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Paloma Polo. Madrid. 1983
Paloma Polo’s practice has unfolded alongside a continuing immersion in zones of unrest. Along a drifty path, the artist has been devising and enacting narratives to tentatively capture the emergence of political thought in particular contexts or temporal segments, so as to understand what their overlooked preconditions and unfulfilled potentialities are. These lines of inquiry entail, according to Polo, paying heed to worldviews that are suppressed in the making and normalization of political categories, even emancipatory ones —they have led her to observe cosmologies and political imaginaries that are rendered invisible and therefore remain predominantly unrecognized.
Polo’s practice is based in situated investigations that mostly thrive conversationally, by way of personal engagement, comradeship and critical appraisals of institutionalised archival narratives. Storytelling and fictionalisations, generally materialized audio-visually, are, in her work, inquisitive means to fathom the remoulding of socio-political relations in their convoluted movements.
STUDIES,
RESIDENCIES
2026 / 09
PhD Research Fellow, Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO).
2024
Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Syracuse University -Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice-. New York State.
2023
Program “Artists in Campus”. Autónoma University. Madrid.
2017
Les Laboratoires D’Aubervilliers. Research and creation institution. Paris.
2014
Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for International Studies. University of the Philippines Diliman.
2010
Gasworks international residency program. London.
2007 / 09
De Ateliers art residency program. Amsterdam.
2006
Fine Art Degree at Complutense University. Madrid.
2005
Erasmus Grant at Camberwell College of Art. University of the Arts of London.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2024
Coordinator, together with Miguel Errazu, of the seminar: “Research and artistic practice” at the National Contemporary Art Museum Reina Sofía’study programme: “Connective Tissues”.
Invited lecturer at the MA in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture at Universidad Complutense de Madrid And Universidad Autónoma de Madrid- Museo Reina Sofía.
2023
Mentor and advisor at the Centre for Artistic Residences- CRA. Matadero Cultural Centre. Madrid.
2022
Associate Professor at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya- UOC. Fine Arts Faculty.
2021
Guest speaker at the Sommerakademie Paul Klee directed by Dora García. Bern. Academy of the Arts. HKB.
Lecturer at the course “Photography in Movement” directed by Nicolás Combarro. Círculo de Bellas Artes and Carlos III University. Madrid.
2019
Member of Moving Artists International.
2015
Visiting tutor at De Ateliers art residency. Amsterdam.
Guest speaker at Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Fine Arts Faculty. Cuenca.
2014
Visiting lecturer at Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Fine Arts Faculty. Cuenca.
2013
Adjunct professor at the Center for International Studies. University of the Philippines Diliman.
SELECTED
SOLO PRESENTATIONS
2027
Rozenstraat, Amsterdam.
Curated by Stephanie Noach. (Upcoming)
2025
The Return of the Gaze: The Political Task of Narration.
Retrospective at La Virreina Centre de la Imatge. Barcelona. Curated by Mabel Tapia.
Visiones contemporáneas.
DA2 Domus Artium 2002 de Salamanca, Spain. Curated by Enrique Piñuel y Natalia Piñuel.
2023
Somebody has to do it.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Curated by Miguel Errazu.
2021
Superposition
Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid. Curated by Bernardo de Souza.
2019
The earth of the Revolution.
Arts Catalyst, London. Curated by Anna Santomauro.
El Barro de la Revolución.
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo- CA2M, Madrid. Curated by Juan de Nieves.
The earth of the Revolution.
Arts Catalyst, London. Curated by Anna Santomauro.
2015
Unrest.
In collaboration with Radha D’Souza. Parra & Romero gallery. Madrid.
Unrest.
De Ateliers. Amsterdam. Curated by Theo Tegelaers – TAAK.
2014
Unrest.
Galleria Umberto di Marino. Naples. Curated by Nicoletta Daldanaise.
2012
Apparent Position.
Kurimanzutto Gallery. Mexico City.
Apparent Position.
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Madrid.
Action at a Distance.
Casa Barragán. Mexico City. Project by De_Sitio.
2011
The Path of Totality.
Frieze Art Fair. London. Maisterravalbuena gallery.
Modo de Empleo 2.
Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil. Mexico City.
2010
Enough Redundancy in the System.
Montehermoso Cultural Centre. Vitoria. Curated by Beatriz Herráez.
2009
The Precarious State.
The Inkijk. Skor. Ámsterdam. Curated by Olga Cordón.
SELECTED
GROUP SHOWS
2026-
Disobedience Archive (Canopy for Broken Time).
Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst. Zurich. Curated by Marco Scotini in collaboration with Nadia Schneider Willen, Tasnim Baghdadi and Yasmin Naderi Afschar.
