BIO & STATEMENT
Statement
Vivian Galban’s work unfolds in the field of photography, questioning the support and photographic processes in contemporary times. Her academic activity, teaching role and work in applied technology are part of her artistic research. Vivian Galban subjects the pride of the portrait as a genre of representation with solid roots in art history, to dissolution. After years of obsessively working on the same figure, now she hides her gaze and slips away from the photographic fixation. Up close, it is reduced to a shapeless, flickering field of colored spots. In another movement, the artist makes the body return to the origin of those mysteries that modern individuation exorcised. “Mist” (2013), “Valley of the Yosemite, from Rocky Ford-1872” (2015) and “Exposure in real time” (2019) are some of her most outstanding works where Galbán shows a wide range of technical resources to address experiments that go beyond the quasi-pictorial plane -playing with the composition-decomposition of the image-, the techniques of appropriation of the images, intervening them, dissecting the supports and dissolving them in glass plates, until reaching the “relational exhibition”, a format that allows the artist to exercise deep experimentation with analogue support, actively involving the viewer in the process and in the resulting work. All her work in general, is the product of a point of view that emphasizes the different concepts and photographic techniques beyond the limits of the medium itself, prioritizing the procedures used over the final image, an image that is debated between what is intuited as form and what fades as such, adding to the debate other artistic practices from an interactive, performatic and even digital place.
Bio
Vivian Galban was born in 1969 in Buenos Aires, where she lives and works.
She studied Architecture in the Architecture and Urbanism Department at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (1993), and completed a post-graduate degree in Conservation and Rehabilitation of Architectural Patrimony at the same institution (1996). She founded the first Agencia Interactiva de Desarrollo Multimedia: MediaLab Argentina (Interactive Multimedia Development Agency: MediaLab Argentina) in Buenos Aires and Mexico City (1996-2012), and Buenos Aires’ first Centro de Maquetación y Modelado 3D (Center for 3D Modeling and Layout, 1994-1996). Her practice expands through research into photography as a medium, questioning both the support and photographic processes in contemporary times.
Her academic activity, work with applied technology and role as an educator all form part of her artistic investigation. She has held workshops and seminars at the Usina del Arte in Buenos Aires (2018), the Centro de Fotografía in Montevideo (2017), the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires (2014-2016) and at the Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires (2015). She is currently Head of the Aesthetics, Art and Contemporary Culture department at the Instituto de Arte Fotográfico y Técnicas
Audiovisuales at the Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda, in the province of Buenos Aires. She participated in the Artist Draft Program residency, held at the Kyoto Art Center in Japan (2005), and did further specialization in Beyond the Silver Gelatin Print at the Penumbra Foundation in New York (2018).
Outstanding among her solo shows are: Valley of the Yosemite, from the Rocky Ford, 1872, at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires (MACBA), curated by Teresa Riccardi (2016); Solo Show at Lima Photo, with Rolf Art (2016), and No sabemos lo que puede un cuerpo, at Rolf Art, curated by Valeria González (2013-2014). Her works have been selected for the Premio Buenos Aires Photo (2015), the Bienal ArtexArte (2015) and the Metrovías Fotografía Contemporánea Argentina competition (2011), and she participated in the XVII Bienal de Artes Visuales de Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia with the Entre el cielo y la tierra series, (2010).
Her work formed part of the two-person exhibition Chroma – Exterior noche / interior día. Zicarello, Galban, curated by Graciela Taquini, at the Centro Cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires (2014-2015).
The following group exhibitions included her work: Res, Assef, Herbstein, Mangiante, Brodsky, Bianchi, Toto Blake y Galban, at Rolf Art (2011), and Medici, Doffo, Galban, at Galería Rubbers Internacional (2012), among others. With Rolf Art she participated in Lima Photo in Peru (2012-2017), ARTBO in Colombia (2013), and Zona Maco in Mexico (2013-2014). Solo shows, group exhibitions, international fairs, prizes and mentions
2021 Festival Les Rencontres de la photographie, Arles. Rethink Everything. Group exhibition. Análogos series, photography. Curator: Andrea Giunta.
2020 Rolf Art gallery, Buenos Aires. Pensar todo de nuevo. Group exhibition. Análogos series, photography. Curator: Andrea Giunta.
