Sandra Contreras

Questioning cultural logic, dichotomy of mind and body, logic and sensation, matter and energy Sandra Contreras creates visual signs through repurposing histories of language, image and text. Her embroidered works refer to the structures of nature, body and cosmos creating complex composite textile imagery. Realized in two-dimensional sculptural relief installations and objects, her pictorial works act as counterpoints to the digital through the analogue interactions of hand, fabric and embroidery. Contreras studied Art History at the Universidad Iberoamericana, UIA, Mexico City, Masters in Art in Context at the University of the Arts in Berlin as well as Masters of Art Studies and Education at the UIA, Mexico City. She has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Mexico and Germany and gained awards from the FONCA-CONACULTA and the Ministry of Family Affairs in Berlin. Sandra was born in Mexico City in 1974 and lives between Berlin and Mexico City.

UP COMING
Group Exhibition. 5. July.  Far away so close. Embassy of Mexico in Berlin.

CV
STUDIES

2012-2014
Master Art Studies / Art and Education. Honorific Mention. Universidad Iberoamericana, UIA, Mexico City.
2001-2004
Master Art in Context. University of Arts, Berlin, Germany.
1993-1997
Art History at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, UIA.

One artist exhibitions ( selecction)

2023    TEXTO-HILAR. The Thread that Interweaves the Universe. Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Mexico, April.
2012     RED & WHITE. Ateliergemeinschaft Milchhof, Berlin, July.
2018    Time and Spatial Pattern. Celda Contemporanea, Sor Juana Monastery. February.
2014    Book without Reason.  Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, September.
2012    Drawings. Mexican Psychoanalytical Association. Mai.
2009    King-Worker-Bit, Allgirls Gallery, Berlin, May.
2009    Big Draw Berlin. Drawing with Light, Action. Head up, Stomach open.  Church
Friedrichswerder, August.
2006    Questioning – yourself II, Orangedoor Gallery, Paros, Greece June.
2005    Questioning- yourself I, Gallery Körnerkiez, Berlin, June.
2003    Images from the old, 48 hours Neukölln, 5th Art and Culture Festival, June.
2002    Lightweight from the stone, Sandra Contreras and Jorge Yázpik, Quetzalli Gallery, Oaxaca, Mexico, March.
2000    From the Material to the Fantastic Order. Gallery La Esmeralda, Nacional Center of Arts, Mexico City. May.
1998    Inventory Aesthetics. Culture Office of the State of Puebla, Mexico. May.

Artistic Actions 

2010    Route 2010.  Berlin.  http.//rutamexicoberlin2010.blogspot.com
2009    Drawing with Light, Friedrichswerderscher Kirche. The Big Draw Berlin, August.

Cultural Work / Art and Mediation 

Since 2019

Overview and thematic tours at the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Hamburger Bahnhof, Preußischer Kulturbesitz, as well as artistic workshops for different target groups and age ranges. Languages: German Spanish, English.
Since 2010
Overview and thematic tours at the Museum Gropius Bau as well as artistic workshops for different target groups and ages. Languages: German, Spanish, English: German Spanish, English.
Pedagogical supervision at the Labyrinth Children’s Museum Berlin.
2016 Implementation of the diploma course: thought – action. The energy transition of creative participation. MUSEO MARCO. Monterrey NL. January.
2013 Art action. Portraits on glass. Performative art project at the Federal Congress swing for earlier opportunities.
2012 Teaching textile design students at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.
2011 Conception of the exhibition Facts of Poetry at Projektraum1. Kreuzberg/ Bethenien Art Space. November.
2010 Art action. Route 2010. If you don’t cheat, you don’t get ahead. September. http.//rutamexicoberlin2010.blogspot.com/
2009 More PomPoms…, 1st Festival Cultural Education, coordination and design of the. Exhibition/Workshops- Kreuzberg district, June.
2008 Design of the space for art education of the exhibition Hannah Arendts Denkraum. Mendelssohn Academy Halberstadt, www.hannaharendts-denkraum.com, June.
2008 Curatorial work of the exhibition Über Zeichen Unterzeichnen. Art Transponder, Berlin.
2008 The Other I. Mediation program for the exhibition Global Alien,
Congress of Culture, Anna Siemsen School. Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, January.
2013    Portraits on glass. Performative art project at the Federal Congress (Auschwung für Frühere Chancen) Berlin, February.
2011    Facts of Poetry. Projektraum1 Kunsraum Kreuzbeg Bethanien. Berlin, November.
2009    More PomPoms..., Festival Cultural Education Berlin Kreuzberg, , June.
2008    Underwriting over Signs. Exhibition. Art Transponder, Berlin, June.
2008    Reflection Space for  the exhibition Hannah Arendts Denkraum. Mendelssohn Academy Halberstadt, www.hannaharendts-denkraum.com, Germany, June.
2008    The other me. Anna Siemsen School. 8th grade. Cooperation with the exhibition Global Alien, Congress of Culture, Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien. Berlin, Jan-Feb.

