jennifer allora & guillermo calzadilla
1974, Philadelphia, United States & 1971, Havana, Cuba
Over the past twenty years, Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla have developed an expansive and experimental body of work. Through sculpture, performance, video, sound and photography in varying combinations, they evoke contemporary geopolitics, cultural artifacts and the ‘deep time’ of archaeological history. They give meaning to their artistic research by delving into and questioning the structural and narrative conventions of storytelling and the potential of language and materiality. Allora & Calzadilla studied the cooperative and catalytic nature of impromptu collective drawing with ephemeral materials, at the Lima biennial in Peru (Chalk [Lima], 1998–2002); the imprints of colonial, nationalist, and military violence on the diverse populations and landscapes of Vieques, Puerto Rico (Landmark, 2001–2002); and the resonance of playing, warping, and combining music from various moments in history (Clamor, 2006; Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on “Ode to Joy” for a Prepared Piano, 2008; and Raptor’s Rapture, 2012). Their projects challenge viewers to build meaning through a literal, metaphorical, evidential and political reading of the work, and also to participate, as an experience that heightens aesthetic sensibility.
Jennifer Allora received her BA from the University of Richmond in Virginia (1996) and MS from MIT- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003); Guillermo Calzadilla completed his BFA from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in Puerto Rico (1996) and MFA from Bard College in New York (2001). Collaborating since 1995, Allora & Calzadilla have been the recipients of numerous grants and awards, from foundations such as the Gwangju Biennial (2004); Penny McCall Foundation (2003); Joan Mitchell Foundation (2002) and the Cintas Fellowship (2002-2001). In 2006 they were finalists for both the Hugo Boss Prize and the Nam June Paik Award.
Allora & Calzadilla live and work in San Juan, Puerto Rico
electromagnetic field, 3, 2020
iron filings on linen canvas
40 x 30 in.
electromagnetic field, 4, 2020
iron filings on linen canvas
40 x 30 in.
solar satastrophe, 2016
broken solar cells on canvas
7 x 12 ft.
solar satastrophe, 2016
broken solar cells on canvas
7 x 12 ft.
the great silence, 2014
three channel hd video, color, sound
text by ted chiang
16:22 min
installation view of intervals, the fabric workshop and museum, philadelphia, 2014
the great silence, 2014
three channel hd video, color, sound
text by ted chiang
16:22 min
installation view of intervals, the fabric workshop and museum, philadelphia, 2014
the great silence, 2014
three channel hd video color, sound
text by ted chiang
16:22 min
still image
contract (aoc i), 2014
silkscreen on linen
72 x 96 in.
contract (swmu 7), 2014
silkscreen on linen
72 x 96 in.
apotomē, 2013
super 16mm color film transferred to hd video, color, sound
23:09 min
still images
apotomē, 2013
super 16mm color film transferred to hd video, color, sound
23:09 min
installation view of jennifer alllora & guillermo calzadilla, galerie chantal crousel, paris, 2013
apotomē, 2013
super 16mm color film transferred to hd video, color, sound
23:09 min
installation view of jennifer alllora & guillermo calzadilla, galerie chantal crousel, paris, 2013
shape shifter, 2013
sandpaper sheets glued on canvas
99.41 x 73.82 in.
shape shifter, 2013
sandpaper sheets glued on canvas
96 x 72 in.
shape shifter, 2013
sandpaper sheets glued on canvas
96 x 72 in.
3, 2013
super 16mm film transferred to hd video, color, sound
18:22 min
3, 2013
super 16mm film transferred to hd video, color, sound
18:22 min
raptor's rapture, 2012
single channel hd video, color, sound
23:30 min
raptor's rapture, 2012
single channel hd video, color, sound
23:30 min
raptor's rapture, 2012
single channel color hd video, with sound
23:30 min
body in flight (american), 2011
stained wood, gymnasts (dave durante, 2007 us all-around gymnastics champion, depicted)
variable dimensions
installation view of gloria, us pavilion, presented by the indianapolis museum of art, 54th international art exhibition, venice biennale, 2011
body in flight (delta), 2011
stained wood, gymnasts (sadie wilhelmi, usa gymnastics, depicted)
variable dimensions
installation view of gloria, us pavilion, presented by the indianapolis museum of art, 54th international art exhibition, venice biennale, 2011
track and field, 2011
tank and treadmill, runner (dan o'brien, 1996 olympic decathlon gold medalist, depicted)
300 x 144 x 120 in.
