Gabriel Mestre Arrioja

Gabriel Mestre Arrioja

Mexico City (1974), is an artist and independent curator who has focused his projects on the critical exploration of the relationships between locality and globality. His research focuses mainly on Scandinavia, the Nordic countries (including Iceland), the Baltic States, Poland, Russia, as well as the Norwegian Sea and the socio-cultural strip known as Sapmi, a region of the European Polar Circle where the Saami indigenous tribes live. He has presented his work in museums and various institutions in the Nordic countries, the Baltic States, Russia, Germany, Iceland and Mexico. In 2020 his short films Hunting One’s Self and Fly High – Don’t Die were shown, respectively, at the Mediations Biennale in Poland (curated by Thomas Venland) and at the Hundred Heroines English Feminist Festival in London, the latter curated by Lisl Ponger. His film, Psychedelic Transfer of Knowledge, was included in the Pavilion 02 within the Giudecca Art District, curated by Jacek Sosnowski, alongside the 59th Venice Art Biennale in 2019.

From 2002 to 2012 he was the founder, director and curator of ARTENACIÓN, an experimental platform for  contemporary art projects in Mexico City and from 2013 to 2015 he directed Culture Surplus, a young gallery that among other special characteristics was international and nomadic, presenting its exhibitions and public programs in different cities around the world.  Among these two different platforms more than 200 Mexican and international artists found the means to develop projects, publications and exhibitions.  He currently focuses on his artistic practice and works at the Curatorial Residency in Mexico (CRIMEX), a program measure for young and senior curators from abroad who want to start a one-on-one communication with the Mexican art scene and with foreigners living in Mexico.  At the same time, Gabriel Mestre Arrioja is the director of a non-profit space called Surplus Int.