Pedro Reyes

Biography

Pedro Reyes's work addresses the interplay between physical and social space, making tangible the invisible geometry of interpersonal relationships and calling for political and economic participation. Less interested in critiquing institutions than in reimagining them, Reyes uses art as a way to encourage collective and individual agency and to establish a currency that can be applied to everyday practice in the face of human, political and ecological crisis.

His works take a variety of forms, from penetrable vinyl sculptures inspired by organic or mineral formations that are both artworks and usable structures for reclining and socialising (Capulas, 2002–10) to a TV and short-film production based on the nineteenth-century debate between socialism and capitalism, featuring puppets of Karl Marx and Adam Smith (Baby Marx, 2009–12).

At dOCUMENTA 13 (2012), Reyes presented a continuing project called Sanatorium, a utopian ‘temporary clinic’ designed to offer topical treatments for urban illnesses such as stress, loneliness and hyperstimulation.

This person was part of Sharjah Biennial 11