installation view of gloria, us pavilion, presented by the indianapolis museum of art, 54th international art exhibition, venice biennale, 2011
algorithm, 2011
atm, pipe organ, computer
232.38 x 120.13 x 59.13 in.
installation view of gloria, us pavilion, presented by the indianapolis museum of art, 54th international art exhibition, venice biennale, 2011
petrified petrol pump, 2011
black lava, travertine stone
75 x 11.6 x 29 in.
half mast/full mast, 2010
dual channel high definition video projection, color, silent
21:11 min
still image
intermission (halloween iraq iv), 2010
handmade print from wood template (ink on muslin)
120 x 168 in.
stop, repair prepare: variations on "ode to joy" for a prepared piano, 2008
prepared bechstein piano, pianist (andrea giehl depicted)
40 x 67 x 84 in.
installation view of stop, repair prepare: variations on "ode to joy" for a prepared piano, haus der kunst, munich, 2008
a man screaming is not a dancing bear, 2008
super 16mm film transferred to hd video, color, sound
11:15 min
still image
a man screaming is not a dancing bear, 2008
super 16mm film transferred to hd video, color, sound
11:15 min
still image
a man screaming is not a dancing bear, 2008
super 16mm film transferred to hd video, color, sound
11:15 min
still image
sediments, sentiments (figures of speech), 2007
plaster, foam, pigment, pre-recorded sound, live opera singers
variable dimensions
installation view of sediments, sentiments (figures of speech), san francisco art institute, san francisco, 2007
clamor, 2006
plaster, foam, pigment, live performance including 1 tubist, 1 trumpeter, 2 trombonists, 1 flutist, 1 drummer
40:00 min pre-recorded soundtrack
365 x 207 x 64 in.
installation view of allora & calzadilla, kunsthalle zurich, 2007
sweat glands sweat lands, 2006
video transferred to dvd, color, sound
2:21 min
still image
under discussion, 2005
standard definition video, color, sound
6:14 min
still image
under discussion, 2005
standard definition video, color, sound
6:14 min
still image
hope hippo, 2005
mud, whistle, daily newspaper, reader
192 x 72 x 60 in.
installation view of always a little further, 51st international art exhibition, venice biennale, 2005
photo: giorgio boata
growth, 2004
plant grafts, grafting tape. left to right: pathycerus pecto-abrigine and pachycereus pringlei; marginato cergus marginatus and pilosocerens; tricho cereus hertringinnis, pilosocerens azureus, and wetoerocereus yohnstonii; isocato cereus pumortgrii and pilosocereus hu
variable dimensions
installation view of (en)tropics, galerie chantal crousel, paris, 2006
cyclonic palm tree, 2004
palm tree, fan, motor
variable dimensions
installation view of ciclonismo, galerie chantal crousel, paris, 2004
chalk, 1998-2004
plaster
set of 12 chalks
8 in. diameter x 64 in. long
chalk, 1998-2004
plaster
set of 12 chalks
8 in. diameter x 64 in. long
installation view, pasaje santa rosa, III bienal iberoamericana de lima, 2002
photo: allora & calzadilla
returning a sound, 2004
single channel standard definition video, color, sound
5:42 min
installation view of (en)tropics, galerie chantal crousel, paris, 2006
returning a sound, 2004
single channel standard definition video, color, sound
5:42 min
installation view of (en)tropics, galerie chantal crousel, 2006
returning a sound, 2004
single channel standard definition video, color, sound
5:42 min
land mark, 1999-2003
felt
576 x 1140 in. approximately
commissioned for "common wealth," at the tate modern, october-december 2003 and "land mark," escuela de artes plásticas, san juan, puerto rico, summer 2003
intallation view of common wealth, tate modern, london, 2003
land mark (foot prints), 2002
24 color photographs
20 x 24 in. each
A selection of their most notable projects and recent exhibitions include: Chalk, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, United States (2019); Blackout. Allora & Calzadilla, MAXXI, Rome (2018); Unspecified Promise, Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, United States (2017); Allora & Calzadilla: Echo to Artifact, Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA), Edmonton, Canada (2016); Puerto Rican Light (Cueva Vientos), a DIA Art Foundation commission in the Southern Coast of Puerto Rico (2015); Intervals, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fabric Workshop and Museum, United States (2014); Fault Lines, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi at the Palazzo Cusani, Milan, Italy (2013); Gloria, US Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennial (2011); Performance 9: Allora & Calzadilla, MoMA- Museum of Modern Art, New York (2010); Allora & Calzadilla, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo, Norway (2009); Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on “Ode to Joy” for a Prepared Piano, Haus der Kunst München, Munich, Germany (2008); Never Mind That Noise You Heard, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2008); Clamor, Serpentine Gallery, London (2007); Allora & Calzadilla, Kunsthalle Zürich, Switzerland (2007); Wake Up, The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, United States (2017); Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla, S.M.A.K.-Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent, Belgium (2006); Land Mark, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2006).
