Santiago Sierra

Santiago Sierra, born in Madrid, Spain, in 1966, now lives and works between Madrid, Spain, and Mexico City.

His work is defined by situations in which survival becomes a fundamental element. He translates this into an artistic practice that interrogates the inhuman aspects of the economic system, the mechanisms of corruption, and the labour exploitation of individuals. His projects connect diverse references with lived reality, articulating a world shaped by critical discourse directed towards the art system and its agents.

In the 1990s, Sierra became known for establishing systems of negotiation with third parties in order to carry out actions—often situated in public space—that revealed the material procedures underlying the systemic violence of capitalism and the working conditions it produces. This body of work has questioned the role of institutional structures, the control of public space, the emergence of informal architectures within the urban landscape as forms of survival, and the conditions of disuse and disposability, not only from a material standpoint but also as a reflection of stark social contrasts.