Saioa Olmo-Alonso. Woman. 38 years old. 1m 60cm tall. White. From a catholic, non-practising background. Middle class. Basque. Artist. Focused on experimenting with alternative ways of relating among artists, art, audiences and contexts. Certain tendency in her work towards questioning the limits (of what is considered to be art, regimes of truth, established norms, naturalized imaginaries…) and a desire to understand social constructions while interacting with the cultural context in which she lives.
Biotracks is a book that gathers together most of the art projects developed by Saioa from 2000 to 2014, individually, in collaboration with various artists, cultural players and as a member of several groups and associations such as: 2MAS, Abisal, Domenicas, Foyu, Pripublikarrak, Wiki-histories, EPLC, Plataforma A and Wikitoki.
These artworks are arranged into several working lines: Cultural Identity & Collective Imaginary, Gender & Feminism, Mechanisms of Desire & Behaviours.
Cultural Identity & Collective Imaginary is a conceptual field that takes Basque identity as its starting point to inquire into the categories of the social construction of identity through projects such as: “Euskadi ™”, “What is Zumaia for you?”, “Andoain 20140”, “Transnational” and “The Line”.
Concerns about Gender & Feminism result in projects such as: “Optikak”, “Why?”, “Cocktellations”, “Cookie Makers. Active Memory”, “Wiki-histories”, “Assault!” and “Toast”. They deal with issues of gender invisibilization and legitimacy, the power of historical narratives, the demand for equal opportunities and the false assumption of oppositional binaries.
Mechanisms of Desire & Behaviours relates to the construction of desires, attitudes and behaviours through social structures and across personal relationships. This line covers the following projects: “Casa del Mago”, “Landing Desires”, “Undisciplined Desires”, “Behavioural Choreographies” and “Eromechanics”.
Biotracks hizkuntza ezberdinetan antolatua izan da: euskara, metafora, emozio eta lotura inkontzienteetatik limurtzeko; gaztelania, denboran zehar ikuspegia zabaltzeko; eta ingelesa alderdi deskriptibo eta xehetasunetan aztarrikatzeko. Argazkiak, aztarnak guztiz ez desagertzeko, eta bideoa joan etorriak nahasteko lotura berriak aurkitzeko.
These groups of artworks neither happen in a separate nor in a consecutive way but in an overlapping and interconnected way. Art projects tend to escape from categorizations. However, these help to provide a rational approach to them.
The Biotracks book on sale here.
When: Wednesday, 10th of September, 2014, at 8:00 PM.
Where: Anti Bookshop – Dos de Mayo, 2 – Bilbao.
What: Presentation of the book Biotracks.
Who: A book by Saioa Olmo with photographs of Hodei Torres and texts by: Xabier Sáenz de Gorbea, María Mur, Diego del Pozo, Santiago Eraso, Nekane Aramburu, María José Aranzasti, Aiora Kintana, Haizea Barcenilla, Concepción Elorza, Vicente Arlandis, Zaramari, Ricardo Antón and Ainara Martín. With a DVD with the video “Hamaika Urte Dantzan”, “Arte entre Fogones” by Pilar Baizán and “Samoa Olio” by Unai Requejo. Thanks to the Cultural Department of the Basque Country.
Sale: In the online shop of Ideatomics and in specialised bookshops.