My name is Víctor G. Carreño (El Espino, 1985), and I consider myself a multi-disciplinary artist. I was born in the north-west of Colombia, I grew up in the Caribbean and the Amazonia, and I have worked and studied in Paris, Brussels and Madrid, where I live now. This explains why my work is set between the poetics of nature and public space. I am interested in the cultural history and the political and sentimental condition of the individual, and I try to explore the tensions that exist between nature, the city and human beings in a globalized era.
I’m still in the quest to capture the classic image of the so-called instant decisive that lies on the border of classicism. I do so through new media, and sometimes I play with humor and irony to confront the poignancy that is inherent in contemporary human existence. I’m a photographer who delves into photo-composition, visual anthropology, installation and performance, as well as incursions into curating.
Over the last few years, I have worked on the most underprivileged neighborhoods of some cities, in areas of the Colombian jungle where conditions are rough and in refugee camps with the UN. Hence my desire to strengthen the links between artistic practice, science, solidarity and critical social intervention. As a member of the research group on social epidemiology Heart Healthy Hoods, and as part of the Dahlia platform, from where I develop participative strategies and transmedia narratives, I can make that the process of multidisciplinary creation not only ignites imaginaries, but also provides critical devices and support for the analysis in other areas of action.
EDUCATION
2017 MFA, Escuela SUR (Círculo de Bellas Artes, La Fábrica y Universidad Carlos III), Madrid, ES
2015 Specialization in graphic design, Mr. Marcel School, Madrid, ES
2014 Dynamic training program for artists in visual arts and performance, ILES asbl – Artist Project, Brussels, BE
2012 Specialization in photography, Efet, Paris, FR
2004 Direction and Production of Audiovisual Media, Coorporación Unificada Nacional, Bogotá, COL
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017
City and health, curated by Harnessing Research and Innovation for FOOD 2030, Charlemagne Conference Centre, Bruselas, BE.
Photovoice Villaverde Project, curated by Exhibition team of the European Parliament, European Parliament, Brussels, BE.
City and health, curated by Vicerrectorado de Extensión Universitaria UAH, Capilla de Caracciolos, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, ES
2016
Photovoice Villaverde Project, curated by Madrid City Hall, CentroCentro, Madrid, ES
Photovoice Villaverde Project, Centro Cultural Santa Petronila, Madrid, ES
2015
] one day after [, Curated by Leonardo Sartori, Taller Leonardo Sartori, con el apoyo de la galería Alonso Garcés, Bogotá, COL
2013
Parousia, La Casa del Olmo, Madrid, ES
2012
Sex and the City, Cultural Space gallery A Seis manos, Bogotá, COL
RESIDENCES AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS
2018
“El león vegano” curator’s workshop, by Chuz Martínez. Madrid 45 Visual Arts Program, de la Comunidad de Madrid, ES
Member of the research group of Escuelita program, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, ES
2017
Sin Créditos program, 150 hours of collective research, Sala de Arte Joven de la Comunidad de Madrid, ES
2016
Residence program of Galerie Huit, Arles, FR
2015
Research stay at Joana Vasconcelos workshop, Lisbon, PT
Residence of production and exhibition as and member of the group of artists selected in the first edition of La Colmena (La Grieta online), Madrid, ES
SCHOLARSHIPS / AWARDS
2017
Aid to develop the Alcohol and the City project, in collaboration with Dra. Xisca Sureda and Dr. Manuel Franco, Plan Nacional sobre Drogas, Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, Madrid, ES
Hoy es 2030 arts festival, Finalist of the II Prize for Cultural Innovation of the Contemporary Culture Center of Barcelona, Barcelona, ES
Alcohol and the City, finalist project of call for collaborations between scientists and artists, Daniel y Nina Carasso Foundation, Madrid, ES
Winner of 1 of 13 scholarships to carry out the program Sin Créditos, Sala de Arte Jóven (Comunidad de Madrid), Madrid, ES
2016
Artist selected in the call 2016, Festival Se Alquila, Auditorio del Recinto Ferial de la Casa de Campo, Madrid, ES
2015
Acciona Scholarship to study the Master of Artistic Professions of the Escuela SUR, Madrid, ES
Selection of ]one day after[ series in discoveries PhotoEspaña call, Madrid, ES
Lanzadera Scholarship to develop Hoy es 2030, Factoría Cultural- Matadero Madrid, Madrid, ES
Research grants Ignacio H. de Larramendi, in collaboration with Heart Healthy Hoods project, Fundación MAPFRE, to develop the Photovoice project, Madrid, Es
Banco de la República Scholarship to publish “Antología de las crónicas barriales” book, City Hall of Bogotá, Bogotá, COL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)
2017
Sex and the City ( Exhibition Master’s thesis), curated by Escuela SUR, Sala Juana Mordó, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
Desalojo (intervention of spaces), curated by Nicolás Combarro, Universidad Carlos III, campus Puerta de Toledo, Madrid, ES
] one day after [ and Possible Scenes, curated by Moyshen Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, Milán, IT.
