PAULA ANTA
THERMAL NATURE by Paula Anta
Ayudas para la creación y desarrollo de proyectos de las Artes Visuales de la Comunidad de Madrid
STATEMENT
EN
Paula Anta arranges her work in photography series deriving from ideas which are developed on the ground, mostly through stage settings which form up the resulting image by way of installation. The relationship between nature and the artificiality of man-made structures, together with history and voyage, form the core of her work which, from a conceptual point of view, is focused on depicting the significance of each landscape as a cultural fact in itself.
Her use of materials of a “toxic” nature (such as plastic paint, aerosol cans, PVC or various sorts of plastics) stands in stark contrast with the vision of a denaturalising landscape which imposes itself in each chosen location, through each one of its components (trees, plants, stones) and its inherent strength and drive for survival, thus facilitating an internal dialogue.
Anta brings nature beyond its actual capabilities but without imposture. Her images create imaginable situations starting from a landscape or an apparently spontaneous place without imposing a forced narrative.
ES
Paula Anta trabaja en series a partir de argumentos que luego desarrolla in situ, en la mayoría de las ocasiones, a modo escenificaciones que, de forma instalativa, construyen la imagen final. La relación entre la naturaleza y la artificialidad unida a las estructuras creadas por el hombre, la historia y el viaje configuran el camino de su obra, pero principalmente se podría señalar, que la línea conceptual del trabajo de Anta se centra en mostrar el significado de cada paisaje como un hecho cultural en sí mismo.
El uso de materiales que se configuran en ámbitos “tóxicos” por su composición, como pinturas plásticas, aerosoles, pvc o diferentes tipos de plásticos, contrasta con la visión de una especie de paisaje cada vez más desnaturalizado, el cuál, a través de sus elementos (árboles, plantas, piedras) y de su fortaleza por y para la supervivencia, se impone en los diferentes emplazamientos escogidos permitiendo, de esta manera, un diálogo interno.
Anta lleva a la naturaleza más allá de sus posibilidades reales sin imposturas. Las imágenes crean situaciones posibles partiendo de un paisaje o de un espacio aparentemente espontáneo sin imponer una narrativa forzada.
ART SHOP
PAULA ANTA
B. 1977, Madrid, Spain
BIOGRAPHY
She received her doctorate cum laude in Fine Arts from the Complutense Madrid University (2015), completing the European Doctorate in collaboration with the Akademie de Künste of Berlin and the University of Saarbrücken.
At an international level, her work has been exhibited in the former Residence of the Ambassadors of Spain (Washington D.C. USA), Art D’Egypt (Cairo, Egypt), LagosPhoto (Nigeria), Dakar Biennial at the Boribana Museum (Dakar, Senegal ), Nobel Prize Museum (Stockholm, Sweden), CCE Santiago (Santiago, Chile), Viersen Municipal Art Center (Viersen, Germany), Spanish Cultural Center (Montevideo, Uruguay), Chateau D’eau Municipal Gallery (Toulouse, France ), Cité Internationale Universitaire (Paris, France), Giovani Fattori Museum (Livorno Italy), Spanish Academy in Rome (Rome, Italy).
Paula Anta work has been exhibited in art centers as CA2M, Tabacalera, Matadero, Royal Botanical Garden, Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid, Casa Vicens, CCCB of Barcelona, Sa Nostra Cultural Center of Palma de Mallorca, Cerezales Foundation of León , Naves de Gamazo in Santander, La Laboral in Gijón, Centro Niemeyer in Avilés, Domus Artium DA2 in Salamanca, also in several editions of the International Photography Festival, Photoespaña.
She has received important awards, including the XXI Culture Prize of the Community of Madrid (2023), of Extremadura (2020). Highlights include scholarships from the Spanish Academy in Rome (2011-2012), Plastic Arts and Photography Scholarship at the College of Spain in Paris (2012-2013), Artistic Creation Award from the Community of Madrid (2008-2009), Transversia scholarships for artistic residencies in Senegal from the Ankaria Foundation (2018) among others.
Her work is part of important collections such as the Bank of Spain Collection, Novartis Collection, DKV Collection, Entrecanales Collection, Campocerrado Collection, Pilar Citoler Collection, Kells Collection, Consell de Mallorca, Alcobendas Photography Collection, UNESCO of Extremadura, Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Development.