Lagos de Moreno, Mexico, 1980
Lives and works in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Describing himself as an “ontologist with a heuristic methodology,” Rico interrelates found objects and materials, reworking them to create sculptures that invite the viewer to reflect on the relation between human beings and their natural environment. He sometimes uses neon, ceramics, taxidermy mounts, branches of trees, and even more personal objects from his own past to create an equation or formulation, achieving a precise geometry in spite of the unwieldy organic nature of his materials. Rico’s installations combine natural and anti-natural forms, handled poetically and ironically, with an insistence on the necessary contemplation of their asymmetry, as well as of our own cultural and political defects.

CV

Education

BA in Architecture for the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), Mexico.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022
La inclusión de mi raza, Curated by Cortney Stell, Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum, Denver, USA

2021
Unity in Variety, ICA San Diego, USA.
I May Use an Electric Drill, But I Also Use a Hammer, OMR, Mexico City, Mexico

2020
Nature Loves to Hide, Perrotin – Saint Claude, Paris, France

2019
The Stone, The Branch, and the Golden Geometry, Galerie Perrotin, Seoul, South Korea
The Discipline of the Cave, Aspen Art Museum, curated by Heidi Zuckerman, USA

2017
ONE LAW FOR THE LION & THE OX IS OPPRESSION, Galerie Perrotin, New York, USA
Proximidad, Fábrica Cerámica Suro, Guadalajara, Mexico. The Power Station, Dallas, USA.
DEAD, DEAD, LIVE DEAD, ASU Art Museum, Tempe, USA

2016
VIS VIVA, Gyeonggi Creation Center, Ansan-do, South Korea

2015
B@V, Ex Convento del Carmen, Guadalajara, Mexico
ZEA MAYS , MAZ (Zapopan Art Museum), Jalisco, Mexico

2014
CREATIO EX MATERIA, Cuadro 22 Gallery, Chur, Switzerland
B@V, Ex Escuela de Cristo, Aguascalientes, Mexico
La Cuchara & El Ladrillo, Public Libraries Virgilio Barco & El Tintal, Bogota, Colombia
SUPERPOSICION, The Museum of the City, Guadalajara, Mexico

2013
B@V, CEART Centro de Arte Tomás & Valiente, Madrid, Spain
B@V, Program 12×12  selected by the curators Guillermo Santamarina & Itala Schmelz @ MASIN, Culiacán Sinaloa, Mexico

2012
Lo que me da forma… lo que me contiene, Gallery Curro, Guadalajara, Mexico

2011
Elevando el espacio a la dignidad de atributo de dios, University of Guanajuato, Mexico

2010
Todas las formas de arte en una misma entidad, La Vitrina, Guadalajara, Mexico
Dela IM Laboratorio CV930, Museum of Arts at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico

Group Exhibitions

2023
Cerámica Suro: A Story of Collaboration, Production, and Collecting in the Contemporary Arts, Dallas Contemporary, USA

2022
Wuhan Biennale, Connected by Art, Curated by Dr. Qiu Zhiijie, Wuhan, China
La casa que nos inventamos: Contemporary Art from Guadalajara, Curated by Viviana Kuri, Okklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, USA
What is left unspoken, Love, Curated by Michael Rooks, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia

2021
Cerámica Suro: Una historia de colaboración, producción y coleccionismo en el Arte Contemporáneo, curated by Viviana Kuri, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Nasher Mixtape, curated by Catherine Craft, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, USA

2020
Wonderland, Perrotin, Shanghai, China
Take me to, Max Goelitz, Munich, Germany
Momentum, Collection Museum Voorlinden, Museum Voorlinden, Wassennar, The Netherlands
The Quitessence of Consciusness, Curated by Degard, The Royal College of Art, South Kensigton, London, UK
Recover/Uncover, MASA Galería, Mexico City, Mexico
Instantánea 2020, Curated by Goevana Ibarra and organized by Rayo de Jalisco, Antigua Fábrica KODAK, Zapopan, Mexico

2019
The Nature Morte / Nature Vivante, Cid au Gran-Horny, Belgium
ESTAR VIVO É O CONTRÁRIO DE ESTAR MORTO, Curated by Guilherme Blanc & Luísa Saraiva, Galeria Municipal do Porto, Portugal
The Unbearable Impermanence of Things, Curated by Libby Barbee, Vicki Myhren Gallery, Denver, USA
BUSCH Magazine first edition, Berlin Avus Tribüne, Germany.
GOOD MOVES, Power Station Dallas, USA
Doble Filo: Geografías y Palabras, Curated by Felix Suazo, Coral Gables
Museum, Coral Gables, USA
No church in the wild, Curated by Hiram Constantino, Otro Espacio,
Guadalajara, Mexico
Biennale Arte 2019: May You Live In Interesting Time, Curated by Ralph Rugoff, Biennale di Venezia, Italy
GOLDEN HOUR (MUMO Musèe Mobile), Curated by Ingrid Brochard, Lille, France
Room for Failure, Curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Miami, USA
Presque Rien, Curated by Marie-Paule De Vil & Peter De Meyer, Geukens & De Vil Gallery, Antwerpen & Knokke, Belgium

