ESTHER FERRER, San Sebastián (Spain) 1937 ESTHER FERRER is best known for her performances, which have been her principal form of artistic expression since 1965, both as a soloist and as a member of the group ZAJ, until its dissolution in 1996. Her work has always been oriented to ephemeral artistic action rather than to permanent artistic production. She created, in collaboration with the painter José Antonio Sistiaga the first "Workshop for Free Expression," in the 60s, an activity that was to inspire other similar groups in Spain.

Beginning in the 70s, she has also been quite active in the plastic arts: reworked photographs, installations, canvases and constructions based on the prime number series, Pi and so forth. Her work is a very particular kind of minimalism, which she sometimes terms "rigorous absurdity".

Esther Ferrer has performed throughout Europe (Yugoslavia, Poland, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungry, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Cheek Republic, Spain etc.), as well as in Cuba,  México, the United States, Mexico, Japan, Thailand and Korea, Palestine ...

The performance continue to be her principal activity, though she  has done many shows in museums  such as, Foundation Miro (Barcelona - Spain), Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid - Spain),  Koldo Mitxelena Kulturonea (San Sebastián - Spain), Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (Sevilla - Spain), Museo de Neufchatel (Neufchatel Suitzerland) as well as in the  J. and J.  Donguy Gallery, Satellite Gallery,   Lilian Vincy Gallery (Paris – France) ,  Trayecto Gallery (Vitoria - Spain), Angels (Barcelona- Spain), Trinta (Santiago de Compostela – Sapin) , Altxerri (San Sebastián – Spain) and Visor (Valencia – Spain), ARTIUM, (Vitoria - Spain), EsBaluard (Palma de Mallorca – Spain), CGAC Centre Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo (Santiago de Compostela – Spain) MAC/VAL, Vitry-sur-Seine, FRAC Bretaghne – Rennes (France), etc.

In 1999 she was one of the two artist representing Spain in the Venice Biennale, in 2008 she recived le Spanish National prize for the Arts and in 2012 the Gure Artea Prize of Basque Government in 2013  MAV Prize (Mujeres en las Artes Visuales) and in 2014 the Price Marie Claire et  the Velazquez Prize ( International prize in Spain).

 

                     505050Performances a varias velocidades.
Festival de Performance de Giswill (Suiza) 1998.
Foto : R.Schill