Miguel Calderón (born Mexico City, 1971) is regarded as one of the most important artists of his generation. In 1994, he founded the independent gallery "La Panadería," an initiative that contributed to the internationalization of a generation of Mexican emerging contemporary artists during the 1990s. Focusing primarily in photography, film and video, his practice centres on the observation of human interaction and takes advantage of what is at hand to create low budget videos and installations. For his exhibition at the Rochester Art Center, the artist will realize a number of major site-specific works (including an off-site installation), a new body of photographs, and an artists book. A key component of the project will be an artist residency, with Calderón working and making photographs with students, and giving a lecture to the public.
Various solo exhibitions include: a Bestseller, Panorámica, Museo Tamayo de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City (2009); La discípula del velocímetro, Prospectif Cinema, Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris, France (2008); Anónimo Alemán, Vacío 9 Gallery, Madrid, Spain (2007); Miguel Calderón, kurimanzutto Gallery, Mexico City (2006); México vs. Brazil, 26 Sao Paulo Biennial, Brazil (2004); Forcing the Forces of Nature, Andrea Rosen Gallery, NY, US (2003) and Gran dote, La Panadería, Mexico City (2001).
Group exhibitions include: Fetiches críticos: residuos de la economía general, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City (2012); Mexico: Expected/Unexpected, Maison Rouge, Paris, France (2008); Playback, Museé de Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France (2007); Viva México!, Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland (2007); 7th International Photo Triennial Esslingen, Germany (2007); Escultura Social a New Generation of Art from Mexico City, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL, US (2007); Freakshow an Unnatural History, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, UK (2007); La era de la discrepancia, MUCA-UNAM, Mexico City (2007); Distor, Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City (2006); 7TH Sharjah Biennial, UAE (2005); Yokohama 2005:International Triennal of Contemporary Art, Japan (2005); Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self, ICP, NY, US (2003); Fantastic!, Mass MOCA, North Adams, MASS, US (2003); Ciudad de México: An Exhibition About The Exchange Rates of Bodies and Values, PS1 Contemporary Art Center, NY, US (2002)and Tele[Visions], Kunsthalle Vienna, Austria (2001).
In 2000, Calderón received the Macarthur Fellowship for film, video and new media, and in 1995 was an artist fellow of the Bancomer/Rockefeller Fellowship for the project "La Panadería, an Essay on Cultural Pollution."
Associated Programming
Collaboration with Rochester Students: Wednesday, May 9
Artist Talk & Exhibition Preview: Thursday, May 10
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 12
Major support for Miguel Calderón: Color Bleed is provided by Fundación Jumex, Wells Fargo, The Lab, kurimanzutto, and The Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation.
