(Mexico City, 1965)
His training between Mexico and Germany has led him to develop a particular sculptural style, which highlights an unusual materiality to explore the body and its isolated forms; tissues that give life to characters or to their extremities, in full-fledged emotion. Velázquez’s lines have crossed Berlin, Stuttgart, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Austin, Buenos Aires, Jalisco, Queretaro, CDMX, and other cities. He is featured in distinguished collections such as the Bank of Mexico, the Carrillo Gil Museum of Art and the University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC).
Biography
He was born September 30 of 1965, in Mexico City. He studied in several workshops at the National School of Visual Arts, at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Afterwards he studied sculpture in Germany, at Berlin University of the Arts and at The Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design.
Héctor Velazquez’s work looks to explore the relations with the human body and its surroundings such as its shapes, conceptions and sensations, as well as its relations with the senses and communication with others. It is a process of introspection, almost ritual. Velázquez weaves his intimate conception of the human body with new and old “skins”, in some cases taking up the pre-hispanic world view, as in the case of Xipe Totec. He is interested, amongst other things, in digging into emotional regenerations, usually related with emotionally linked beings. In his works, he researches the psychic and emotional relations between the geographic representations of physic land or topographic maps, with the body, the dermis and the clothes that cover it. Through the use of different materials, such as fabric, thread, worn clothes and stones, he creates pieces that invite the spectator to get involved corporally and emotionally.
His work was published, together with texts of historians and art critics such as Karen Cordero, in the book entitled Cuerpos desdoblados, published in Mexico by the Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery in 2007.
Distinctions
• Residence in Centro Banff for Arts, Canada, FONCA, 2005
• Award Artes por todas Partes, Mexico City, 2004
• OMNILIFE Award of Sculpture, Acquisition Award, Salón de Octubre, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 2001
• Residence in Centro Banff for Arts, Canada, FONCA, 2001
• Intern of Jóvenes Creadores, FONCA, México DF., 1998 – 1999
• Intern of “Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste “ Alemania, 1993 – 1995
• Intern of “Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste“ Alemania, 1990 -1992
Solo Exhibitions
2017
The Garments of St. Christopher. Kunst in der Kirche, St. Christopher Church, Berlin.
2013
Testimonies- Evidence of a Transformation. Pavillon am Milchhof, Berlin.
2012
Unfolding Bodies. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
2011
Collection 1800. Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Mexico City.
2008
Héctor Velázquez, Unfolding bodies. Querétaro Art Museum, Querétaro.
2007
Héctor Velázquez. N2 Gallery, Barcelona.
Unfolding bodies. Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Mexico City.
2006
Xipe Tótec. Cultural Center of Spain, Mexico City.
2005
Xipe Totec, Exconvento de Tepoztlan, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico City.
2004
Xipe Totec, Museo Etnográfico, Berlin.
2002
En silencio, Galería Landucci, Mexico City.
1998
Cabinas, Museo de Arte Carillo Gil, INBA, Mexico City.
1991
Héctor Velázquez, Galería Kunstitut, Stuttgart, Germany.
Group Exhibitions
2017
Concentric Rings. San Pedro Factory, Uruapan.
Collectors Cabinet. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
The Chewed Objekt. House of the First Printing Press in America, UAM, Mexico City.
Concentric Rings. Cultural Center Clavijero, Morelia.
2016
NAVIgation. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
Crossroads. The London Art Show. N2 Gallery, London.
Open Studios. Milchhof, Berlin.
2015
Beyond Borders. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
10 Years. N2 Gallery, Barcelona.
XI Monterrey Biennal FEMSA. Center of the Arts, Monterrey.
Art Jakarta. Puerta Roja Gallery, Jakarta.
Six Degrees of Separation. 108 Abraham Gonzalez, Mexico City.
2014
Korea International Art Fair. Puerta Roja Gallery, Seoul.
Opposing Matters. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
Interwoven. Contemporary Cell, Claustro de Sor Juana. Mexico City.
Art Madrid. N2 Gallery, Madrid.
Volcanoes, The Localized Desire-3. Schaufenster Space, Berlin.
2013
Human Topographies. Puerta Roja Gallery, Hong Kong.