2018
Unstable Stillness, Perrotin, Hong Kong
CONFIGURATIONS, curated by Claudia Paetzold, IKLAB, Tulum, Mexico
Cycles of Collapsing Progress, curated by Karina El Helou and Anissa Touati, Rashid Karami International Fair, Tripoli, Lebanon
Mrs. Spring Fragrance, COMA Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Almost Solid Light: New Work From Mexico, Paul Kasmin Gallery, organized in collaboration with Mario Navarro, New York, USA.
Le Sud BB, curated by Anissa Touati, Hanger J1, Marseille, France
Rooftop Playground, selection by Constance Breton and Michael Fuchs Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Supersimetrica, Matadero, Madrid, Spain

2017
The Queen Falls, Galería OMR, Curated by Anissa Touati & Marc-Olivier Wahler, Mexico City, Mexico
DIY Fiction, ArteCareyes, Curated by Jeovana Ibarra, Mexico

2016
+52 Paisaje Recientes, CALOSA Foundation, Curated by Paulina Ascencio, Mexico
¿Cómo te voy a olvidar?, Galerie Perrotin, curated by Peggy Laboeuf & Annisa Touati, Paris, France
The Spring Exhibition, Charlottenborg Fonden, Copenhagen, Denmark
Fine words butter no parsnips however fine parsnips can butter words, Present Co., curated by Alejandro Almanza, New York, USA
Reconstrucción, Abraham Cruzvillegas Project, MAZ (Zapopan Arte Museum), Jalisco, Mexico

2015
The Empty Fox Hole, HISK, Ghent, Belgium
Fall Out, Gallery Whitdel Arts, Detroit, USA
8th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, Korea Ceramic Foundation, South Korea
MAP OF THE NEW ART, Fundazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy

2014
Leviatan Arquitectura & Arte, Raúl Anguiano Art Museum, Jalisco, Mexico
Presentando lo irrespresentable Gabriel Rico & Octavio Abundez, Curro & Poncho Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico

2013
Artesano / Artista 3.0, MAP (Museum of the Popular Arts), curated by Walther Boelsterly, Mexico City, Mexico
COUP de VILLE – Attracted by another level, curated by Stef Van Bellingen, St. Nikklas, Belgium
Tinnitus & fosfenos, MAZ (Zapopan Arte Museum), curated by Viviana Kuri & Carlos Ashida, Guadalajara, Mexico

2012
Manifest Aanwezig, curated by Annemie Can Laethem, Castle Aspremonte Lynden, Oud Rekem, Belgium
Play Panopticon, Seoul Art Space Gumcheon, Seoul, South Korea

2011
Compilación del archive bastardo, La Gerlería de Comercio, Mexico City, Mexico
Shadowing Cities, curated by Fiona Weir & Ans Karen Ruimte, Beweging, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Lightworks, Grimsby Minister, London, UK
Grange Gardens Sculpture Project, GALERIE8, London, UK

2010
Tenemos tanto tiempo y tan poco que hacer, CAM Contemporáneo, Guadalajara, Mexico
TOTEM, Tree amigos, Abarrotera Mexicana, Guadalajara, Mexico

2008
Firulais, Museo de la Cuidad, curated by Cristián Silva, Guadalajara, Mexico
Las mujeres de mi padre, curated by Cristián Silva, Raúl Anguiano Museum, Guadalajara, Mexico

2007
Mexican Modern Art, Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico

2006
Xoconoxtle, Liga Project, Guadalajara, Mexico
Quadrophoniadelayentropicjaicu, Tree amigos, Panteón de Belén, Guadalajara, Mexico

Artist Residencies, Fellowships, Awards

Selected by the ASU Art Museum & CALA Alliance in Arizone to be part of its program of residencies for International Artists during 2017.
Selected by the GCC (Gyeonggi Creation Center) to be part of its program of residencies for International Artists during 2015/2016.
Honorable mention at the 8th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, Republic of South Korea.
Selected by the CAMAC Center of Art, Science & Technology to take a residency and continue the development of the project “La fragilidad del espacio en la era post biological” 2014.
Selected by the Ténot Foundation Bursary for Artists to receive a fellowship applied to art production during the year 2014.
Binational fellowship in the annual AIR program for production 2013-2014 FONCA/CONACULTA and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia.
Selected by the Frans Mesereel Centrum to take a research residency, this residency is aimed at the research of the graphic medium, 2013.
Selected by SASG (Seoul Art Space Geumcheon) to be part of its program of residencies for international artists during 2012.
Invited by the DMZ International Peace Residency, Dongguk University, to take a residency in the Border area in DMZ at the Artsonje Center, Cheorwon-gun, South Korea.
Selected by the Prince Claus Foundation Fund to receive a production award in 2011.
Selected by the PECDA or Jalisco State Fund for the Culture and Arts in its program Young Creators in the editions 2010-2011 & 2014-2015.
Selected by curators Jan Hoet & Stef Van Bellingen to be part of the portfolioappointment & take a residence in 2010 in the town of San Nicolas, Belgium during the WARP contemporary art platform.

Collections

Korean Ceramic Fundation (KOCEF), South Korea
Patricia Marshall Collection, USA
ArtNexus Foundation, Colombia/USA
Associated collection Centro de Arte Tomas & Valiente/Museo Nacional Reina Sofia, Spain
Frans Mesereel Centrum (FMC) Belgium
Museo de Arte de Sinaloa (MASIN), Mexico
Associated collection Charpenel/MUAC, Mexico