Gaston Ugalde

Gastón Ugalde

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Bio

Gastón 1944-2023 (Venice Biennale 2009, 2001) is considered the father of contemporary bolivian art. His work is deeply rooted in Bolivian traditions and filled with socio-political references.

Gastón Ugalde, 1944-2023 (Bienal de Venecia 2009, 2001) es considerado el padre del arte contemporaneo boliviano. Su trabajo esta enraizado en tradiciones bolivianas y cargado de referencias sociopolíticas.

He studied architecture (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz), Economics and Political Science Studies (Simon Fraser University, Canada) and completed his studies at the Vancouver School of Art.

Estudió arquitectura (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz), economía y ciencias políticas (Simon Fraser, Canadá) y completó sus estudios en la Escuela de Artes de Vancouver.

Spanning a half-century career, he is considered a video-art pioneer in Latin America and his work includes performance, painting, sculpture, installation, land-art, photography and printmaking.

A lo largo de su carrera ha sido considerado un pionero del video arte en Latinoamérica, y ha trabajado en performance, pintura, escultura, instalación, land-art, fotografía y grabado.

Since 1972 he has had over 90 solo-shows and over 100 collective exhibitions all over the world. Gastón Ugalde is the most internationally known Bolivian artist and has exhibited at the most important biennales such as Venice (2009, 2001), Sao Paulo (1978, 1981, 1985), Paris (1982) and La Havana (1986, 1999).

Desde 1972 ha tenido más de 90 exposiciones individuales y más de 100 exposiciones colectivas en todo el mundo. Gastón Ugalde es el artista más reconocido internacionalmente de Bolivia y ha exhibido en las bienales más importantes como Venecia (2009,2001),Sao Paulo (1978,1981, 1985), Paris (1982) y La Habana (1986, 1999).


Selected Exhibitions

2023 Pinta Miami Homage Solo show
2022 Way Home I Shanghai
Heritages et Syncretisms I Slato Parra Paris
Visiones Geometricas I Alex Slato Gallery Miami
Solo-show The Colors of Salt - La Cometa Gallery Madrid
Solo-show The Red Thread - Salar Galeria de Arte
2021 New Beginnings I Salar Galeria de Arte
Mi primer largometraje solo-show I Cinemateca La Paz
2020 ZONAMACO solo-show project curated by Johann Mergenthaler
New Beginnings I Salar Galeria de Arte
Pinta Miami Live Edition
Heterotopia casona Bickencbach curated by Cecilia Baya - Cochabamba
Outland - Fabien Castanier Gallery Los Angeles
201919 Illimani In-situ, curated by Maria Isabel Villagomez
Peru Arte Contemporaneo, PArC 2019 solo show
2018Choqueyapu solo show Puro Gallery La Paz
Illimani solo show Puro Gallery La Paz
Atemporal, Solo show Manzana 1 Santa Cruz Curated by Cecilia Bayá
2017Photo London Guest Artist, Somerset house
Lima Photo solo-show
Recent Works, Solo show Salar Galería de Arte, La Paz
2016Art and Territory - Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA
Outland - Fabien Castanier Gallery Los Angeles
2015 10 Bienal do Mercosul, Portoalegre Brasil
SP-Arte Sao Paulo, Brasil
Rituals et Dependances Galerie Celal Paris
2014 Territorios de la imagen, selection of the Juan Mulder collection, Lima
(un)real Maddox Gallery, London UK
Animals in the Walls, London UK
Paris Photo LA – solo show
Bolivar Hall, London
Museo de America, Madrid
2013 I Bienal del Sur, Panama
IX Buenos Aires Photo – Invited artist
Reality Check, MassArt Boston
Monumental Installation IADB Washington, DC
Smithsonian, American Indian Museum 
Intersections, Museum of Latin American Art Long Beach California
Coral Gables Muesum, Florida USA 
Art-Lima, Perú
2012 Art Platform Los Angeles – HACS
HFAF – Houston, TX
Art Wynwood - Hardcore Art Contemporary Space 
ART Monaco
Scope NY - Hardcore Art Contemporary Space 
Pinta London
Almas de Sal, Mueso Nacional de Arte - La Paz
FIA Caracas
2011 ARTBO Bogota
Boundaries, Museum of Latin American Art Long Beach California
Houston Fine Art Fair 
The Latin American Revolution, LMNT Miami
ART Pam Beach
ARTbeat Washington DC
Miamicito Dot 51 Gallery Miami
Pinta NY
Modern Panic, London
Buenos Aires Photo
Rostros Shamanicos, Galería Christopher Paschall Siglo XXI Bogota
Pinta London
Down and Under - Hardcore Art Contemporary Space 
2010 Saatchi Gallery, London
Villa Hais Museum, Berlin
Museum Am Dom Trier
Siguaraya Gallery, Berlin
2009 53rd Venice Biennale
Trienal, Santiago de Chile
2008 Nota Gallery - La Paz
Art Santa Fe, New Mexico 
Arteamericas Miami
2007 Bienal de Valencia Valencia
Casa de las Americas - Madrid
2006 Cuerpos Pintados” Sao Paulo
2005 Museo de Arte Moderno ” La Paz
Necker Island – British Virgin Islands
2004 Museum of Contemporary Art Santiago
La Recoleta Buenos Aires
Cuerpos Pintados Santiago
N Gallery Dusseldorf
Cuerpos Pintados Buenos Aires
2002 Evan Gallery, New York
2001 49th Venice Biennale
1999 XII Bienal de la Havana
1997 I Visual Arts Biennial of MERCOSUR; Porto Alegre
1996 Seven Visual Artists from Bolivia; Museum of Contemporary Art, Santiago
1992 Expo Seville ’92; Seville
1991 Museum of Contemporary Art, Caracas
1990 Mito y Magia en las Americas: “Los ochenta”
MARCO Contemporary Art Museum, Monterrey
1989 II Cuenca’s Biennial of Painting; Cuenca
1987 I Cuenca’s Biennial of Painting; Cuenca
1986 VII Biennial of San Juan; Latin-American & Caribbean Engraving
IV Latin-American Biennial; New York
I International Biennial of Painting; Miami
II Bienal de la Havana; Havana
1985 XVII Biennial of Sao Paulo; Sao Paulo
Neo-Expressionism de Tres Continentes; Teyler Gallery, VA
III Biennial of Graphics; Cayman Gallery, New York
1984 Neo Expresionism from Three Continents, Teyler Gallery, VA
New Forms of Figuration, Center for Inter  American Relations, New York
1983 VI Biennial of San Juan; Latin-American & Caribbean Engraving
1982 XII Biennial of Paris; Paris
1981 V Biennial of San Juan; Latin-American & Caribbean Engraving
1980 IV Biennial of Maldonado; Museum of American Art, Maldonado
Huntington Art Gallery, Austin, Texas
1979 XV Biennial of Sao Paulo; Sao Paulo
1978 I Biennial; Latin-American Art; Sao Paulo

