Pedro Vélez
DESCRIPTION
Pedro Vélez
(1971, Puerto Rico)
Pedro Vélez employs a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating painting, photography, large-scale wall collages, printed ephemera and web-based works. His work often merges his interest in journalism into “visual essays” dealing with the tone in which information is filtered through social media, politics, race and how socio-economic forces affect morality, personal space, mood and feelings. Vélez obtained his B.A. in Communications at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico and an M.F.A. at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Vélez is currently featured in Rhizome’s Net Art Anthology: Retelling the History of Net Art from the 1980s Through the Present Day. Recent exhibitions include: Beyond the Canvas: Contemporary Art from Puerto Rico, curated by Monica Ramírez-Montagut and Warren James at the Newcomb Museum in New Orleans; Human Human, curated by Jessica Cochran at Loyola University / Ralph Arnold Gallery in Chicago; Oppositions at The Luminary in St. Louis; Whitney Biennial 2014; Revealing Nature, curated by Claudia Arzeno at The Portrait Society in Milwaukee; #DrunkDictators, an “On The Wall” installation at Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago; White Feeling, curated by Bert Stabler at UIUC’s Figure One Gallery; Morally Reprehensible at 101 Exhibit in LA.
His work as an artist and writer has been discussed in Artforum’s Critic’s Pick, Rhizome, The New York Times, Pelican Bomb, Daily Serving, Chicago Tribune, Hyperallergic and Frieze among many other publications. For 10 years Pedro Vélez maintained a regular column about the art scenes in San Juan, Chicago and the Midwest for Artnet Magazine and his writing has been published in Newcity, New Art Examiner and Arte al Día. He was also the controversial editor of the blog El Box Score in San Juan.
EDUCATION
1999 M.F.A. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1995 B.A., Communications, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Puerto Rico.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS/ TWO PERSONS EXHIBITIONS
2017
Emojis, Lies, Instagram Muses and Fake News, Latino Arts Inc, Milwaukee
2015
Private and Social Portraits, curated by Claudia Arzeno, Portrait Society, Milwaukee! Ransom Notes and Surrender Flags (Collabs with Robert Davis, LM Rodríguez, Vincent Dermody, Maya Mackrandilal, Michael Wynne), AREA, Caguas, PR
2014
#MorallyReprehensible, 101/Exhibit, LA
#DrunkDictators, “On The Wall” installation at Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago ! #Protest Signs, Galería Obra Alegría, San Juan, PR
No Regrets (With Michael Wynne), Oliver Francis Gallery, Dallas
2011
Hyperbole: Kate Brandt and Pedro Vélez, curated by Danielle Rosen, Gallery M at Hotel Intercontinental, Milwaukee
2009
The Day of the Corrupt: Our fathers left US shit, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
2007
Epilepsy, Pegatina and Adult Porn, Plush Gallery, Dallas.
2006
Godfuck, Galeria Comercial, Puerto Rico,
and Western Exhibitions, Chicago
2005
Uni Las Vas Rasfur Falut, Ingalls and Associates, Miami
2004
The Aging Quail: Pedro Vélez and Gean Moreno, Galeria Comercial, PR
Hell in LAMB UC: New Drawings and Collages, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
2003
Ann Lee and the Devil in Lamb UC, curated by Tall Rickards, Rectangle Space, Miami ! Devil in Lamb UC, curated by Tito Rovira at Tristán Reyes studio, Miramar, PR
Paintings 1999-2003, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
2002
Cute Girls, Heavy Metal, Sports and Hope, Museo de las Americas, Puerto Rico and Thomas Blackman Associates, Chicago
Pedro Vélez / Juana Valdes, Bronx River Art Center, NYC
2000
Pedro Vélez / Jessica Hutchins, Hermetic Gallery, Milwaukee
1999
Corporate Paintings, AMX: XIGITAL Corporate Offices, Guaynabo, PR
1996
Supension Superstar, Galeria Raices, PR
Group Shows
2018
Rhizome’s Net Art Anthology: Retelling the History of Net Art from the 1980s Through the Present Day. https://anthology.rhizome.org/
2017
Beyond the Canvas: Contemporary Art From Puerto Rico, curated by Warren James and Mónica Ramírez-Montagut at Newcomb Museum, Tulane
Human Human, curated by Jessica Cochran at Loyola University / Ralph Arnold Gallery, Chicago
SOCIETY! Evanston Art Center, Chicago
2016
White Feelings, curated by Albert Stabler, UIUC’s Figure One Gallery, Champaign, IL
2015
Estado: Experiencia Fragmentada, MUAC Museo de Arte de Caguas, Puerto Rico (catalog)! Manipulaciones o la recodificación del medio, curated by Melissa Ramos, Proyecto Local, PR (catalog)
Robert Davis Featuring Law Office Presents at Anonymous Gallery, México
2014
Whitney Biennial 2014, Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC
ARTECHO - A remix of Abundance: Constructing Sustainability, curated by Tam Gryn and Alejandra Esayag, Sun West Studios, NYC