2020 Rolf Art gallery, Buenos Aires. Online Exhibition / Pensar todo de nuevo. Group exhibition. Análogos series, photography. Curator: Andrea Giunta.
2019 She receives an Impulso Cultural, Mecenazgo Cultural financing program from the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, for elaborating the book Exposición en tiempo real.
2019 Art Toronto Fair, Toronto. Group exhibition. Mist Series, photography.
2019 LALA Contemporary gallery, Toronto. Solo show. Ánima and Dejavú series. Texts: Valeria González and Graciela Taquini.
2019 BAphoto Fair, Buenos Aires. Solo show. Exposición en tiempo real, photographic installation and performance. Arte al Día institutional space.
2019 Rolf Art gallery, Buenos Aires. Solo show. Exposición en tiempo real, photographic installation and performance. Curators: Alfredo Aracil and Leandro Villaro.
2017 Mercado de Arte Fair, Cabildo Histórico, Córdoba. Group exhibition. Valley of the Yosemite, from the Rocky Ford series. Rolf Art gallery.
2016 Lima Photo, international photography gallery fair, Lima. Solo show. Valley of the Yosemite, from the Rocky Ford, 1872 series, photography and installation. Rolf Art gallery.
2016 MACBA, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires. Galban Goes. Solo show. Valley of the Yosemite, from the Rocky Ford, 1872 series, photography and installation. Curator: Teresa Riccardi.
2015 Work selected for the Bienal ArtexArte, Buenos Aires. Huella de un real, ambrotype photography and digital copy. ArtexArte, Fundación Alfonso y Luz Castillo. Jury: Matilde Marín, María Teresa Constantin and Victoria Verlichak.
2015 Work selected for the Premio Buenos Aires Photo 2015, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Galban Goes Muybridge series, photography. Jury: Jorge Villarcorta, Romina Resuche and Santiago Porter.
2015 Alvear Art Hotel gallery, Buenos Aires. Solo show. Bruma series, photographs. Organization and curating: Rolf Art gallery.
2014 Centro Cultural Recoleta, Sala Prometeus, Buenos Aires. Chroma – Exterior noche / interior día. Two-person exhibition, Vivian Galban and Pablo Zicarello. Bruma series, photographs. Curator: Graciela Taquini.
2014 Work selected for Proyecto Coordenadas, Photography Contemporánea en la Vía Pública, Buenos Aires. Entre el cielo y la tierra series, photography. Curator: Jasmine Barkalatz.
2014 PArC, Perú Arte Contemporáneo Fair, Lima. Group exhibition. Cimbrar series, LED backlights, steel and Duratrans photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2014 Zona Maco Fair, Mexico City. Group exhibition. Cimbrar series, LED backlights, steel and Duratrans photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2014 Espacio Fotoarte gallery, Punta del Este. Solo show. No sabemos lo que puede un cuerpo, photographs. Curator: Roberto Riverti.
2013 Rolf Art gallery, Buenos Aires. Solo show. No sabemos lo que puede un cuerpo, photographs, video and installation. Curator: Valeria González.
2013 ARTBO Fair, Bogota. Group exhibition. Cimbrar series, LED backlights, steel and Duratrans photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2013 Zona Maco Fair, Mexico City. Group exhibition. Ánima I, II, III series, photography and video. Rolf Art gallery.
2012 Lima Photo, international photography gallery fair, Lima. Group exhibition. Entre el cielo y la tierra I, II, III series, photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2012 Lima Photo, international photography gallery fair, Lima. Group exhibition. Ánima I, II, III series,
photography and video. Galería Rubbers Internacional.
2012 arteBA Fair, Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Ánima I, II, III series, photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2012 Galería Rubbers Internacional, in the Espacio Stile Italia Fiat Auto Argentina, Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Eduardo Medici, Inés White, Vivian Galban. Entre el cielo y la tierra series, photography.
2011 Rolf Art gallery, Buenos Aires. Res, Assef, Herbstein, Mangiante, Brodsky, Bianchi, Toto Blake y Galban. Group exhibition. Ánima series, photography, object. Jewelry: Leticia Gelosi and Vivian Galban.
2011 Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires. Fase, Encuentro de Arte y Tecnología. Third edition. Group exhibition. Work exhibited: Yin Yan, videoinstallation. Curator: Graciela Taquini.
