avant-garde scene of the 1960s. In addition to his artistic work, he was a cultural activist and created structures for artists from a wide range of scenes. Exemplary for this was The Black Gate, a center for experimental performances that he co-founded with Otto Piene in 1967.

In 1963, Tambellini, who was trained as a painter and sculptor, began to explore new media. He became one of the most important representatives of Expanded Cinema and was among the first artists to use video technology. In 1968, for example, he and Otto Piene created »Black Gate Cologne«, one of the first artworks designed specifically for television. During his stay at the MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) (1976–1984), he designed the »communicationsphere«, a globally networked project that anticipated aspects of the internet.

After the turn of the millennium, his work received new recognition with exhibitions at Tate Modern, the Venice Biennale, and ZKM. His works are in major collections such as the Tate, ZKM, and Rose Art Museum. Aldo Tambellini passed away on November 24, 2020, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, at the age of 90.

In 2017, the ZKM dedicated a major retrospective to him entitled »Aldo Tambellini. Black Matters«, for which his video archive of more than 500 tapes was digitized in the ZKM's Laboratory for Antiquated Video Systems.

The Aldo Tambellini archive began to be developed in 2015 with the donation of more than 500 video tapes in a wide range of formats. It covers all phases of the artist's work and includes core elements of his works and installations as well as the video works themselves – including pieces such as »Intermedia Performance«, »Dewey Memorial«, »Harlem Children« and »Slow Scan«. The tapes were extensively restored and digitized in the ZKM's Laboratory for Antiquated Video Systems.

In 2024, Tambellini's archival documents were added to the videotapes, completing the archive. In addition to his extensive notes and recordings, the archive includes the artist's correspondence, numerous photographs and slides, as well as ephemera and publications. The archive of Aldo Tambellini are extended by the video archive of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS), which is also located in the ZKM | Archive of Artists and Theorists.