Juan Uribe’s work is dedicated to examining and deconstructing the inner workings, often opaque, of the art world’s market circuits and the way in which the relationships between galleries, collectors, artists, and institutions determine much about the art that is produced. Uribe began his career within art galleries, obtaining representation at the beginning of his career, and has managed to convey through a body of work full of humor and irony the contradictions faced by a young artist. His textual work uses the English language, drawing inspiration from “International Art English”, an expression coined by Alix Rule and David Levine in an essay published in 2012, and which critically approaches the complicated, yet predictable, terminology in which contemporary art is written about.

Juan Uribe

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Uribe's work encompasses text, drawing, collage, painting and sculpture, providing a Latin American perspective on the dynamics of domination and power created by Western art historical teaching. Assuming the received narratives but refusing to accept them, Uribe represents them in a way that intersects humor, irony and irreverence towards the dominance and privileges associated with Western canonical works, as well as the cult of their artists. By appropriating and imitating other artists he reveals affection for their work, while at the same time mocking the conventions of contemporary gallery culture and the expectations of the public.