EDGAR COBIÁN
Edgar Cobián (Guadalajara, Mexico, 1978) is a multidisciplinary artist, his work is developed in different media such as drawing, sculpture, video and music. It reflects on the notions of Utopia and Ideal as articulation and dismantling devices of dominant political, social and cultural structures. Between a certain cynicism and a dense sense of humor, his work explores the symbolic possibilities of the image and its dislocation by overlapping referents drawn from fields such as politics, art, popular culture or personal history. From metaphors and metonyms, sentences, and images that oscillate between irony and absurdity, uncertainty arises as a place of philosophical resistance to the ideological problems of humanity and the world of the neoliberal era.
Cobián studied the Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Universidad de Guadalajara, was awarded of the program Jóvenes Creadores del Fondo Nacional Para la Cultura y las Artes, FONCA (2011-2012), Mexico. He has individually presented: OVERDRESSED, Páramo, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2019; Deep transverse massage, Impronta Casa Editora, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2019; Sed de Infinito of the Double program at the Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Mexico, 2017; Se ha dicho que la revolución no necesita al arte…, Guadalajara 90210, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2017; and La Historia Suele Ser un Escondite de Tiranos, Intervention in situ, Museum of the City, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2017 (and 2013 respectively). As well as Días de campo, Vitrina, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2009; Odre, Charro Negro Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2008; Primavera, Museo Raúl Anguiano, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2007; and Trick, Casa del Lago, Mexico City, Mexico, 2005; among others.
He has participated in multiple collective exhibition projects internationally, among which are: Lo-Pass Filter, with Eamon Ore-Giron, Taller Los Guayabos, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2017; Kitchen Debate in collaboration with Rawson Projects, Regina Rex and Site95, New York, 2017; Fábulas sin moraleja, Casa del Lago, Mexico City, 2017; Destroy All Your Humanity, Gabinete Homo-Extraterrestre, Off-Site Páramo, The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, USA, 2016; La Llamada del Dios Extraño #2, El Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2015; Crisis Complex, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, Australia, 2012; Manifestly Present, Kasteel Oud-Rekem, Liden, Belgium, 2012; Still Lifes, Diablo Rosso Gallery, Panama, Panama, 2012; La Quebradora, MCCLA, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2012; Alarma!, Death Be Kind Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2011; Everything Must Go, Casey Kaplan Gallery, New York, USA, 2011; Third Beijing International Art Biennale, 2008; Standing on One Foot, Triangle Project Space, San Antonio, TX, USA, 2007.
His independent activities as a musician and performer are the Lit & Luz Festival, MCA-Chicago, Chicago, USA, 2019, and Doña Pancha Fest, an ongoing project; and also Bicephalo projects, next to Gabriel Rico; and individually Cráneo Verde Humeante and Peor Aún.
EDUCATION
1998-2002
Bachelor of Visual Arts, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
CURRENT AND UPCOMING
Solo exhibition
OVERDRESSED, Páramo, Guadalajara, Mexico
August 29 – October 11, 2019
Group exhibition
El jardín de Galileo, Guadalajara90210, Guadalajara, Mexico
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019
OVERDRESSED, Páramo, Guadalajara, Mexico
MASAJE TRANSVERSO PROFUNDO, Impronta, Guadalajara, Mexico
2017
SED DE INFINITO, Double program, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, MAZ, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
SE HA DICHO QUE LA REVOLUCIÓN NO NECESITA AL ARTE, PERO QUE EL ARTE NECESITA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN. ESO NO ES CIERTO. LA REVOLUCIÓN SÍ NECESITA UN ARTE REVOLUCIONARIO, Guadalajara90210, Guadalajara, Mexico
2013
LA HISTORIA SUELE SER UN ESCONDITE DE TIRANOS, Intervención in situ, Museo de la Ciudad, Guadalajara, Mexico
2011
COMUNICADO, Ware, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
2009
DÍAS DE CAMPO, Vitrina, Guadalajara, Mexico
2008
ODRE, Galería Charro Negro Guadalajara, Mexico
2007
PRIMAVERA, Museo Raúl Anguiano, Guadalajara, Mexico
NUEVO PARA NADA, with Augusto Marbán, Haus der Kunst Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
2006
DONDE NADIE ME VEA, Casa Museo López Portillo, Guadalajara, Mexico
