Born in Treviso, Italy, on August 7 th , 1971, Zannier graduated in painting from the Venice Art Academy in 1996 with a thesis on Kurt Schwitters. From 1991 to 1994, under the guidance of Ennio Finzi, a well-known exponent of Italian optical art, he developed a personal artistic research project which resulted in sculpture and pictorial assemblage. In November 1993 he displayed his works at a gallery in Mestre near Venice as part of a group exhibition called “Palco Latino”.  

Between 1999 and 2002 he worked at a series of expressionist-like graphics and figurative drawings revolving on such themes as hypocrisy, the social masks and the alter ego, which were exhibited in personal exhibitions in both Italy and in Hungary.

In 2004 he was invited by the Italian Institute of Culture in Nairobi, Kenia, to represent his country at the Wasanii Workshop, an event he was, however, unable to attend.

In 2005 Zannier displayed in Treviso his “Fear” Project, a multiple installation inspired by Duchamps's “Machines Celibataires” through which he explored the origin of fear in contemporary man. This work was highly praised by the Italian art critic Achille Bonito Oliva.

In June 2007 he took part in the collective exhibition “13x17” organised by Philippe Daverio in Venice and in December in the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art where he presented his “I-Man”, a large-size sculpture which anticipated a by now wide-spread exploration into the concept of the Avatar.

In September 2009 Zannier was invited to display some of his most recent works at the San Giorgio Gallery as part of the International Modena Philosophy Festival. The exhibition, called “Avatar's Dream” and including his “I-Man”, the installation “The Internauts' Temple” and his “Monument to an Avatar”, made up of three matryoshka-like sculptures, attracted the media's attention for its reflection on how human beings relate to the internet era.

Zannier, however, does not only devote his time and creativity to the figurative arts. Under the artistically evocative pseudonym Ottodix, he also composes songs to be performed by his band. He has already released a few albums and won some national awards.

His musical work includes the soundtrack for the silent film “The Cabinet of Doctor Calligari” (1996) and two theatre projects with Vincenzo Tripodo, an opera, theatre and film director who holds a degree from the prestigious Tisch School of Art New York. In the first of the two, “Tangos”, written in 1997, Zannier oversaw the set, the music and the choreography, besides acting as assistant director; while in the second, “Murder Ballades”, an homage to Nick Cave's music, he worked mostly as co-author.

In 2002 he oversaw the artistic production, the cover, the photo sets and the official site for his album “Corpomacchina”. The following year some of his sculptures and digitally reprocessed photographic material for the CD were included in the “Newton Project”, a travelling exhibition-concert. In 2005 Zannier was voted "Best Artist of June" from G.A.I. (Italian Young Artists).

In 2006 he went on tour with the Italian singer Garbo and was in charge of the arrangements for a musical show. His video clip “Ossessione” was realised between Rome and New York and directed by Maurizio Tiella.

In 2007, in order to promote the track “Cuore/Coscienza” from his album “Nero”, he created a videoclip, a sort of tribute to the avant-garde art movements, for which he designed the costumes and set, as well as taking care of both the animation and editing.

Zannier currently lives between Treviso and Zurich where he is working on a multi-media theatre project related to the release of a new album devoted to science fiction.