Art Taipei. Puerta Roja Gallery, Taipei.
Shared Sensations. Querétaro Art Museum, Querétaro.
2012
Affordable Art Fair Mexico City. Terreno Baldio Gallery, Mexico City.
Visceral Beauty. Manolo Rivero Gallery, Merida.
Preview Berlin Art Fair. Terreno Baldío Gallery, Berlin.
Affordable Art, Mexico City. Terreno Baldío Gallery, Mexico City.
2011
XXXI Group of the 16 – Contemporary Art, Hacienda de los Morales, Mexico City.
Urban Conscience, Andrés Siegel Gallery/ Art, Mexico City.
IV International Biennal of Contemporary Textile Art , Anahuacalli Museum, Mexico City.
Piel / Skin, Isabel la Católica 97, Mexico City.
2010
Affordable Art, Mexico City, Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Mexico City.
XXX Group of the 16 – Contemporary Art, Hacienda de los Morales, Mexico City.
Diverse Afect/ Genders in Flow. University Museum Chopo, Mexico City.
Zona MACO Contemporary Art, Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Mexico City.
2009
XXIX Group of the 16 – Contemporary Art, Mexico City.
20 Years FONCA 1989/2009 – Creation in Motion, José Vasconcelos Library, Mexico City (2009 – 2010).
Small Art, Urban Corredor Roma Condesa, Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Mexico City (2009 – 2010).
Form and Color. N2 Gallery, Barcelona.
Arteaméricas. Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Miami.
2008
Balelatina. Terreno Baldío Arte Gallery, Basilea.
Surfaces. Tamaulipas Museum of Contemporary Art, Matamoros, Tamaulipas
2007
ArteBA. Terreno Baldío Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2006
Der Blick, Lautlose Sprache. (The Llook), Arttransponder Space, Berlin.
Capri LXII. Capri Gallery, Berlin.
2005
Vértigos y Delirios, Centro Cultural España. Mexico City.
Feria de arte ARCO, Madrid, Spain and Galería Terreno Baldío, Mexico City.
Mexican Report, The Cultural Institut of Mexico, Washington D.C, USA.
2004
Segunda Bienal de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico City.
Mexican Report, Instituto de México, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, Texas, USA.
2003
El Sentido y sus Sentidos, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.
Permanent Exhibition of MUCA, UNAM, Mexico City.
2002
VII Salón de Arte Bancomer, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.
2001
OMNILIFE Award of Sculpture, Salón de Octubre, Guadalajara, Jalisco.
De la Academia a la Instalación, Mexican Sculpture, Palacio de las Bellas Artes, INBA, Mexico City.
2000
Creation in Motion. National Center for the Arts, Mexico City.
Rotation IV. MUCA Roma (University Museum of Science and Arts, UNAM) Mexico City.
Suns of Mexico. Petit Paláis, París.
1999
IV Biennal. Museum of Monterrey. Monterrey Nuevo León.
Geographies. Blue Star Arts Complex, San Antonio.
Point of View: Between Two Cities, Mexico and New York. Art in General, Nueva York.
Earth, Disperse Identities. MUCA (University Museum of Science and Arts), UNAM, Mexico City.
1998
Después del cuerpo. Galería 127, ciudad de México.
In the Nineties: Contemporary Mexican Art. Mexican Cultural Institute, New York and Washington.
1997
First National Fine Arts Salon. Threedimensional Biennal. National Center for the Arts, Mexico City.
Transgressions to the Body. Alvar y Carmen T. de Carrillo Gil Museum of Art, Mexico City.
Arco 97 Art Fair. Gallery of Contemporary Art, Madrid.
1996
A un lugar muy lejos de aquí, Expoarte Guadalajara, Jalisco.
1995
CHARITE, Antiguo Hospital de la Mujer, Berlín.
1994
Museo de Arte Carillo Gil, INBA, Mexico City.
1993
Temistocles 44 II, Mexico City.
Seminal, Expoarte Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Jalisco.
1992
Viva la Vida, Diez Artistas Latinoamericanos, BIS, Mönchengladbach, Germany.
Antiguo hospital de la mujer, Stuttgart, Germany.
1989
Exposición Anual de la Academia, Brockhausgebaude, Stuttgart, Germany.