Caja negra, Caja blanca, Guachinacal series, curated by Elena Galilea, Gairah y Óscar Vincentelli, Sala Juana Mordó, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, ES
2016
Los límites de la voluntad, curated by Asociación Cultural ENTREsijos y Lacosacultural, Se alquila Festival, Casa de Campo Auditorium, Madrid, ES
Guachinacal, curated by Alicia Sen y Juan Varela, Galería Gotelé, Madrid, ES
Sex and the City, curated by Julia de Bierre, Gallerie Huit, Arlés, FR
Sex & the City, curated by La Colmena, Room Art Fair, Madrid, ES
Memoria, Obras en obras, curated by Escuela SUR, Sala Juana Mordó, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid
Migraciones, Pájaros and Los límites de la voluntad Series (photography and installation), curated by Alicia Sen, Cristina Herráiz y Mun-Jung Chang Park, for La Colmena, Galería Espacio Ciento y pico, Madrid, ES
2015
Still lifes and ] one day after [,curated by La Colmena, Espacio Urg3l, Madrid, ES
Los Pájaros, photography festival Getxo Photo, Getxo, ES
2013
Parousia, Galerie Impressions, París, FR.
2012
Sex & the City, curated by Arte en la Red programme, Casa de América, Madrid, ES
2010
Photographs of the Action Portraits series, curated by Malcom Deas, Historia de Colombia a través de la fotografía, 1842-2010, Exhibition organized by Fundación MAPFRE and Banco de la República with the collaboration of Museo de Antioquia, Museo Nacional de Antioquia, Medellín, COL
PERFORMANCES
2018
Of All The People In All The World, in partnership with the company Stan’s Cafe (UK), curated by Isla Aguilar y Miguel Oyarzun (artistic directors of Conde Duque), Madrid, ES
Bullerengue para Maye y Valentina (approach to Sancocho performance project), PEC, curated by Jaime Vallaure, Teatro Pradillo, Madrid, ESSweet Fever dance performance, a choreography by Pere Faura, curated by Playtime Audiovisuales for Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, ES
2017
Bullerengue para Maye y Valentina, curated by Escuela SUR, Sala María Zambrano, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, ES
Piyamada, curated by Clara Cebrián, Galería SLOWTRACK, Madrid, ES
Oficina de Apostasías, La Juan Gallery, Madrid, ES
Círculación. El camino más corto, in collaboration with Víctor Colmenero, curated by La Colmena, Galería Espacio Ciento y pico, Madrid, Es
Círculación. El camino más corto, in collaboration with Víctor Colmenero, curated by Boreal projects, Room Art Fair, Madrid, ES
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2018
Responsible for exhibition design for HHH project, CentroCentro, Madrid, ES
2017
Curator and responsible for the exhibition design of City and health, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, ES
2016
Author and General Coordinator of Hoy es 2030, multidisciplinary arts festival , with the coproduction of La Grieta and the supporty of CBA and Escuela SUR, Madrid, ES
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND VIDEO MAKING (selection)
2018
Design of communication materials for UNICEF “Evaluation of UNICEF response to Hurricane Matthew”, commissioned by Dahlia, Madrid, ES – Port au Prince, HTI
Design of communication materials for the evaluation “Protection in WFP: An independent Assesment” of World Food Programme, Roma, IT
video “Evaluation of the nutrition components of the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tinduf (Algeria)”, for The World Food Programme Regional Bureau for the Middle East, Cairo, EG
2017
Concept Design & Visual Identity for Refugee Response Index project, for DARA international, Madrid, ES – Washington D.C., USA
Video “A Participatory Study on Food through Photography”, HHH project, Madrid, ES
2016
Video “Photovoice pilot project, HHH project, Madrid, ES
2015
Video “Onlyfood Advertising spot”, Onlyfood, Madrid, ES
2010 – 2012
Poster design for the 2010-2012 seasons for the Teatro Casa de Vacas, for Madrid City Hall, Madrid, ES
WORKSHOPS IMPARTED
Photography workshop applied to research in Social Epidemiology and Public Health
2018
Centros Madrid Salud, Madrid, ES
2017
Centro de Servicios Sociales Marta Esquivas Tallada, Madrid, ES
2016
María Moliner public Library, Madrid, ES
2015
Centro Sociocultural San Cristóbal de los Ángeles, Madrid, ES
Casa San Cristóbal, Montemadrid Foundation, Madrid, ES
OTHER RELEVANT ACTIVITIES
Responsible for mediation and communication of Más Democracia en Europa project. An initiative of esglobal, in collaboration with the Spanish office of the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR), in the framework of the Hablemos de Europa program of the Secretariat of European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
Responsible for the adaptation of participatory methodologies through audiovisual media and storytelling to the evaluation of projects of the World Food Program of the United Nations, which in particular are developed in the Sahrawi refugees camps in Algeria, october – febrero, 2017-2018
Since 2014, Responsible for photography and audiovisual production, including Photovoice projects and methodologies of social participation, with Heart Healthy Hoods (HHH), a research project funded by the European Research Council undertaken by the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de Alcalá (Madrid, Spain) and the Social and Cardiovascular Research Group of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Baltimore, MD, US).
Since 2017: Collaborator and member of DAHLIA (dahlianet.org/), communication consultant for projects in the humanitarian aid, evaluation, and the third sector.