Group Exhibitions (selection) 

2024 TALES FROM A THIRD SPACE. Desterritorialización del Poder. Space for Contemporary Art Axel Obiger, Berlin, Juni.
2023 IN WEITER FERNE, SO NAH! Kultur Institut von Mexiko, Deutschland. Lagos & Momentum. Juni.
2022  Textil Arte of Today. September.  Budapest.
2021   Reconfigurations. Textile as Textuality. MUMA. Museum of Mexican Women Artists. November.
2020   ABOUT ORDER. Spazju Kreattiv, Museum St. James Cavalier, Valetta, Malta, Oktober.
2019    7 mal 2. Artist Talk. Künstlerische Positioen im Dialog. Umler35, Berlin. Oktober.
2018   The gnawed Object. Sallbau Gallery. Berlin.
2018   Long Night of pictures. Studio Erlenwein. September.
2017   The gnawed Object, House of the First Printing of America, UAM, Mexico.
2011    Crossing Paths, Castillo Kampehl, Germany, November.
2011    Facts of Poetry, Espacio 1 Kuntsraum Kreuzberg, November.
2010    Art and Nature, Zehdenick, Zernikow, Germany, May.
2009   á chacun son mur, La LaVoir, Paris, France, December.
2009   ACROSTICO, Contemporary Drawings from Mexico, Mexican Embassy in Berlin, September.
2008   Anonyme Zeichner, Kunstberg Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin, December.
2008   Four artist, Orangedoorgallery, Paros, Greece, June.
2008   Underwriting over Signs. Arte Transponder, Berlin, February.
2006    3rd Nacional Biennial Visual Arts, Yucatán, Mexico, November.
2006    Homenaje póstumo a WolfgangBenavides. Mexico, November.
2006    Knitting Cattle –Made- Pheromones, Cultur in Körnerkiez, Berlin, June.
2006    Heimatschorle, Allgirls Gallery, Berlin, Mai.
2005    Puppenporträts, Cultur im Kornerkiez, Berlin, April.
2004    Good Daughters? good sons?. Workshop documentation. Gallery in Saalbau, Berlin, March.
2003    Chill out Room, Installation. Gallery im Körnerpark. Berlin, February.
2003    The Work role, vidoclips, Villa Elisabeth, Berlin, June.

Bibliographic reviews / Links

2023    Textile Museum of Oaxaca, 2023.  https://museotextildeoaxaca.org/textohilar/
2022    Textile Routes. Itinerant stories of women artists. Embassy of Mexico in Brussels. March 29. 2022. Re-transmission via Facebook: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/EMBAMEXBELGICA/videos/1360257391054596/
2021       “Kosmische Stickereien und Fotografie in Gold” (Cosmic embroidery and photographs in gold). 14 August. 2021 /   12. BIENNIAL. ORTUNG12. In the sign of gold. July. Schwabach. Germany.
2020       “Cosmic questios and perceptios of reality” (Cosmic questions and the perception of reality), The Sunday Times of Malta, November 15, 2020. Valletta, Malta / Exhibition: ABOUT ORDER. Spazju Kreativ. St. James Cavalier. Malta, Valletta, October, 2020.
2017       Blanca González Rosas. „El Objeto Masticado“.  Proceso Magazine. 05. February 2017. Mexico

Awards

2012    Research grand. CONACYT. National Council for Science and Technology. Mexico.
2003    Scholarship for foreign Studies, National Fund for the Culture and the Arts, Mexico City
2002    3rd place at the art competition Güte Söhne Gute Töchter: Room Installation. Gallery  Körnerpark, Berlin.
2001    Scholarship for foreign Studies, National Fund for the Culture and the Arts Mexico City.
1999    Support for Cultural Projects. Catalogue. National Fund for the Culture and the Arts,
1999    Honorific Mention, Gran Premio Omnilife show, Guadalajara,  Mexico.
1997    Painting Young Creators Scholarship by the National Fund for the Culture and the Arts, Mexico City FONCA, CONACULTA.

Art and Mediation / Workshops (selecion) 

2010    Traveling during the day, Fichtelgebirge Primary School / Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien, Berlin, November.
2010    Different Faces. Albert Schweizer School, Education Cultural Project Berlin, October.
2010    Microscope and Art. Museum of Natural History. Berlin, August.
2009    Portrait how I feel better,  Fichtelgebirge Primary School September.
2009    Anonymous Drawings. Fichtel Gebirge Primary School / Kurt Löwenstein High School. Kunstraum, Kreuzberg Bethanien. Berlin, October.
2008    Cities of Future. Fichtel Gebirge Primary School / Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien. October.
2008    Anonymous Drawings, Fichtel Gebirge Primary School / Kurt Löwenstein High School /Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien. Berlin, October.
2008    Culture Trilogy, Foundation Herbert Quandt / Kurt Löwenstein High School, July.
2008    The other me. Anna Siemsen School. 8th grade.  Exhibition Global Alien, Congress of Culture, Kunstraum Kreuzberg Bethanien. Berlin,  January-February.
2008    Post in Neukölln. Fichtelgebirge Primary School Primary 8th grade. Education Cultural Projekt Berlin, February.
2007    Visiting to the Goldrausch  exhibition. Fichtelgebirge Primary School Primary. Education Cultural Project Berlin, December.
2007    Stick It. a la Fichtelgebirge Primary School Primary 6th grade. Education Cultural Project Berlin, October.