PRESENCE / ABSENCE

Javier Pérez (Bilbao, 1968) is one of the best-known Spanish artists of his generation. His international breakthrough came in 1996 with his first solo exhibition at Galerie Chantal Crousel in Paris, followed a year later by his first museum exhibition at the Musée d’Art moderne et contemporain in Strasbourg.

Pérez examines humankind through a visual language replete with intense metaphors and symbolism. His work reveals how tenuous the dividing line can be between apparent opposites such as nature and culture, inside and outside, life and death.

Pérez’ oeuvre is marked by a certain syncretism in terms of both his techniques and materials. Sculpture, photography, drawing, video and performance are utilized both independently and in combination to create installations in which interaction and exploration are crucial.