LAURA MANINO

Using a pseudoscientific methodology, the artist seeks to discover the territory of which, as an artist, she is a part, by personal choice. Explore, walk and observe. Analyze the areas of accumulation of materials, the frequency of the finds, the influence of the weather or the tide. Collect manually and investigate the origin of the materiality found, with scientific advice. It carries out the collection of these structures on the beaches of Formentera with the authorization of the Ministry of the Environment of the Balearic Government.

In this work, the massive presence on the beaches of the remains of an animal species, belonging to the Porifera class of the Spongiide family, called common marine sponge, is questioned. These remains are a specificity of the territory. What were the conditions that occurred for the arrival of the sponges on the beach? What processes and metamorphoses did they go through? Imagine their history and journey until their fortuitous meeting. In the methodology of his work, he incorporates painting to explore the physical capabilities of the collected skeletons of marine sponges. From the absorption property of the material, observe the changes in texture, volume, weight, and flexibility.

Measure and weigh the marine sponge on a precision scale, before and after immersing it entirely in water pigments.
Record the physical changes produced and then pour the material absorbed by the sponge onto the support. Seek to get as many results as possible. Paint pools, settles, cracks, blends, or blends. traces remain
of the porosity and natural irregularity of the sponges. The experimental result, despite its methodical nature, is strange and accidental. With this working method, he seeks to create a possible emotional understanding of the landscape.

Her work has two main properties: In the one hand, she is interested in technical exploration; cutting as a way of drawing, or using and mixing materials from diverse backgrounds, expanding techniques by introducing new elements.

Formal research has led her to use invisible ink in Real State series of drawings, or to create silkscreens using ‘direct drawing’ technique (with no light) in Omnia Vanitas series. In Approach to non painting series, she used materials coming from other fields such as fashion and sewing combining them with acrylic, oil and enamel/ cotton. Moreover, she made her first approach to video through a short cut in 2022: I don't want gold, nor do I want silver, being in charge of script, set design, cast, direction etc.

In the other hand, the common thread of her projects is linked to the artist's concerns with precariousness of contemporary society. She questions the efforts made to achieve the common good. She highlights the deep fracture of social consensus and the growing presence of demagoguery that seeks to sweeten social tensions, rather than appease them.

Diana insists in the possibility of keeping the reflection and a dialogue open on those phenomena related to changes, alterations or dysfunctions in society.

Some of the issues she developed in her work are: gender violence, migration, economic and financial crisis, eviction, etc. Other cross-cutting concepts present in her work are: architecture, landscape, language, hybridity, among others.

BIO

Diana Velásquez. Vive y trabaja en Madrid.

Licenciada en Artes Plásticas de la Universidad de los Andes de Bogotá (2002). Hilo un curso de Pintura Avanzada en el Arts Students League de NY (2000). En 2004 se fue a vivir a Madrid donde realizó el Máster en Teoría y práctica de las Artes Plásticas Contemporáneas en la Universidad Complutense (2004). Obtuvo el Diploma de Estudios Avanzados del adepto. de Pintura por la misma universidad (2007). Realizó también un Máster online en Dirección y Manejo de OAC’s (Organizaciones artísticas y Culturales), IArt, (2012).Más recientemente ha hecho talleres con diversos artistas como Marlon de Azambuja, Ignasi Aballí, Joan Morey, etc.

Entre las exposiciones más relevantes en las que ha participado, están: Un espejo en mi jardín , Nébula Espacio, Madrid (2025) // Más que decoro, Espacio Ornella de Simone, Madrid (2023) // Progreso en proceso, CAB, Burgos, (2022-2023) // La espera, instalación site specific para e Grand Palais, Paris (2020-2021) // La espera, XIX Becas AlNorte, (Gijón, 2020) // Red de Creadores Latinoamericanos, Casa de América, Madrid (2021) // ¿Paz en las Mesas?, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Bogotá, (2019-2020) // 5 años de Atelier Solar, Cruce Contemporáneo (Madrid, 2020) // Artbanchel (Madrid, 2019) // Ceci n’est pas un pays, l’Emplacement, (Toulouse, 2019) // The Lunch, Theredoom Gallery (Madrid, 2018) // Anidar era otra cosa, Galería Habitar la Línea, Madrid (2013) // En-jeu, Maison de l’Amérique Latine, Estrasburgo (2007) // Dime lo que comes, te diré quién eres, Periferia Gallery, Bogotá (2001).

También ha participado en: Residencia Encontro de artistas novos, Santiago de Compostela, (2021), Residencia AQuemarropa , Alicante (2015), Feria Estampa, Madrid (2023), Flecha, Madrid (2021), Hybrid Art Fair, Madrid (2017) y Poppositions Art Fair, Brusselas (2015).

Diana Velásquez. Lives and works in Madrid.

BFA, University of los Andes de Bogotá (2002). She attended an Advanced painting workshop, Arts Students League (2000). In 2004 she moved to Madrid where she made a M.A in Theory and practice of Contemporary Fine Arts, Complutense University (2004). Then she obtained an Advanced Studies Diploma in ‘Fine Arts, Technique and concept’ at the same university, (2007). After she completed a Master Degree in Direction and Management os CAO’s (Cultural and Artistic Organizations), IArt, (2012).She has participated in some workshops with Marlon de Azambuja, Ignasi Aballí, Joan Morey etc.

The most important exhibitions in which she’s participated are: Un espejo en mi jardín (A mirror in my garden), Nebula Space, Madrid (2025) // Más que decoro (More than decorum), Ornella de Simone Space, Madrid (2023) // Progreso en proceso (Progress in progress), CAB, Burgos, (2022-2023) // La espera (The wait), site specific installation for Grand Palais, Paris (2020-2021) // The wait, XIX AlNorte Bursaries (Gijón, 2020) // Red de Creadores Latinoamericanos (Latin American net creators), Casa América, Madrid (2021) // ¿Paz en las Mesas? (Peace at the tables?), Museum of Contemporary Art, Bogotá (2019-2020) // 5 años de Atelier Solar (5 years of ‘Atelier Solar'), Cruce Contemporáneo (Madrid, 2020) // Artbanchel (Madrid, 2019) // Ceci n’est pas un pays, l’Emplacement, (Toulouse, 2019) // The Lunch, Theredoom Gallery (Madrid, 2018) // Anidar era otra cosa (Nesting was a different thing), Habitar la Línea Gallery, Madrid (2013) // En-jeu, Maison de l’Amérique Latine of Strasburg (2007) // Dime lo que comes, te diré quién eres (Tell me what you eat, I’ll tell you who you are), Periferia Gallery, Bogotá (2001).

She has also participated at Encontro de artistas novos Residency (Young artists encounter), Santiago de Compostela, Spain (2021), AQuemarropa residency, Alicante (2015), Estampa Art Fair, Madrid (2023), Flecha Art Fair, Madrid (2021), Hybrid Art Fair, Madrid (2017) and Poppositions Art Fair, Brussels (2015).