Ignacio Uriarte

Born in Krefeld, Germany, 1972

Lives and works in Valencia, Spain

Minimal in their appearance Ignacio Uriarte’s works are deeply rooted in the experience of the seemingly mundane world of offices. Reflecting on his background in business administration, the artist romanticises the world of the workplace, be it through the use of materials commonly found in the workspace or the application of tools that typically occupy them, such as typewriters. A distinct sense of humour lends the works a playful quality. Always eager to impede the standardised nature of the materials applied. Indeed it is the nuanced manner in which Uriarte’s works on paper, installations and sound pieces engage with the viewer. Keenly aware of persiflage, these works reveal an inherent beauty. In this sense, Uriarte’s practice follows the fundamental principles of European ‘concrete art’ without entertaining its dogmatic nature.

Biography

Ignacio Uriarte was born in Krefeld, Germany, in 1972 and lives and works in Valencia, Spain. His practice encompasses works on paper, drawing, installation, sound, and video, and engages with the aesthetics of the office environment, repetition, geometry, and text and language. Reflecting on a background in business administration, his work draws on materials and tools associated with the workplace, including typewriters, and follows the fundamental principles of European concrete art without entertaining its dogmatic nature.

Uriarte has exhibited widely in solo and group presentations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, with solo museum exhibitions including *Office Work* at Museum Ostwall im Dortmunder U, Dortmund (2022), *Verwaltungstakte* at Kunstmuseum Reutlingen Konkret (2019), *Bürozeit* at Kunstmuseum Bergisch Gladbach (2015), and *Line of Work* at The Drawing Center, New York (2013). His work is held in numerous public collections, among them the Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Berlinische Galerie, Berlin; Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin; Lenbachhaus, Munich; MUSAC, León; Colección del Banco de España, Madrid; Blanton Museum of Art, Austin; and FRAC Piemonte, Turin. Awards include a Pollock Krasner Foundation grant (2019) and the Arbeitsstipendium Stiftung Kunstfonds, Bonn (2013).