2025
Archivo de la Desobediencia (la calle)
PROA21. Buenos Aires. Argentina. Curated by Marco Scotini.
Disobedience Archive
Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Copenhagen. Curated by Marco Scotini.
Una Voz/ Una Imagen
Centro Cultural de España en México. Mexico City. Curated by M. Virginia Jaua.
Bosques de la Memoria
San Telmo Museoa. San Sebastián. Spain. Curated by Mabel Tapia and Mira Bernabeu.
14 millones de ojos.
Colección, fotografía, público. Sala Canal de Isabel II. Madrid. Curated by Olga Fernández López.
2024
Censored: an archive of silenced voices
Laveronica gallery, Sicily. Curated by Marco Scotini.
Entre los Ojos del Deseo
Oliva Arauna Collection. Centro de Arte de Alcobendas. Madrid.
Ação à Distância
Kubik Gallery. Lisbon. Curated by Bernardo de Souza and Luisa Duarte.
2023
How long is an Echo
Kubus Kooperativ. → Hannover, Alemania. → Comisariada por Violeta Janeiro.
International Biennial of Photography
FOTONOVIEMBRE. TEA- Tenerife Estacio de las Artes. Curated by Violeta Janeiro.
2022
Where Will we go from here?
Frankfurter Kunstverein. Curated by Ana Ara and Rosa Ferré.
Una Voz / Una Imagen
Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque. Madrid. Curated by Maria V. Jaua.
2021
Vasos Comunicantes. Collection 1881-2021
Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofía- MNCARS.Madrid.
La Selva es un Croma Verde: Sobre el Estado de la Revolución
Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende. Santiago de Chile. Curated by Marta Ramos.
Corpos Presentes
Universidad Fonseca. Santiago de Compostela. Curated by Susana González.
Anthropologies of the black box
Lliure Theatre. Barcelona. Curated by Manuel Cirauqui.
Art Basel OVR: Portals
Galería Sabrina Amrani.
Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende. → Santiago de Chile.
2020
I Got you Under my Skin
Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid.
Una Voz/ Una Imagen
Espai d’Art Contemporani de Castelló. Comisariada por Maria Virginia Jaua.
2019
I Got You Under My Skin
Espai d’Art Contemporani de Castelló. → Comisariada por Maria Virginia Jaua.
2016
Lalín biennial
Lalín, Pontevedra. Curated by Álvaro Negro.
Itinerarios XXII: Renderizando la realidad
Botín Foundation. Santander.
Faraway so Close. High Line Art
New York. Curated by Cecilia Alemani,
Les Rencontres Cinématographiques
Belvédère du Rayon-Vert. Cerbère, Portbou. Curated by Patrick Viret.
After the Future
ARTifariti 2016. International Art and Human Rights Meeting of Western Sahara.
Tindouf, Algeria.
Breves Episodios
Maria José Jove Foundation. Curated by Marta García Fajardo and David Barro.
2015
Hold Everything Dear
Ishmael Bernal Gallery. University of the Philippines Diliman. Manila. Curated
by Antares Bartolome.
Darker and Darker Grows the Landscape (la possibilité d’une île)
Le Commun.
Bâtiment d’art Contemporain. Geneva. Curated by Bénédicte le Pimpec and Isaline Vuille.
Fixlab
Gijón International Film Festival. Curated by Alfredo Aracil.
2014
La Construcción del Paisaje
Centro de Arte Andaluz Contemporáneo, CAAC, Seville. Curated
by Yolanda Torrubia.
2013
Il Palazzo Enciclopedico
55th Venice biennial. Curated by Massimiliano Gioni.
The Progress Dysfunction. Collection VIII
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo. CA2M. Madrid.
Jetztzeit (El Tiempo de Ahora)
La Panera Art Centre. Lleida. Curated by Manuel Segade.
A Space on The Side Of The Road
curated by Henrik Andersson and Kajsa Dahlberg, Röda. Sten, Gothenburg.
2012
The gate to the invisible must be visible
Casa del Lago Juan José Arreola. Mexico City. Curated
by Catalina Lozano.
Gravity and Disgrace
Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo. CGAC. Galicia. Curated by
Miguel von Hafe.
The Rescue of the Effects
General Public. Berlin. Curated by Lorenzo Sandoval.
Behind the light
Pedro Cera gallery. Lisbon. Curated by Jorge Pallarés.
Ciencia, territorio y narrativas subjetivas
Can Felipa. Barcelona. Curated by Lorenzo Sandoval.
2011
Modelling Standart
Gallery Joan Prats. Curated by Jorge Satorre y Erick Beltrán. Barcelona.
Space for the imagination
Turner Contemporary. Margate. Curated by Sepake Angiama.
