EMAIL: ulara.org@gmail.com | BRUSSELS BE
EMAIL: ischa@artoffice.be | ISCHA TALLIEU, AGENT | BRUSSELS BE

 

Biography

Laura Colmenares Guerra

Laura Colmenares Guerra is a Colombian artist based in Brussels. Her main axes of work are installation,sculpture, 3D graphics/printing & film.
Laura has a transversal research-based practice that implies long-term processes of creation. During these processes, she engages in transdisciplinary collaborations with people from different disciplines to create a strong conceptual and technical foundation for each work.

Her work explores the impairment between contemporary western societies and the living ecosystems, the environment and the inhabitants of the planet. This questioning drives her to conceive settings that relate to the politics of landscape and the notions of territory. She explores the constructions of the concepts of nature and natural and language as a foundation medium for reality.

In the field of interactive installation, Laura has developed works that use technology to create an immersive experience for the viewers. In these works, the viewer is encouraged to use his body to complete the work of art. Laura's use of technology aims at an increasing awareness at a deep body level, i.e., by breathing (Lungs [the Breather]); or through interaction with water valves (Lagunas) to make clear the impact and responsibility that as individuals and societies we have with the environment. In these works, the choice of interactive devices is based on the possibilities of deepening this understanding.

In parallel Laura has worked as a video performer, starting as a VJ in the early Techno scene of Bogota. This practice evolved into concrete experimental live audiovisual performances with musicians on stage, but as well into the creation of independent music-video pieces, that imply collaborations with musicians and composers but as well with various music labels.

Laura is currently, and since 2018 engaged in the conception of a body of work based on the geopolitical and neo-liberal extractivist practices striking in the territory of the Amazons basin.

Her work has recently been presented at:

The Centre Wallonie- Bruxelles (Paris, FR), The Alexander Kasser Theatre, Peak Performances (NJ, USA), at Kings Place (London, UK), The Glasgow school of arts (Glasgow, UK), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal, Canada, during the International Biennale of New Media Art, at festival Elektra-Mutek, EM15 (Montreal, CA), at the Cube - Centre for Digital Creation (Paris, F), the International Computer Music Conference (Huddersfield, UK), iMal, Center for digital cultures and technology, Sint-Lukasgalerie and at the Museum of Bozar (Brussels, BE), in between others. The Centre Wallonie- Bruxelles (Paris, FR), The Alexander Kasser Theatre, Peak Performances (NJ, USA), at Kings Place (London, UK), The Glasgow school of arts (Glasgow, UK), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal, Canada, during the International Biennale of New Media Art, at festival Elektra-Mutek, EM15 (Montreal, CA), at the Cube - Centre for Digital Creation (Paris, F), the International Computer Music Conference (Huddersfield, UK), iMal, Center for digital cultures and technology, Sint-Lukasgalerie and at the Museum of Bozar (Brussels, BE), in between others.

Laura is member of Saloon Network Brussels

Grants

  • 2021
    Production Grant | Rivers | Vlaamse Overheid
  • 2020
    Production Grant | Rivers | FWB | Arts Numériques
  • 2019
    Development Grant: Nations | Vlaamse Overheid
  • 2018
    Conception Grant: Nations | FWB | Arts Numériques
  • 2017
    Development Grant | Vlaamse Overheid
    Diffusion Grant | Lagunas | FWB | Arts Numériques
  • 2016
    Promotion Grant | Lagunas | FWB | Arts Numériques
    Production Grant | Lagunas | FWB l Arts Numériques
  • 2015
    Production Grant | Lagunas | Vlaamse Overheid
  • 2014
    Conception Grant | Lagunas | FWB | Arts Numériques
    Diffusion Grant | Lungs [the breather] | FWB
  • 2013
    Production Grant | eVanescens Vlaamse Overheid
    Promotion Grant | eVanescens | FWB | Arts Numériques
  • 2009
    Conception Grant | Unstable Territories | FWB
    Promotion Grant | Lungs [the breather] | FWB
  • 2008
    Production Grant | Lungs [the breather] | Vlaamse Overheid

