ALVARO BARRIOS
Bio
Álvaro Barrios (b. 1945, Barranquilla, Colombia) is a seminal figure in Colombian Postwar and Contemporary art. A pioneer of conceptual and experimental practices in Latin America, his work explores the boundaries between popular and academic culture through irony and wit. During the 1970s and 1980s, he challenged censorship and social hierarchies with projects such as Grabados Populares, printed in local newspapers to democratize access to art. Deeply influenced by Marcel Duchamp, Barrios reinterprets conceptual strategies within the Colombian context. His work is part of major collections, including the Guggenheim Museum’s Latin American Art Collection, and has been exhibited in leading museums worldwide, including The Contemporary Austin and the Williams College Museum of Art.
Statement
Conceptual artist, draftsman, and printmaker, Álvaro Barrios is a pioneering figure in Colombian art whose work bridges popular culture and conceptual thought. Trained in architecture and art history in Colombia and Italy, he was among the first to introduce conceptual art to the country. “All contemporary art has left imprints on my pictorial universe,” he affirms, reflecting his lifelong dialogue with global art and local identity.
2.5 x 4m / 98.4 x 157 in
