Amalia Pica exhibits in Bogotá - inspired by Gashaka Primate Project

• Argentinean artist Amalia Pica puts on a show at NC-arte, Bogotá, Columbia (www.nc-arte.org)
• "A un Brazo de Distancia" / "At Arm's Length", 22 April - 24 June, 2017 
• in collaboration with Rafael Ortega
• curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas and Claudia Segura Campins
• enabled by Gonçalo Jesus and Volker Sommer

Artist Residencies at Gashaka

The Gashaka Primate Project (GPP), founded in 1999, is located at Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria's largest nature reserve. Here, a team led by evolutionary anthropologist Volker Sommer, conducts studies on wildlife ecology and biodiversity (www.ucl.ac.uk/gashaka). - In 2010, GPP initiated a dialogue between science and arts, by inviting artists to spend some time in the remote forests of the park and to interact with researchers. The first residency by Mexican artist Damián Ortega led to the exhibition "Apestraction" at the Freud Museum in London in 2013. - Argentinean artist Amalia Pica visited Gashaka in 2014, together with Mexican film maker Rafael Ortega. The result of this journey is Amalia Pica's exhibition "At Arm ́s Length", shown for the first time at NC-arte. - The third residency will commence in January 2018.

Vernissage Conversation

The opening of the show coincided with a plenum discussion of artists, curators and enablers at FLORA ars+natura - a space for contemporary art in Bogotá, that specializes in the relationship between art and nature and that maintains international links through residencies, commissioned projects, and educational activity.

Media Coverage

• Una inmersión artística al 'taller' de los primates
• A un brazo de distancia con el arte de Amalia Pica
• El simio como espejo, en la exposición de Amalia Pica
• 'A un brazo de distancia': evolución, arte y chimpancés
• Amalia Pica Presents At Arm's Length at NC-Arte

Main players

• Claudia Segura Campins (director and chief curator NC-arte) is a native of Barcelona and lives in Bogotá. Claudia has facilitated major exhibitions and events in Barcelona, London, Porto, Istanbul, Mexico.
• Luiza Teixeira de Freitas (curator) lives in Lisbon and is an independent curator. Recent exhibitions include: "What I am" (MAAT, Lisbon, 2017); "El que camina al lado" Travesia Cuatro, Madrid and Guadalajara, 2016); "Sem Saber Quando Virá o Amanhecer...", Silvia Cintra + BOX4 (Rio de Janeiro 2016); "An Infinite Conversation" (Museu Berardo, Lisbon 2014).
• Gonçalo Jesus is completing his PhD at UCL ́s anthropology department, researching primate ecology and behaviour. Gonçalo is co-founder and director of the Galeria Madragoa in Lisboa.
• Volker Sommer is Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology in the University of London. He conducts field studies in monkeys and apes in Africa and Asia. His expertise on nature, wildlife and evolution has led to creative dialogues with artists such as Carsten Höller, Marion Porten, Damián Ortega, Julie Hill, Amalia Pica and Marcus Coates.
• Rafael Ortega lives in Mexico City and works in cinematographic projects of fiction and documentary as well as with artists of his generation.
• Amalia Pica (B. 1978 Neuquén, Argentina) lives and works in London. Solo exhibitions include The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada (2017); the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia (2017); Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany (2016); Portlligat, El Nuevo Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala (2015); Instituto de Visió, Bogota, Colombia (2015); Galerie Johann König, Berlin, Germany (2015); La Criée, Centre d'art Contemporain, Rennes (2014); Van Abbemuseum, Amsterdam (2014), Museo Nacional De Bellas Artes, Neuquen (2013); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2013); List Visual Arts Centre, Cambridge (2013); Chisenhale Gallery, London (2012); Modern Art Oxford, Oxford (2012); Kunsthalle St Gallen, Switzerland (2012); Malmö Konsthall, Malmö (2010). Recent group shows include the Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2016); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York /Museo Jumex, Mexico City / South London Gallery, London (2014-2016); Centre Pompidou, Paris (2015); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2015); Frieze London 2015, Frieze New York (2015), Tate Modern, London (2013), Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (2013), 54th Venice Biennale, Venice (2011).