Studies

  • 2014 - 2015
    3D | VFX | Compositing
    CGItrainer Belgique | Jean Yves Arboit
  • 2009 - 2010
    Interactive Media
    Academie Beeldende Kunsten Anderlecht | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2006 - 2008
    TRANSMEDIA | Postgraduate Program in Arts + Media + Design
    Hogeschool Sint-Lukas | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 1997 - 2002
    Master en Arts | Electronic Media & Arts of Time
    Universidad de los Andes | Bogotá (Colombia)

Work

  • 2023
    Ríos Trilogy | Solo Exhibition | KultXL | Brussels (BE)
  • 2022
    Lagunas | Screening | IMT Gallery - Sluice Projects | London (UK)
    Lagunas - Screening | Festival Internacional de la Imagen | Bogotá (CO)
    Ríos (Caquetá) | Festival Internacional de la Imagen | Bogotá (Colombia)
    Festival Panoramic 2022 | Granollers + Barcelona (Spain)
    SELVA | Residency | Fondation Martell | Residencies in digital creation | Cognac (France)
    Ríos Trilogy | Residency | LabVerde | Manaus, Amazon State of Brazil (Brazil)
    Land/scape N.4 & Land/scape N.5 | Nadine – N0dine | Brussels (Belgium)
    Ríos Chapter I | Online Application | Cinemateca de Bogotá / Datos y relatos | Bogotá (Colombia)
    Land/scape N.1 | F.A.S.T- OHME | ULB |Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2021
    Ríos (Caquetá & Juruá) | Sculptures | CODE IS LAW - Centre Wallonie Bruxelles | Paris (France)
    Ríos (Caquetá & Juruá) | Sculptures | EXTRACTIONS - A two Dogs Company | Brussels (Belgium)
    Simposio | Diálogos: Experiencias Cinemáticas Contemporáneas | Festival Internacional de la Imágen | Edición en línea
    Ríos + Land/scape N.4| Sculptures | Studio Zink | Brussels (Belgium)
    Lagunas | Screening | El Parqueadero - Banco de la republica - Grey Cube Projects | Bogotá (Colombia)
  • 2020
    Lagunas | Screening | FIFF | Namur (Belguim)
    The Other Side of the River | Screening | Sonic Bite / Cryptic | Vimeo (On-line)
  • 2019
    Lagunas | Interactive installation | Festival Nova XX |Paris (France)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | Ars Musica | Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Screening – Flagey - Deweekvandeklank - Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Screening | Sound Art Gallery | Moscow (Russia)
  • 2018
    Variations of Disarray | Screening | Madatac | Media LAB Prado | Madrid (Spain)
    Landscape N.1 & Landscape N.2 | Installation/Sculpture | Ateliers Mommen | Brussels (Belgium)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | Synthposium 5: Art + A/V Programme | Moscow (Russia)
    Residence | Cristina Iglesias | Fundación Botín | Santander (Spain)
    Variations of Disarray | Screening | Ateliers Mommen | Brussels (Belgium)
    Lagunas | Interactive installation | BAM Festival | Liege (Belgium)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project V.6 | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | Clinic - Tokio (JP)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project V.6 | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | Le GIV- Montreal (CA)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project V.5 | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | Digital Arts Festival | Singularity Now | Athens (GR)
  • 2017
    Lagunas | Interactive installation | Festival Voltaje | Bogotá (Colombia)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre du Son | Gdańsk (Poland)
    Beyond the Divide | Screening | Sound-Image 2107 | Greenwich (UK)
    Lagunas | Interactive installation | iMal | Brussels (Belgium)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | The Local | New York (USA)
    Variations of Disarray | Screening | Garages Numériques-02 – 
Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Screening | Франкотека - ул. Николоямская | 
Moscow (Russia)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | 
Blue Magpie Experimental Film Series (Taiwan)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | 