MONSTRUOS, with Augusto Marbán, Proyecto Liga, Guadalajara, Mexico
2005
DREAM, Laboratorio Clemente Jacqs, Guadalajara, Mexico
TRICK, Casa del Lago, Ciudad de Mexico
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
EL JARDÍN DE GALILEO, Guadalajara90210, Guadalajara, Mexico
LA DIVINA INVASIÓN, Gamma Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
NO ALCOHOL, NO DROGA, NO MOTA, with Cristian Franco, La Murciélaga, Mexico City
2018
CONTACTO SANGRIENTO 8, Guadalajara90210, Guadalajara, Mexico
ACTOS DELIBERADOS, Otro Espacio, Guadalajara, Mexico
2017
LO-PASS FILTER, with Eamon Ore-Giron, Taller Los Guayabos, Guadalajara, Mexico
QUETZALCÓATL, Museo Raúl Anguiano (MURA), Guadalajara, Mexico
KITCHEN DEBATE, Site95, Rawson Projects y Regina Rex, New York, USA
FÁBULAS SIN MORALEJA. EL DESBORDAMIENTO DE LA CORRUPCIÓN EN MÉXICO, Casa del Lago, Mexico City
DIY FICTION, Careyes Art Foundation, Costa Careyes, Jalisco, Mexico
2016
ATLAS SOBRE PAPEL, Páramo, Guadalajara, Mexico
DESTROY ALL YOUR HUMANITY, Off-Site Páramo, The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, USA
2015
RECONSTRUCCIÓN, a project of Abraham Cruzvillegas, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Zapopan, Mexico
LA LLAMADA DEL DIOS EXTRAÑO #2, El Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños, Oaxaca, Mexico
MANO IZQUIERDA, Casa Taller José Clemente Orozco, Guadalajara, Mexico
MEXICO: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN, MAP OF THE NEW ART, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy
KLINKT KLINKT KLINKT, Impronta Gallery / Proyecto Cobra, Guadalajara, Mexico
2014
A RÍO REVUELTO, Machete Gallery, Mexico City
LA FIESTA DEL ASNO, Casa de la Cultura Jalisciense, Guadalajara, Mexico
LEVIATÁN, Museo de Arte Raúl Anguiano, Guadalajara, Mexico
2013
APENDICE ESTUDIO ABIERTO #2, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Zapopan, Mexico
TINNITUS Y FOSFENOS, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Zapopan, Mexico
2012
CRISIS COMPLEX, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, Australia
STILL LIFES, Galería Diablo Rosso, Panama, Panama
MANIFESTLY PRESENT, curated by Annemie Van Laethem, KasteelOud-Rekem, Liden, Belgium
LA QUEBRADORA, curated by Amy Pederson, MCCLA (Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts), San Francisco, CA, USA
THE REVELATION OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED, ObjectNotFound, Monterrey, N. L., Mexico
2011
FUERZAS BÁSICAS, curated by Lorena Peña, Museo de la Ciudad, Guadalajara, Mexico
ALARMA!, curated by por Tony Garifalakis, Death Be Kind, Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
EVERYTHING MUST GO, Casey Kaplan Gallery, New York, NY, USA
LA PRÁCTICA DE LA TEXTUALIDAD, Galería Jesús Gallardo, Instituto Cultural de León, León, Guanajuato, Mexico
2010
INDIAN SUMMER, Galería Arena México, Guadalajara, Mexico
THIS IS ABOUT NOTHING, Plataforma Arte Contemporáneo, Guadalajara, Mexico
SIN TÍTULO, Galería Charro Negro, Guadalajara, Mexico,
2008
FIRULAIS, Fragmentos selectos de la historia reciente de Guadalajara, curated by Cristián Silva, Museo de la Ciudad, Guadalajara, Mexico
OBRA PÚBLICA, RUTA OROZCO, Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico
TERCERA BIENAL INTERNACIONAL DE ARTE DE BEIJING, Beijing, China
2007
ONE FOOT HIGH AND RISING, Balmoral Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
STANDING ON ONE FOOT, curated by Patrick Charpenel y Cynthia Gutierrez, TPS (Triangle Project Space), San Antonio, TX, USA
2006
TRAUERFALL, curated by Cristián Silva, GaleriaHaus der Kunst, Guadalajara, Mexico
UN MINUTO POR FAVOR, curated by Lorena Peña y Rubén Méndez, Casa Taller José Clemente Orozco, Guadalajara, Mexico
2005
SIETE EN LA MIRA, Casa de la Tía Tina, Mexicali, B. C. Mexico
TIFLITIS, Faro de Oriente, Ciudad de México, Mexico
XOCONOXTLE, Siento Veinte, Guadalajara, Mexico
2004
GUADALAJARA DE DÍA, Ramis Barquet, Gallery Monterrey, N. L. Mexico
DICEN QUE FINJO O MIENTO, curated by Jorge Méndez Blake, Central de Arte, Guadalajara, Mexico
2003
FELICES DE LA VIDA, Arena México Arte Contemporáneo, Guadalajara, Mexico
JUGUETRO, Sector Reforma, Guadalajara, Mexico
2002
CAIDA LIBRE, La Automovilística, Guadalajara, Mexico
DE LA ESCULTURA AL ARTE OBJETO, Galería del Sistema de Tren Eléctrico, Guadalajara, Mexico
I BELIEVE IS HAS TO BE SEEN, Devart Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
TÁBULA RASA, curated by Patrick Charpenel, Galería Haus Der Kunst, Guadalajara, Mexico
OTHER PROJECTS
Edgar Cobián is also a musician and has worked on Bicephalo projects, together with the artist Gabriel Rico, and individually as Cráneo Verde Humeante and Peor Aún.
