Biography
Montevideo, 1977. I live and work in Uruguay. I work mainly with photography and video. I attended just a few art workshops. On the 11th of September of 2001 at 10 am I had an interview at the University of New York concerning a Master in Fine Arts; when I arrived they were all crying, the Twin Towers had fallen. I assumed it was better to remain self-taught. I took part of the Sexy Movement (Federico Aguirre, Julia Castagno, Martín Sastre, Dani Umpi and me) while it lasted.
Since 2005 I'm carrying out the traveling project “Cómo sos tan lindo”(“How come you are so beautiful”). So far I did it in London, Vienna, Barcelona, Valparaíso, Buenos Aires and Montevideo. In 2009 I will make the seventh stage in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Exhibitions:
Individual:
2006: Belleza y Felicidad, Buenos Aires / 2001: Municipal Subway, Montevideo.
Collective:
2008: Freiraum, Museumsquartier, Vienna; Goethe Institut Bulgaria; Arte X Arte, Buenos Aires / 2007: Bienal de São Paulo-Valencia, Valencia; Traschi Gallery, Santiago de Chile; Salón Municipal de Artes Visuales, Montevideo / 2006: Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia; Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires, Centro Cultural Pablo, Havana; Municipal Subway, Montevideo / 2005: Open Studio, Buenos Aires, Blanes Museum, Montevideo; Cultural Center of Spain, Montevideo, National Museum of Photography, Montevideo. / 2004: Momenta Art, New York, and DC Hall of Spain, Montevideo / 2002: Gallerie Chez Vallentin, Paris, Art in General, NY; Casa Encendida, Madrid; Engelman Ost Collection, Montevideo / 2001: Modern Culture, NY, The Armory Show, NY; Recoleta Cultural Center, Buenos Aires, Belleza y Felicidad, Buenos Aires, Spain Cultural Center, Lima, Goethe Institute, Montevideo / 2000: Momenta Art, NY; Spain Cultural Center, Montevideo.
Vision of art
1. Choose a work that represents you, describe it in relation to its format and materiality, its relation with time and space, its style and theme; detail its production process.
“You’re so cute” [Cómo sos tan lindo] (Montevideo 2005 - Buenos Aires 2006 - Valparaiso 2007, DVD, 8 minutes each) explores the male universe in its relation with aesthetics and the cult of the body. The starting point is a call through the press: "Casting. Attractive men are needed for photos". Each of the candidates poses alone in a hotel room –the hotel as universal place–, and then responds to a series of questions. They know in advance that they will not receive money in return. Each one of them gives their definition of beauty, there are no filters: those who attend are selected. The same experiment was carried out in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Valparaiso. The differences are obvious, regarding the cultural differences between these countries, but there are also similarities. “You’re so cute” is designed as an itinerant project: a new video is made in each city where it takes place in an attempt to understand how the male self-perception varies in different cultural contexts. Is there a global way to be attractive, imposed by the unilateral channels of cultural globalization? Or different patterns and details are preserved? The result moves the internal fibers of gender debate, traditionally focused on the image of women. We see the man presenting himself as a vulnerable being, with needs that we do not usually imagine. The way a woman looks at and portrays a man is not the way we are used to. In the imaginary, the representation of the body of a man is always built through the eyes of another man. This project is a homage to male beauty and a place where you can discuss this with men themselves. This project took place in Austria and Mexico during 2008 as well.
2. In general terms, how would you suggest to approach your work?
Reclined in the back and respecting the first impression, but being aware that the ultimate goal is always conceptual.
3. In reference to your work and your position in the national and international art fields, what tradition do you recognize yourself in? Who are your contemporary referents? What artists of previous generations are of interest to you?
I could say I am a conceptual artist. In my individual works I work quite usually on gender issues. These are or were somehow my influences: Matthias Herrmann, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and in a different way, Leonor Fini.
4. Choose works or exhibitions from the last ten or fifteen years which in your opinion were very significant and explain why
I do not live in Argentina and could not answer this question. Anyway, an exhibition that struck me last year was May Gardens [Jardines de Mayo] curated by Fernanda Laguna. I thought it was a blow to the traditional pattern of exposure and even to the less traditional patterns of exposure, with a selection of artists with strong plastic proposals.
