Carlos Colín was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1980. He grew up in Mexico City and studied Visual Communication and Design from 2000-04. He earned his Master’s of Fine Arts at the National School of Fine Art in Mexico City in 2011. In 2013, Colín completed a second Master’s of Fine Arts at the University of British Columbia. Colín’s research investigates how contemporary art, artists, and art institutions are involved in current social movements and, by extension, how art contributes to social change and social activism in Latin America. As a Latin American artist, Colín brings perspectives on the discourse of how art evolves inside societies, how it finds expressions, how it changes over time, and the implications this has for Latin America.

Artist Statement: “As a Latin American artist, my research is about how ‘art’ can create links between Latin American societies and its diasporas, mostly in relation to Mexico. I am investigating how artists use our local knowledge, realities, and histories in social movements, struggles, resistances and subversions as new expressions of social and cultural progress using language as knowledge. Art should be made public – by the people for the people. In this way, art and society can forge new forms of cultural knowledge. Socio-political connections between art and society allow for new art forms and new interpretations of cultural heritage in Latin America and in our diasporas. One of the goals of my research is to encourage new generations in Latin America and in Canada to be in exposed to Latin American theories, culture, and knowledge, in order to better understand and value the wealth and diversity of Mexico and Latin America as a region.”

AWARDS

• 2016
  – recipient of the Alliance for Arts and Culture Mayor’s Award

EDUCATION

• 2016
  – PhD. Interdisciplinary Studies. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (In progress)
• 2013
  – MFA. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
• 2011
  – MFA. National School of Fine Arts in the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM). Mexico City, Mexico
• 2004
  – Undergraduate. National School of Fine Arts (UNAM). Graphic Design and Visual Communication. Mexico City, Mexico

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Solo Shows

• 2015
  – Definiciones (Definitions) – Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV), Victoria, BC
• 2014
  – La Casa de las Máscaras (House of Masks) – Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver, BC
• 2012
  – Presencia Anacrónica (Anachronistic Presence) – AMS Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
• 2004
  – Teoría de Euler (Euler theory) – Installation. La Boligoma Art Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
• 2003
  – Esferas – Installation. National School of Fine Arts (ENAP) in the National University Autonomous of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
  – Yaxactun – La Gran Ruta (The Great Route) – Emma Rizo Art Gallery, ENEP, Mexico

Selected Group Shows

• 2017
  – Emerge: Carlos Colín and Jeneen Frei Njootli, Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver BC
• 2016 
  – Divergent Convergence, Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver BC
• 2014
  – Art Toronto | Toronto International Art Fair – Toronto ON
• 2013
  – Diffractions of the Local, Back Gallery Project, Vancouver BC
  – Story, Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver BC
  – Ten Thousand Suns, Satellite Gallery, Vancouver BC
  – As Seen Here, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC
  – Resonating Existent(s), AHVA Library Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
• 2012
  – Ded Reckoning, AHVA Library Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  – Dolar (Dollar) Noche de los Museos (Night of the Museums), Buenos Aires Flea Market, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  – Dolar (Dollar) – Plaza de Mayo (May Square), November 8th, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  – Presencia Anacrónica (Anachronistic Presence), Nowruz and Spring Celebration Health Now Mahrajan (Festival). Organized by May Haddad. Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, BC
• 2011
  – Tepeguakan (Un Lugar Lleno de Montañas) (A place of mountains) y Náaj Che´ (Tizón) (Coal), XV Biennial of Painting Rufino Tamayo, Rufino Tamayo Museum, Mexico
• 2010
  – Japan I was [am not] I – Otaku: Recollections of Japan, Carlos Colín and Josué Gordon, EGADE EGAP Building, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
  – Arte Shock. Interactive Program. Visual Art and Artistic Process. Website:  arteshock.com.mx. Mexico City, Mexico
• 2009
  – Strong like bull, fragile like piñata. T-shirt. II Competition Los Leones No Son Como Los Pintan (Lions are not Like Pictures)”. Iberoamerican University. Mexico City, Mexico
• 2008
  – Habitat, Installation. II Biennial of Art in Glass, Museo del Vidrio (Monterrey Glass Museum), Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
  – T-REX, International Contemporary Art Festival, Jesus Gallardo Art Gallery, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
• 2007
  – CAL02, A la Muerte con una Sonrisa (Dead with a Smile), MUMEDI (Museum of Mexican Design), Mexico City, Mexico
• 2006
  – 260. San Sebastián Mártir. Popular Manifestation, Tres50 Art Gallery, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico
• 2004
  – Frágil (Fragile), First Glass Art Contest, Museo del Vidrio (Monterrey Glass Museum), Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
• 2003
  – Los restos de la… (The rest of…), Federal Electoral Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
  – Olivo en blanco, Mexican National Contest for Graphic Arts, Fernando Pereznieto, Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics Art Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico

COLLECTIONS / PUBLICATIONS / BIBLIOGRAPHY / LINKS

• 2013
  – Diffractions of the Local. Back Gallery Project. Vandocument. vandocument.com. Added November 17, 2013
  – Story. Fazakas Gallery. Vancouver Courier. October 1, 2013
  – Story. Fazakas Gallery. Georgia Straight, September 26 – October 3, 2013, Volume 47, Number 2388
  – Ten Thousand Suns. Satellite Gallery. Catalogue
  – As Seen Here. Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. Catalogue
  – Trinkets. Video documentation, Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/52493884
• 2012
  – XV Biennial of Painting Rufino Tamayo. Catalogue
  – XV Biennial of Painting Rufino Tamayo. Caustica Magazine. http://blog.causticamagazine.com/?p=3693
• 2010
  – Arte Shock. Caustica Magazine. http://blog.causticamagazine.com/?p=206
• 2008
  – Monterrey Glass Museum. Catalogue
  – Fragile. Caustica Magazine. http://blog.causticamagazine.com/?p=142
• 2004
  – Monterrey Glass Museum. Catalogue

Monterrey Glass Museum. Art collection.

Private art collections: Mexico, Argentina and Canada

TEACHING / TALKS / SEMINARS

• 2013
  – (Sep-Dec) Teaching Assistantship VISA 182 (L01) and VISA 182 (L05) UBC
  – (Jan-Apr) Teaching Assistantship VISA 183 (L06) and VISA 183 (L07) UBC
• 2012
  – (Sep-Dec) Teaching Assistantship VISA 180 (L03) and VISA 180 (L05) UBC
  – (Jan-Apr) Teaching Assistantship VISA 180 and VISA 182 UBC
• 2011
  – Panelist. ENAP Conference. Fifth Graduate Student Colloquium. National School of Fine Arts (ENAP). UNAM. México City, México
• 2009-2011
  – Seminar Disturbance Zones: Indigenismo. Extended Campus. Museum of Contemporary Art MUAC, National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM. Taught by Mariana Botey and Cuauhtemoc Medina. Mexico City, Mexico
• 2009
  – Technical Seminar: “Ecological Sustainable Housing.” National Association Companies and Supervision (ANCSAC). México