The End, Paxton Moore Gallery at El Centro College, Dallas
Law Office at NEWD Art Show, NYC
2013
A Study in Midwestern Appropriation ( in collaboration with Shelleen Greene and Sara Daleiden), curated by Michelle Grabner, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
2012
Contemporary Passions: American, European, and Latin American Art from the Serapión and Belk Collection, Museo de Arte de Ponce, PR
2011
Eraser, curated by Rachel FurnarI, Magnan Metz, NYC
Photography Now: National Survey, curated by Mercedes Trelles, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, San Juan, PR
2010
No Soul For Sale, (with The Suburban), Tate Modern
Holiday in Hell, Galleria Nicola Ricci, Carrara, Italy
Desidia, Union’s Contemporary Collector’s Space, Miramar, PR
Sex Sells, curated by Raimundo Figueroa and Arte Foundation, Galería Obra, San Juan, PR Tipo-Grafiá , curated by Trace Líquido, Museo las Américas, San Juan, PR
2009
NY Art Book Fair, (with Western Exhibitions), PS1 Artist Run Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
2008
Event-Horizon, curated by Jennifer Schmidt, Somerville Arts Council and SFA, Boston Milwaukee International Art Fair (participated with San Juan based collective Repuesto)
0508, web-based exhibition curated by Carmen Olmo at 0508.dondeveoarte.com, PR
Adult Yuxtapositions, curated by Raimundo Figueroa, Arte Foundation, San Juan, PR
Liv Ullman, Anaerobic Digestion, curated by Erik Brown, Finch Gallery, Chicago
2007
Red Badge of Courage, curated by Omar Lopez -Chahoud, Newark Center for the Arts
Videos on the Street, Joymore Gallery, NYC
Printed Space, curated by John Neff, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
2006
Constant Disturbance on Cultural Contamination and Foreign Agents, curated by Gean Moreno, Centro Cultural Español, Miami (catalog)
Manic and Wasted, curated by Randall Garret, LMCC/Swing Space, NYC
The Earth is Flat, Lifebomb Gallery, Berlin
IV Muestra de Arte Nacional, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, PR
MACO Art Fair, Galería Comercial, Mexico DF
[PAM] Cinema-Scope Featured Programs: SciFi Sort of with Cool Effects Sometimes and Sometimes Not, curated by Melissa Schubeck, at Scope Miami 2006
2005
Four Color Pen Show (traveling exhibition), General Store, Milwaukee; Locust Projects, Miami! A More Perfect Union, The Suburban in Chicago and Max Fish, NYC
2004
Spacemakers, (with the Suburban’s Political Poster Project), curated by Courtneay Smith and Brett Bloom, Lothringer Dreizehn, Munich
Don’t Call it Performance, curated by Deborah Cullen and Paco Barragan, Museo del Barrio, NYC and Domus Atrium 2, Salamanca
Baltimore Crackhouse, Joymore Gallery, NYC
Lumpen Decadents, curated by Gean Moreno, Ingalls & Associates Gallery, Miami
The Last Show, The House, Miami
Color Therapy for Oedipal Conflicts, curated by Rebekah Rutkoff, Plus Ultra, NYC
2003
Unrealizeable, with Stefano Pasquini Natalija Ribovic, Cueva Gallery, Milan
4th National Salon, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, Arsenal Marina, San Juan, PR (catalog)
2002
Plat & Form, curated by Nicholas Frank, Foster Gallery, WI
Architecture of Ghosts, curated by Joe del Pesco, Soap Factory, Artpoint, Miami
Tasty Dog, Atelier 25, organized by Suburban Gallery, Krems, Austria
3 Point Perspective, JARAF Video, NYC
Lingo, curated by Jennifer Schmidt, ONI Gallery, Boston
Meet me in St. Louie, Crowe T. Brooks Gallery, St. Louis!
Variations, 1R Gallery, Chicago
2001
The Good and Evil, curated by Jay Heikes and Joseph Del Pesco,The Waiting Room Gallery, Minneapolis
SUK, curated by Stefano Pasquini and SAM01, Sesto Senso Gallery, Bologna, Italy
Library Project, Temporary Services, Chicago (catalog)
2000
U / Topistas, Michy Marxuach Projects, PR (catalog)
Ralph Nader Poster Design 2000, Monk Parakeet / The Suburban, Chicago
X-Presiones, curated by Doreen Colón Camacho, Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, San Juan, PR
1999
Not on any Map, curated by John Di Stefano, Betty Rymer Gallery, Chicago (catalog)
No Metaphors: Jessica Hutchins, Gerald Davis, Lena Kuffner, Joe Hardesty, Andy Hall and Lillian Martinez, Petrorious Studio, Chicago
AWARDS
2003 Public Art Commission granted by POST, Chicago
2002 AT&T Wireless (sculpture commission), Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico
2000 McConnell Valdés LLC, Exhibition Grant, PR
1999 Residency at Segundo Ruíz Belvis Cultural Center, Chicago
1998 World Studio Foundation Scholarship Award, NY
1995 Won the Rafael Marquez Award for promoting the arts at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, PR
1993 Painting Seminar Grant Award to study painting with artist Myrna Báez at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, PR
1989 Close- Up Foundation grant, Washington D.C.