Prizes and Awards

1970 O.F.Y. Grant, Government of Canada I 1973 Centennial Prize, Simon Frazer University, Canada I 1975 Premio de Pintura I Bienal INBO, La Paz, Bolivia I 1978 Primer Premio de Pintura Pedro Domingo Murillo, La Paz, Bolivia I 1979 Primer Premio Bienal de Maldonado, Uruguay; 1980 Gran Premio Pedro Domingo Murillo dedicado a Franz Tamayo, La Paz, Bolivia I 1984 Premio WOLA Washington Office on Latin American Art, Washington, EE.UU. I 1986 Gran Premio I Bienal Internacional de Pintura, Miami, U.S.A. I 1993-4 Cóndor de Plata, La Paz, Bolivia I 1996 Medalla de Oro del público, Esculturas Coca Cola, Olimpíadas de Atlanta, U.S.A. I 1999 Gran Premio Pedro Domingo Murillo, La Paz, Bolivia I 2000 “Gran premio Pedro Domingo Murillo, La Paz Bolivia; 2002 Gran premio Pedro Domingo Murillo, La Paz Bolivia I 2003 Gran Premio Fundación Konex MERCOSUR, Buenos Aires Argentina I 2008 Primer Premio Bienal Internacional de Santa Cruz-Bolivia I Premio adquisición Chandon-Buenos Aires I 2014 Premio Adela Zamudio Ministerio de Culturas I 2021 Vanity Fair - Changing your mind in Travel Award

Land Art

Culpina K 2001 I Villa Alota 2002 I Vila Vila 2003 I Salar de Uyuni Towers 2004 I Tiwanaku 2005 I El Alto 2006 I Uyuni Stairway 2016

Selected public and private Collections

Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach I Estrellita Brodsky Collection New York I Pietro Valsechi collection Rome Italy I Museum Am Dom Trier Germany I Museum Villa Haiss Germany I MAXXI - Museo Nazionale Delle Arti del XXI Secolo Rome Italy I Museo de Arte Contemporáneo MAC Santiago, Chile I Museo Nacional de Arte La Paz, Bolivia I Donnersberg Collection, Paris I Jan Mulder Collection Lima, Peru I Catherine Petitgas Collection London UK I Interamerican Development Bank permanent collection Washington DC I Museo de Arte Contemporáneo MARCO Monterrey I OAS Washington DC permanent collection I World Bank permanent collection, Washington, DC I Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Argentina (MNBA)