Ana Navas
Quito, 1984
Bio

In her work process, the metaphor of a non-stop domino effect, where things and contents are constantly moving each other, is recurrent. Navas tries to stay away of the idea of a zero point of creation, thus she questions terms strongly related to art making, as revolution, creativity or authorship.

For her, art is a dialogue with strangers, but this dialogue does not only resonate to the direct participants of the artistic experience, but creates also a wider echo. One of the main questions in her work is how art is perceived and transformed outside the art context and what are the meeting points between different disciplines as ethnology / art / design / decoration and the relation between high and popular culture. She is interested in moments where these encounters, transformation, absorption and imitation are especially present. This is how in her work a wide variety of themes such as adolescence, forgery, amateur art, song covers or costumes become examples around the idea of willing to copy and to possess.

Navas often works in several series in parallel, which then connect in an installation situation unfolding the conceptual relations those series have to each other. Aiming to be consequent on her focus on transformation, she understands the exhibition situation as an ‘essay’ moment and not a definite one. This means, the works are understood as modules, which can be reused for new pieces, reappear in other constellations, turn from artwork to display, or adopt a different meaning each time they are shown.

Lives and works in Rotterdam.

She attended the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe, where she graduated as a Meisterschülerin (MA) with Franz Ackermann.

She then was a resident at De Ateliers Amsterdam and has done many residency programs including Vila Sul-Goethe Institute, Salvador de Bahia; FLORA Ars+Natura (through a Mondriaan Fonds grant), Bogota; Charco-Granero (edition curated by Manuela Moscoso), León, Guanajuato; Foundation Fiminco, Romainville-Paris.

In 2022 she received the illySustainArt during ARCOMadrid; for 2020 she was granted the NN Group Art Award (Netherlands) and in 2018 the Kunstfonds Germany and the Kunstakademie Karlsruhe awarded her with the Kalinowski Prize. She has received the fellowships of Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg and the Landesgraduiertenförderung Baden-Württemberg.

Her work has been widely exhibited in Latin America and Europe, in places such as: Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden; Galerie der Stadt, Sindelfingen; P/////AKT, Platform for contemporary Art, Amsterdam; El cuarto de máquinas, México City; Cobra Museum, Amstelveen; Nest, The Hague; Sperling, Munich, among others.

Her work has been published in the books: I had to think of you / Ich musste an dich denken, A fake crocodile can make you cry real tears and Tiene palabras, ella (along with the artist Sarina Scheidegger).

Her work belongs in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Kadist Collection in San Francisco and Paris, and Phillips/Yuyito in Mexico City, among others.

Selection of Works
Ana Navas
mano a mano
Site-specific installation
Variable dimensions
2023
Ana Navas
mano a mano
Site-specific installation
Variable dimensions
2023
Ana Navas
Musa (Figura con sombrero en el zig zag del río) (Mi amigo el pintor)
Styrofoam lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
39.3 x 25.5 x 15.7 inches
2022
Ana Navas
Tuto de pollo (Cabeza de dragón vista desde arriba)
Baby car seat lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
15.7 x 15.7 x 9 inches
2022
Ana Navas
Swiffer WetJet (Tres cohetes en la punta y una taza sobre la otra)
Ergonomic mop lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
19.6 x 11.8 x 23.6 inches
2022
Ana Navas
Paisaje (con picos y flores)
Plastic bottle lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
11 x 4.7 x 1.9 inches
2022
Ana Navas
Busto de mujer triste
Styrofoam lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
44.49 x 18.9 x 15.35 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Musa
Styrofoam lined in industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
44.09 x 25.59 x 15.75 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Cabeza de dragón vista desde arriba
Industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
35.43 x 43.31 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Cabeza de animal (con ojos vistos claramente)
Industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
43.31 x 25.59 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Antifaz para elefante
Industrial textiles and copies of the patterns painted by hand
7.87 x 27.56 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Bota para ir por los toros
Industrial textiles
11.81 x 11.81 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Jardín de esculturas
Acrylic paint, textiles, bijouterie on melamine plates
13.39 x 13.39 x 1.18 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Rectangle in movement
Silkscreen on translucent textile and metal stand
72.83 x 41.34 x 14.57 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Rebellion Against the Square (in colors)
Silkscreen on translucent textile and metal stand
72.83 x 44.09 x 17.72 inches
2021
Ana Navas
Budhas en nanas
Jug Stand, Vynil, Fabric, Imitiation Jewellery and Sponges
24½ x 14½ x 49¼ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Hi Donald
Suitcase, Fabric, Napkin Holders, Imitation Jewellery and Acrylic Paint
9¾ x 11½ x 38½ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Hi Donald
Suitcase, Fabric, Napkin Holders, Imitation Jewellery and Acrylic Paint
9¾ x 11½ x 38½ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Excusas (Meret y Henry)
Ironing Board, Fabric and Acrylic Paint
16½ x 48½ x 32¼ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Excusas (Meret y Henry)
Ironing Board, Fabric and Acrylic Paint
16½ x 48½ x 32¼ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Oficinista
Baby Bathtub, Fabric and Flase Eyelashes
20½ x 10¼ x 8¼ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Pulpo con caballete
Easel, Vynil, Acrylic Paint, Plastic Dishes, Rubber Rug and Imitation Jewellery
30 x 23½ x 60 inches
2019
Ana Navas
Pecera
Cloth Rack, Fabric, Plastic and Acrylic Paint
16½ x 31½ x 66½ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Pecera
Cloth Rack, Fabric, Plastic and Acrylic Paint
16½ x 31½ x 66½ inches
2019
Ana Navas
Pulpo con caballete
Easel, Vynil, Acrylic Paint, Plastic Dishes, Rubber Rug and Imitation Jewellery
30 x 23½ x 60 inches
2019
Ana Navas
To Cut One’s Hair by the Moon
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2018
Ana Navas
To Cut One’s Hair by the Moon
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2018
Ana Navas
I Had to Think of You
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2014
Ana Navas
I Had to Think of You
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2017
Ana Navas
I Had to Think of You
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2014
Ana Navas
Etui
Faux Leather and Fabric
59 x 82½ inches
2014
Ana Navas
Etui
Bronze Sculpture, Faux Leather and Fabric
59 x 86½ inches
2014
Ana Navas
Sopor (Still)
HD Video
8:20 minutes
2014
Ana Navas
I don't care if this has been standing here for centuries, it's ruining my Zen garden
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2014
Ana Navas
I Had to Think of You
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2017
Ana Navas
I Had to Think of You
Site-specific Installation
Variable Dimensions
2017
Exhibitions at Pequod
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