The work of Berlin-Based artist Tomas Espinosa consists of investigating situations, taking places in and out of public spaces where the artist explores the stories of their location and the circumstances of possible encounters. In the past few years, Espinosa’s work has focused on reflecting on the historical violence in his native country. Through performances and actions in the streets he realizes exercises of memory that turn visible the realities that are generally not told, bringing them to other latitudes as well.

Espinosa’s works are aimed at attraction. “I understand my work as a reflection on encounters and the time we need for them – time to touch, time to speak, time to share,” says the artist. His installations often focus on the relationship between private and public situations. With great sensitivity for the social and emotional environment, he uses interventions to create possibilities that stimulate reflection and dialogue. “We think we know what we are seeing. But in reality we don’t; we are only seeing and analysing from the distance.”

After his studies in Visual Arts at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota (2007), Tomas joined the Universität der Künste (2011-2016) and participated in the Institut für Raumexperimente program through the direction of Olafur Eliasson (2011-2014). Espinosa realized collaborative exhibitions, performances and workshops in several countries (Museo de arte contemporáneo – Bogotá, Colombia, Vitamin Space, Guangzhou, China – Triennial of Architecture, MUDE Museum of Fashion and Design, Lisbon, Portugal – Addis Foto Fest, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia) in Berlin (Festival of Futures Now, Neue Nationalgalerie, 2014 and Hamburger Bahnhof 2017) und in Germany (Kunsthaus Dresden, Burg Hülshoff – Münster, and Galerie Rundgänger – Frankfurt). His first solo show “Relaciones de Barrio” was presented at the Studio 74 Gallery (Bogotá, 2017). The gallery Rundgänger represents him.

Since 2015 Espinosa has worked together with La Red Comunitaria Trans (The Trans Community Network), through workshops developing interventions and performances in the public space with the aim of generating a higher visibility of the Trans community and helping in the fight for their rights. Espinosa has worked in collaboration with the artist Artúr van Balen (NL) and the Tools For Action Foundation since 2016. These two artists, together with the Red Comunitaria Trans in Bogotá, develop the Transinflable Project (2018-2019), a creative laboratory that uses the building of inflatable sculptures for demonstrations as a catalyst to weave community support and as a strategy to generate a new social mobilization. His last work Continuum (2019-2020) is an experimental laboratory that was created with the intention of revealing testimonies and stories that have not been known or told. It is the result of the collaboration between artists, sex workers, musicians, philosophers, video producers, make-up artists, writers, among many others. “Continuum” shows the lives of six transgender women sex workers and is an opportunity to understand their pain and what they have done with it.

Artist Recidency

ZK/U, Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik, 2021
EKWC, Center for Ceramics, Netherlands, 2019

Solo Exhibitions

2021 Social Poetics. Kunstverein Gottingen
2017 Relaciones de Barrio.. Studio 74. Bogotá, Colombia
2014 Zwischen Uns. Entretempo Galerie, Berlin
2013 Nachbarschaftsbeziehungen. Grey Sheep Gallery, Berlin. Curated by Olafur Eliasson and Caroline Eggel.

Selected Exhibitions

2021 What would you say if I told you that our black history has been denied?. Marathon Performance. HKW Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin
2021 1000°. Kunsthaus Dresden.

2020 Continuum. Goethe Institut. Bogotá
2020 Don’t Care/ Keine Sorge Festival. Centre for literature. Burg Hülshoff. Münster
2020 Requiem: Eine Ausstellung zu aktuellen Perspektiven der Trauer und des Gedenkens in Europa und der anlässlich des 75. Jahrestages der kriegszerstörung Dresdens im februar 1945. Kunsthaus Dresden.

2019 Continuum. Ausstellung “ Paz en las mesas”. Museo de arte moderno de Bogotá.
2019 Signals 3.0. Ein performance in Erinnerung an der 9. November. Hellerau, Kunsthaus Dresden, Staatsschauspiel Dresden – Montagscafe. Dresden.
2019 Transinflable. 4ta Marcha Trans. Bogota.
2019 Signals 2.0. Concéntrico Festival. Logroño.
2019 Signals. Art and Science museum. Singapur.
2019 Virus. Rundgänger Galerie. Frankfurt

2018 Signals Resonating Revolution. Ein performance für die 100 jahre Deutsche Revolution. Kulturprojekte Berlin.
2018 Transinflable. 3ra Marcha Trans. Bogotá
2018 Hammer. Burg Hülshoff. Münster

2017 „Mi Cuerpo es mio“ Festival Future Nows, Hamburger Bahnhof. Berlin 2017 Not only meant to be seen, Rundgänger Galerie. Frankfurt

2016 Clouded Lands, Food of wars, IPP World Congress. Berlin
2016 Obsz-öni-täten, Meisterschüler Ausstellung Universität der Künste Berlin

2015 Startpoint Prize, National Gallery. Prague
2015 Schwülitäten, Absolventausstellung Universität der Künste Berlin 2015 Friends, Galeria Compacta. Bogota
2015 Berlin Food Art Week. Berlin

2014 Festival of the Future Nows. Neu Nationalgalerie. Berlin
2014 Model Behaviors, Curated by Judith Lavagna, Instituto Cervantes. Berlin 2014 Walk in Progress, Vitamine space. Guangzhou. China

2013 Accidental Accomplishment, Institut für Raumexperimente. Berlin
2013 Spaces of intimacy, Triennial of Architecture. MUDE. Museum of Fashion and Design. Lisboa 2013 100° Grad Berlin, HAU. Berlin