Their work has also been curated into numerous group exhibitions at institutions such as: Centre Pompidou, Paris (2019); The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan (2018); National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul, South Korea (2017); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), (2017); an exhibition by Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA at Marciano Art Foundation, Los Angeles (2017); South London Gallery, United Kingdom (2016); MAMM-Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia (2016); Royal Academy of Arts, London (2016); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014); Guggenheim Museum, New York (2014); Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (2013); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León MUSAC, Spain (2011); Princeton University Art Museum, United States (2010); The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2010); Aspen Art Museum, United States (2010); Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, Brazil (2009); New Museum, New York (2008); Museion - museo d’arte moderna e contemporanea di Bolzano, Italy (2008); Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, United States (2007); Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, United States (2007); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2007); Grand Palais, Paris (2006); Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, (2006), among many others.
Allora & Calzadilla have also participated in various international biennials, notably: Sharjah Biennial 13, Tamawuj, United Arab Emirates (2017); International Art Exhibition at the 56th Venice Biennial (2015); 10th and 7th Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2014 and 2008); 9a and 6a Bienal do Mercosul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (2013 and 2007); 30th Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, Slovenia (2013); dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, Germany (2012); 12. and 10. Istanbul Biennial, Turkey (2011 and 2007); 29a and 14a Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil (2010 and 1998); 16th Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2008); 9e Biennale de Lyon, France (2007); 1st and 2nd Moscow International Biennale of Contemporary Art (2005 and 2007); Sharjah Biennial 8, United Arab Emirates (2007); Whitney Biennial 2006, New York; the International Art Exhibition at the 51st Venice Biennial (2005); 2nd Guangzhou Triennial, Guangzhou, China (2005); 6e Biennale de l’Art africain contemporain, DAK’ART, Dakar, Senegal (2004); III Bienal Iberoamericana de Lima, Peru (2002); 8 Bienal de la Habana, Havana, Cuba (2000).
The Menil Collection presents a major exhibition of seven sculptural works by the artists Allora & Calzadilla that revolve around this concept, serving as a manifestation of noon’s hold over humankind and as a metaphor for the uncertainties defining our time.
The Willfulness of Objects presents a selection of works from The Bass’ collection, many newly acquired, by artists who utilize found, altered, recycled, or transformed everyday objects as their materials to explore facets of human nature, history, and the surrounding environment.
On the Razor’s Edge is an international exhibition that brings together works within four thematic sections: migration and liberty; the human body; its environment; and the irrepressible and forever incomplete passage of time.
Read Allora & Calzadilla's interview about their work, ideas and inspirations.
Using a poetic and scientific approach, Allora & Calzadilla create an installation that transcends borders that provokes a subtle but powerful visualization of the ecological crisis that we all must collectively face.
Providing the title to the exhibition, The Bell, the Digger, and the Tropical Pharmacy (2013) spectacularly documents the demolition of one of the largest US-owned pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in Puerto Rico, an event that is emblematic of the island’s highly asymmetrical political and economic framework of colonial exceptionality, defined by the reckless pace of capital flight in an “un-incorporated” territory and the low levels of corporate accountability in the exploitation of the region’s resources.
Human-size sticks of chalk—each 64 inches long and approximately 120 pounds—fill Gallery 7, which has been transformed into an environment open to spontaneous mark-making.