Bosch Young Talent Show
Stedelijk Museum ‘s Hertogenbosch.
Zomertentoonstelling
Paul Andriesse Gallery. Amsterdam. Curated by Marien Schouten.
Narratives in Progress
Regional Museum Celje (Slovenia). Curated by Juan de Nieves.
Experimental Station
CA2M (Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo).Madrid. Curated by Andrés
Mengs and Virginia Torrente.
Video(S)torias
Artium Museum, Vitoria. Curated by Blanca de la Torre and Imma Prieto.
Que sais-je?
Agencia Vera Cortés. Lisboa. Curated by Ricardo Nicolau.
In situ
Contrapuntos de Arte Actual. Spanish Cultural Centre at Buenos Aires.
New adquisitions exhibition
CGAC (Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo), Galicia.
Curated by Miguel von Hafe Pérez.
2010
Before Everything
CA2M, (Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo). Madrid. Curated by
Manuela Moscoso and Aimar Arriola.
Five Platonic Solids
Halfhouse. Barcelona. Curated by Alberto Peral.
Ins Blickfeld gerückt
French Institute. Berlin. Curated by Gaëlle Boucand.
Offspring 09
De Ateliers. Amsterdam. Curated by Brejge van Woensel.
AWARDS, GRANTS
2025
Nominated for the Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice. Vera List Center for Art and Politics. The New School. New York.
2024
Fulbright Scholarship. Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports Study in the Arts Program.
Apoyo a la Creación- Producción 2024. La Caixa Foundation. Barcelona.
CineZeta Prize at Documenta Madrid film festival.
2022
Research and production grant awarded by Autónoma University, Madrid.
Support to the visual Creation: Proposals. Vegap. Madrid.
Finalist at Premi Ciutat de Palma Antoni Gelabert d’Arts Visuals 2022. Palma de Mallorca.
Support to the artistic creation. Comunidad de Madrid.
2020
Nominated and shortlisted for the Nina Carasso Foundation prize: L’artiste, citoyen engagé.
Multiverso. Grant for the creation of video art. BBVA Foundation. Spain.
2018
Ojo Crítico award in recognition of an artistic career. National Spanish Radio.
Radio Nacional de España- RNE.
2017
Werkbijdrage Bewezen Talent. Mondriaan Fonds. Holland.
Loop Discovery Award nominee. Barcelona.
2016
Program for internationalisation of Spanish Culture. Acción Cultural Española. Mobility grant.
Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (AFK).
Program for internationalisation of Spanish Culture. Acción Cultural Española.
Projectinvestering bemiddelaar en kunstenaar. Mondriaan Fonds. Holland
2015
International Visual Arts Grant. Botín Foundation. Santander.
2014
IV International Young Art Prize. First Prize. Maria Jose Jove Foundation. A Coruña.
2013
Shortlisted at Kino der Kunst Project Award. Munich.
2010
Contribution to the working budget. Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten Vormgevin en Bouwkunst. Holland.
Contribution to the working budget. Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten Vormgevin en Bouwkunst. Holland
Startstipendium. Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten Vormgevin en Bouwkunst. Holland.
2009
Production grant MUSAC, Museum of Contemporary art of Castilla y León.
Generación 2011 award. Fundación Caja Madrid. Spain.
Art and Research 09. Montehermoso. Vitoria.
First Price at the Visual Art Contest INJUVE. Madrid.
2008
Mention of honor X Visual Art Contest ABC (Spanish newspaper).
Selected in the International Audiovisual Festival ZEMOS 98.
Prize at the international art contest EXPLUM. Murcia. Spain.
First price of audiovisual contest “Instantes de Paisaje”. Centro de Arte y Naturaleza. CDAN. Huesca.
2007
Second prize at the XVIII Drawing contest Gregorio Prieto. Valdepeñas. Spain.
Prize “International mobility of artists”. Matadero. Madrid.
2006
Production grant. Visual Arts Contest. Injuve. Madrid.
2005
Awarded at the Young Art Contest of the Community of Madrid.
COLLECTIONS / SELECTION
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – MNCARS
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo – CA2M
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León – MUSAC
Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea – CGAC
Spanish Ministry of Culture
TEA – Tenerife Espacio de las Artes. Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Museo de Bellas Artes de Santander
Marcelino Botín Foundation. Santander
Maria José Jove Foundation. A Coruña
Institute of Youth – INJUVE. Spain
Complutense University. Madrid
Autónoma University. Madrid
National University of Distance Education – UNED. Madrid
Benedicta Badía de Nordenstahl Collection
BBVA Foundation
DKV Collection
Caja Sol Collection
Gregorio Prieto Foundation. Ciudad Real
EXPLUM Collection. Murcia
Porcelanosa Collection