2018
Festival LIT & LUZ, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
2016
Gabinete Homo-Extraterreste, Collective consisting of: Esteban Aldrete, Cristian Franco, Daniel Guzmán, Bayrol Jiménez, Enrique Nuño, José Luis Sánchez Rull y Emanuel Tovar, Guadalajara, Mexico
Miembro de la organización del festival underground DOÑA PANCHA FEST, in colaboration with the artist Cristian Franco and Daniel Guzmán, entre otros, Guadalajara, Mexico
Las Mulas de Kentucky, Consejo artístico
2015
Live act of the project Cráneo Verde Humeante, ZEA MAYS, Actividades Paralelas, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Zapopan, Mexico
POR UNA FIESTA MEJOR, project of Violeta Horcasitas, Mexico City
2014
Project presentation Cráneo Verde Humeante, Program Miércoles de SOMA, Mexico City
2013-2015
GRIT, Video Mexicano Contemporáneo, Una selección arbitraria 1996-2012. Compilation by Joaquín Segura. Meet Factory, Prague, Czech Republic; Goleb, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Forum Box, Helsinki, Finland; MAZ, Zapopan, México; Casa de la Cultura, Nuevo León, Mexico
2012
MOTIVOS FLORALES, ARCOMadrid, Solo Projects: FocusLatinoamerica. Madrid, Spain
2010
LOBOS DE JARDIN, L.A. Contemporary Art, Solo Projects. Los Angeles, California, USA
ART RESIDENCIES AND ART GRANTS
2017
Studio Los Guayabos, artists in residency, Guadalajara, Mexico
2016
PAOS (Programa de residencias para artistas), Museo Taller José Clemente Orozco, Guadalajara, Mexico
2011-2012
Young Creators of the FONCA Scholar Program, Visual Arts, Alternative Media, of the National Fund for Culture and the Arts, Mexico
2011
Object Not Found, Programa de residencias para artistas, 2011, curaduría por Rubén Gutiérrez, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2019
MASAJE TRANSVERSO PROFUNDO. Exhibition catalog, Impronta Casa Editora, 2019
2018
MAKE, Literary Magazine. Issue #17, 2018
2014
FOTOCOPIAS. Ediciones Lázaro, Publicaciones Amateur, 2014
2011
PeepingTom’s. Digest #2, México. An exploration of the Mexican contemporary art scene, 2011
2009
Arte al límite. Magazine No. 36, 2009
Firulais, Fragmentos selectos de la historia reciente de Guadalajara. Exhibition catalog. Museo de la Ciudad, Dirección General de Cultura, 2009
2008
Asimétrica. Afinidades y discrepancias. Acciones artísticas colectivas en Guadalajara. 1949-2006. Exhibition catalog. Secretaria de Cultura del Estado de Jalisco, Mexico, 2008
Homenaje a Orozco. Exhibition catalog. Secretaria de Cultura del Gobierno de Jalisco, Instituto Cultural Cabañas, 2008
2007
Casa del Lago, Memoria de exposiciones, 2006. Universidad Autónoma de México, 2007
MArt. Guía de artistas emergentes para coleccionistas, 2007. Fundación Murrieta. Cuarta Pared. Magazine No. 6, 2007