2011 Metrovías Concurso de Fotografía Contemporánea Argentina, Buenos Aires. Work selected: Sumisión, photography. Jury: Fabiana Barreda, Estela Gismero Totah, Máximo Jacoby, Leonel Fernando Luna and Juan José Romero.
2011 Lima Photo, international photography gallery fair, Lima. Group exhibition. Work exhibited: Cruz, photography. Rolf Art gallery.
2011 Galería Rubbers Internacional, Buenos Aires. Rubbers Foto 2011. Group exhibition. Galban, Doffo, Medici, White, Padilla, Barragán. One Night series, photography and installation.
2010 BAphoto Fair, Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Mujer con pañuelo rojo series, photography. Galería Rubbers Internacional.
2010 Pabellón 4 gallery. Solo show. Acerca de dos cuerpos, photography and videoinstallation. Curator and text: Fabiana Barreda.
2010 Selected to participate in the XVII Bienal de Artes Visuales de Santa Cruz de la Sierra 2010, Bolivia. Work exhibited: Entre el cielo y la tierra, photography.
2010 Sasha Dávila gallery and Galería Rubbers Internacional, province of Córdoba. Group exhibition. Doffo, Medici, Galban, Barragán, Vargas. Selection of works exhibited, photography.
2009 Galería Rubbers Internacional. Árbol de artistas. Group exhibition. Fundación AgrupArte. Work exhibited: Belladonna, photography.
2009 La Prometida, Buenos Aires. Outdoor mural intervention. Food Chain, digital photography, plotter print.
2009 BAphoto Fair, Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Soutien series, photography. GV gallery. Gonzalo Vidal.
2009 Open call: Carla Rey gallery, Cuerpo y castigo. Casa Ensamble, Bogotá. Group exhibition. Work exhibited: Cruz, photography. Curators: Juan Carlos Romero and Carla Rey.
2009 Defensoría del Pueblo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Belleza ciudadana. Solo show. Photography. Curator: Claribel Terré Morell, Fundación Cultura Frontal.
2009 Appetite gallery, Buenos Aires. Sexo y mujer. Group exhibition. Photography. Curator: Daniela Luna.
2009 VIII Feria de Libros de Fotos de Autor. Espacio Ecléctico, Buenos Aires. Rosario de 7 días series, artist’s book. Fair curator: Julieta Escardó.
2009 Casa Brandon gallery space, Buenos Aires. Solo show. Soutien series, photography and objects. Curator: Sebastián Freire.
2009 arteBA Fair, Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Latingráfica stand. Open call to artists. Work exhibited: Lluvia, photography and object.
2009 La Siesta. Intervention in the space. Work: Love Ho, drawing and photography.
2009 Masamadre art space. Work exhibited: Nido, installation and photography.
2009 Galería Alejandra Perotti, Masculino Femenino. Group exhibition. Brotes series, photography.
2008 VII Feria de Libros de Fotos de Autor. Espacio Ecléctico, Buenos Aires. Dos series, artist’s book. Fair curator: Julieta Escardó.
2008 Galería Thames, Buenos Aires. Dosunodos. Group exhibition. Uno y Dos series, photography, installation and video. Curator: Fabiana Barreda.
2008 arteBA Fair, Barrio Joven; Buenos Aires. Group exhibition. Brotes oculares series, photography. Jardín Luminoso gallery.
2008 Crimson gallery, Buenos Aires. Tatuaje en tela. Group exhibition. Brotes oculares series, photography on canvas. Curator: Fabiana Barreda.
2008 Jardín Luminoso gallery, Buenos Aires. Vení al Jardín. Group exhibition. Brotes Spring series, photography on canvas. Curators: Verónica and Lucía Malenky.
2008 VI Feria de Libros de Fotos de Autor. Espacio Ecléctico, Buenos Aires. Ellas series, artist’s book. Fair curator: Julieta Escardó.
2007 Estrella del Sur gallery, Buenos Aires. Habitación blanca. Group exhibition. Ellas series. Curator: Lara Marmor.
2006 GV Consultoría de Arte gallery, Buenos Aires. Art Fair. Empty and Tokonoma series. Curator: Mindy Lahitte.
2006 Espacio Prometeo – Arte Contemporáneo, Buenos Aires. Japón. Group exhibition. Empty and Tokonoma series. Curators: Julieta Escardó and Fabiana Barreda.