Vik Muniz is internationally recognized for his work in photography, defying the perception of the viewer by creating images composed by a variety of non-conventional materials, usually citing significant references in visual culture from both high and popular culture.
Read MoreMuniz began his career in New York at the end of the 1980s, realising his first solo show in 1988. Initially working with sculpture, the artist transitioned to photography once he realised the potential of the medium after photographing his own works. He then turned to experimenting with a variety of materials, edible or not, seeking to meticulously reproduce popular images known to the general public. With this practice, Muniz grew increasingly more renowned, realising exhibitions in important institutions around the world. He is also well known for coordinating and participating in service projects, believing that art has the power to transform. One of these projects, Pictures of Garbage (2008), was the subject of the documentary Waste Land (Lucy Walker, 2010), nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category. Pictures of Garbage also contributed to his nomination as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2011.
Born in São Paulo/SP, Brazil, in 1961, Vik Muniz lives and works between Rio de Janeiro/RJ, Brazil, and New York/NY, USA. Muniz was participated in several biennials, such as: 49th, 56th and 57th editions of La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (2001, 2015 and 2017), being one of the Brazil representatives in the 2001 edition; 70th Whitney Biennial, New York, USA (2000); and 24th Bienal Internacional de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil (1998). He was also one of the guests to participate in the Artist's Choice exhibit series, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), in 2008, featuring the show Vik Muniz, Rebus. His works are included in important institutional collections, such as: Daros Latinamerica Collection, Zürich, Switzerland; Musée national d'Art moderne (Mnam/CCI), Centre Pompidou Paris, France; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA; Tate Modern, London, UK; The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA; The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), New York, USA; The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, USA; The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT), Tokyo, Japan; The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; among others in Brazil and around the world. Possui também um catalogue raisonné que reúne o conjunto de sua produção realizada de 1987 até 2015.
Text courtesy Galeria Nara Roesler.