antimundo

studio ANTIMUNDO encompasses the artistic practice of Oscar Santillán and the network of collaborative energy that shapes it. We are committed to re-invent the artist studio thinking that it should be decentralized, transdisciplinary, and —more importantly— a welcoming space for diverse beings to encounter the unknown.

Science, fiction, and non-human perspectives articulate together a matrix that Oscar refers to as ‘Antimundo’. Namely, this is not only a critical set of tools for spotting the edges of our normative reality, rather actively it compels us to act sensually, to contaminate narratives, to exceed ruling conventions, to participate within intricate ecologies of selves.

By searching into lost episodes of science, into knowledge production repressed during colonial times, into indigenous ways of knowing, into non-Western sci-fi, the ‘Antimundo’ breaths.

These ideas have been stimulated by the work that Oscar has been doing along with scientists. The researchers who have generously engaged in collaborations with his artistic practice are part of institutions such as Leiden University's Biology Department (NL), Nietzsche Archive (DE), Maastricht University's Science and Technology Studies (NL), KNAW (NL), and Leiden Astronomical Observatory (NL), where Oscar was an artist-in-residence for a year (2018-2019), an experience that has led him towards a more holistic ‘sci-art’ understanding.

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studio ANTIMUNDO exists in two locations:

La Residencia, FADA, Universidad Católica, QUITO (Ecuador)

Louwesweg 6G, AMSTERDAM (The Netherlands)

Oscar Santillán

artist and Cybernetician

Based in The Netherlands and Ecuador

Oscar Santillán

Oscar Santillán. Photograph by Wouter le Duc.

I am a visual artist whose practice departs from a transdisciplinary approach —connecting diverse scientific fields, cosmologies, and non-human perspectives— in order to participate within the wondrous complexity and conflicts of our planet.

This approach has led me to continuous collaborations with scientists, software programmers, indigenous thinkers and anthropologists, sci-fi writers, and biologists (researching topics such as 'plant intelligence'). Their intellectual generosity keeps on shaping my practice, keeps on teaching me how to engage with the emerging future.

My education began in the early 2000’s as a self-taught artist in my native Ecuador. Those formative times were deeply shaped by working within collective environments. Throughout the years those experiences have remained alive in my practice in the form of collaborations with scientists and other curious minds. In 2011 I obtained an MFA in Sculpture from VCU—Virginia Commonwealth University, in the US; and, consequent fellowships have allowed me to be an artist-in-residence at Skowhegan (US), Jan van Eyck (NL), Ratti Foundation (IT), Delfina Foundation (UK), and Leiden Astronomical Observatory (NL).

Solo exhibitions of my work have taken place at Radius CCA, Delft, NL; MUAC, Mexico City, MX; Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, NL; Copperfield, London, UK; Fundación ODEON, Bogota, CO; Spazio Calderara, Milan, IT; Château La Borie, Solignac, FR; LLANO, Mexico City, MX, among others.

Group shows include LACMA, Los Angeles, CA; Yokohama Triennial 2020, Yokohama; NRW FORUM, Düsseldorf; SongEun Art Space, Seoul; Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar; Zadkine Museum, Paris; FRAC Île-de-france, Paris; IMMA—Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; Ballroom Marfa, Marfa, TX; Rochechouart Musée d’art contemporain, Rochechouart; Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo; Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City; Museo de la Universidad Nacional, Bogotá; Centraal Museum, Utrecht; Socrates Park, New York; among others.

COLLABORATIONS

We have grown convinced that artists are able to connect “the unconnected dots in the map of human knowledge” in order to participate more actively in our societies.

While in the past two decades the work of Oscar Santillán has circulated within the artworld, since the creation of studio ANTIMUNDO we are open to contribute and partner with others in areas such as:
. Research, design and production of exhibitions for public science.
. Educational consulting for institutions interested in art+science or STEAM approaches.
. Lecturing about art+science topics in the context of the artistic practice of Oscar Santillán.
. Creation of sculptures for indoor and outdoor settings.

REPRESENTATION

The artistic practice of Oscar Santillán is represented by the following galleries:

Copperfield (London, UK) | 80m2 Livia Benavides (Lima, PE) | Llano (Mexico City, MX)

TEAM

The process for every project at studio ANTIMUNDO departs from premises set into motion by Oscar, however, the consequent questions and answers leading us to the outcome, depend on the talented spirits that contribute to the studio:

Christine Hvidt, artist > research

Rene Martinez, designer > programming and 3D designing

Andrea Galarza, producer > studio coordinating

Michael Vera, artist > art production

Ema Jariso, artist > art production

Pim Kerssemakers, industrial designer > art production

Juan Felipe Paredes, curator > artistic advicing