Videoformes Festival | Clermont-Ferrand (France)
  • 2016
    See You Later | Audiovisual concert | PEAK Performances | Alexander Kasser Theater | Montclair, New Jersey (USA)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | Botanique | La Semaine du Son | Brussels (Belgium)
    The Exquisite Corpse Video Project | Screening | (Initiative of Kika Nicolela) | Top Schillerpalais | Berlin (Germany)
  • 2015
    Variations of Disarray | Monumental projection/Screening | CityLight | Transnumériques | Mons (Belgium)
    GIFT | Audiovisual concert l Chapelle de Boondael | Brussels (Belgium)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | Musicacoustica | Beijing (China)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | YU GONG YI SHAN | Beijing (China)
    Cryptic | Oliver Coates | Audiovisual concert | Kings Place | London (UK)
    Cryptic | Oliver Coates | Audiovisual concert | The Glasgow School of Arts | Glasgow (UK)
  • 2014
    UNRAVEL | Screening | Festival Video Movimiento | Universidad Javeriana | Bogota (Colombia)
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | La Balsamine | Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Audiovisual concert | World Music Days | Wroclaw (Poland)
    Beyond the Divide | Audiovisual concert | Audio Art Festival | Wroclaw (Poland)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | Festival Elektra/Mutek | Montreal (Canada)
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive Installation | International Digital Arts Biennial (BIAN) | Montreal (Canada)
    eVanescens | Audiovisual concert | NIME 2014 | London (England)
    Beyond the Divide/Oracular/Unravel | Screening | Deweekvandeklank | Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Audiovisual concert | Flagey | Deweekvandeklank | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2013
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | BOZAR | Brussels (Belgium)
    eVanescens | Audio-visual concert | International Contemporary Music Festival ARS Musica 2013 | Brigittines | Brussels (Belgium)
    Persona | Theater | LaborGras | Berlin (Germany)
  • 2012
    eVanescens | Audio-visual concert | LE CUBE | Centre for Digital Creation | Issy-les-Moulineaux (France)
    Oracular | Video | Gallery VanderA | Brussels (Belgium)
    Beyond the Divide | Audio-visual concert | Space Senghor | Brussels (Belgium)
    Vanescens | Audio-visual concert | Musiques Nouvelles | Mons (Belgium)
  • 2011
    (IN)Pulses | Audio-visual concert | Gare Numérique de Jeumont | France
    Beyond the Divide | Audio-visual concert | ICMC, University of Huddersfield | UK
  • 2010
    Beyond the Divide | Audio-visual installation | Vlaamse Scriptieprijs | Royal Academy of Science & Arts | Brussels (Belgium)
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | CitySonics | Mons (Belgium)
    De Vogel en het net | Audio-visual installation | Erasmus Museum | Brussels (Belgium)
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | Sint-Lukasgalerie | Brussels (Belgium)
    Unstable Territories | Interactive installation | iMal | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2009
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | Beirut (Lebanon)
    Percept | Performance | Centre des Arts Enghien-Les-Bains, Bains Numériques #4 | Enghien-Les-Bains (France)
  • 2008
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | PING! Festival | Mallorca (Spain)
    Lungs [the breather] | Interactive installation | NADINE | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2007
    Golden Delicious | Video | Urban Trajectories | Brussels | Rotterdam | Mexico
  • 2006
    BogotaLab | Video installation/performance | Plan06 | Köln (Germany)
  • 2003
    Self-Portrait | Interactive installation | Contradance | Brussels (Belgium)
  • 2002
    Ajna’s Journeys | Interactive Video Installation | Los Andes University | Bogotá (Colombia)
    Ajna’s Journeys | Interactive Video Installation | Alliance Français | Bogotá (Colombia)