My work deals with concepts of memory and displacement through print-based objects and installations. Using alternative techniques and materials for transferring photographic images into three-dimensional space, I construct ‘portable objects’ to be carried and installed in ‘found places’ during the journey. Based on a circular process of construction, documentation, destruction, and reconstruction of ephemeral fragments in different scenarios, I attempt to develop a visual language that can translate my perception of, and adaptation to, changing contexts. In my Ph.D. dissertation, “The Translation of Fragments: Photography and Displacement in the Practice of Latin American Emigrant Artists,” I have reflected on these issues from a critical perspective. Concepts of appropriation, representation, and documentation are studied here with the purpose of exploring the nature of photography in the installation work of artists whose experience of language, culture, and place is transient or displaced.

Having being a traveling artist and educator for two decades, I approach the learning process as a creative process, a process of constant translation. I strongly believe that working across disciplines provides a unique way to build a compelling visual foundation for art education. By emphasizing the significance of the material and conceptual research during the working process, students will be able to unveil their own visual language.

Cecilia Mandrile (Argentina, 1969) received her PhD from Bristol School of Media, Art and Design, UWE, England; an MFA from the University of Maryland, USA and a BFA in Printmaking from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. She has exhibited widely in a number of prestigious venues throughout the world, both individually and in invitational group exhibitions, biennials and triennials, including the WPA/Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC and White Columns, New York, USA; Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan; Kunstihoone Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia; Recoleta Cultural Center and the National Museum of Fine Arts, Buenos Aires, Argentina, El Museo del Barrio, New York City and Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England.

During the last years, Mandrile was a visiting artist at international residency programs such as Gasworks Studios, London; Makan-Bait, Amman, Jordan, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, USA; Frans Maseerel Graphic Center, Belgium and Ludwig Foundation of Cuba. She is the recipient of several fellowships, grants and awards in England, Hungary, Estonia, Spain, Cuba, USA and Argentina. Her work is included in private and public collections around the world. Among them, the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; Casa de las Americas, Havana, Cuba; Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California, USA and the City Museum of Art, Gyor, Hungary.

Visual Culture in Displacement
  
Ph.D. Thesis - The Translation of Fragments: A dialogue between Photography and Displacement in the Practice of Latin American emigrant artists.

Ph.D., Bristol School of Art, Media & Design. University of the West of England, Bristol, UK 
M.F.A., University of Maryland at College Park, USA
B.F.A., Printmaking, National University of Cordoba, Argentina

SOLO EXHIBITIONS/ INSTALLATIONS/ URBAN INTERVENTIONS

Betweening (The Desert Inside). Makan Cultural Center. Amman, Jordan. 2009     

La Posta (El Desierto Adentro). Ricardo Rojas Cultural Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2006     

The Translation of a Wound. Makan Cultual Center. Amman, Jordan.  2006 

The Perfume of Absence. Luz Osorio Gallery, London, England 2005     

When Beauty Falls Asleep in Their Eyes. Kunstihoone Gallery. Tallinn, Estonia  2003     

ID- Intensively Displaced- Urban Festival of Zagreb, Croatia  2002     

Private Rains. St. Peter’s Heritage Centre, London, England  2001     

The Perfume of Absence. Kennington Underground Toilets, Vauxhall Art Festival, London.  2001 

Silence between Hands. Genaro Perez Museum, Cordoba, Argentina  2000     

Strategies of Departure. Art Gallery, University of Maryland at College Park, USA  1999     

Definition of Night: Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA, USA   1998     

De Almas Unicornias. José Malanca Fine Arts Museum. Córdoba, Argentina  1996     

      Gestando un Otoño Digital. Recoleta Cultural Center.Buenos Aires, Argentina 1996

El Último Invierno en los Jardines de Sir Rain. José Malanca Fine Arts Museum, Argentina  1994    

La Extremidad de la Lluvia. Recoleta Cultural Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina  1994

Después del Agua, Rinoceronte de Sal. Entrelíneas Art Gallery. Cordoba, Argentina  1992     

Grabados. Artes y Libros Art Gallery. Cordoba, Argentina  1992 

Acotaciones Anfibias al Margen de estos Tiempos. CID Art Gallery. Córdoba, Argentina  1991     

Pululan Ángeles Urbanos y Anfibios Suicidas. Royal Theatre Gallery. Córdoba, Argentina 1991     

Totem a los Chicos Aburridos. International Exhibition Center. Cordoba, Argentina  1989     

Proyecto de Juguetes Rabiosos para Exiliados de Infancias, College of Architects Art Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina  1989     

Destrazar Historias. Goethe Institut. Cordoba, Argentina  1989     

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 

S-Files Biennale of Latin American Art. El Museo del Barrio. New York (Catalogue)

Toys and Games with a Twist. Longwood  Art Gallery. Bronx Council for the Arts, New York

Prints Now: Directions & Definitions. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK  (Catalogue)

10^TH International Biennial of Drawing and Graphic Art, Gyor, Hungary (Catalogue)

IV International Bienal of Graphic Arts. Ouro, Portugal (Catalogue)

Matrices 5. Hungarian Electrographic Society/ KAS Gallery, Budapest, Hungary (Catalogue)

1989-2009 El Rojas: 20 years of Visual Arts. Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Episodes & Itineraries II. Latin American Biennial of Graphic Arts. Quito, Ecuador (Catalogue)

ABC.  30 Days International Printmaking Project.  Olot, Spain/ Buenos Aires, Argentina (Catalogue)

S-Files Biennale of Latin American Art. El Museo del Barrio. New York, USA. (Catalogue)

Contemporary Argentinean Art. Henley Festival, England (Catalogue)

Markers VI. Divine In. Tent. Venice, Kassel, New York City (Catalogue) 

Episodes & Itineraries. Print based Installations by South American artists. Sherman Gallery, Boston Women of the World. Traveling Exhibition. City Hall Gallery, Amman, Jordan (Catalogue)

International Print Exhibition. Mahatma Ghandi Institute, Moka, Mauritius

Parabrisas (e). Espacio Centro/Arte Contemporaneo. Cordoba, Argentina (Catalogue)

La Huella Multiple. International Print Exhibition. Habana Biennale, Cuba (Catalogue)

Imagining Ourselves. On line Project.  International Museum of Women. San Francisco 

Invitational 30^th Anniversary exhibition. Real Art Ways. Hartford

II Olot Digital Print International Exhibition, Olot, Spain. (CD Catalogue)

International Triennial of Graphic Art, Bitola, Macedonia (Catalogue) 

13^th International Print Biennial, Varna, Bulgaria (Catalogue)

Kala Art Institute: Thirty Something. Museum of Modern Art Gallery, San Francisco

Perpetual Portfolio. National Museum of Printmaking. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Catalogue)

Clever Box. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK 

Made in UK. Canem Gallery, Castelló de la Plana, Spain

VII International Biennial of Graphic Arts, City Museum of Art, Gyor, Hungary

Real Beauty. Curated by Claudia DeMonte. Contemporary Art Center. New Orleans (Catalogue)

XIII Tallinn Print Triennial: In-Exile. Rotermann Salt Storage Arts Centre. Tallinn, Estonia (Catalogue)

Draw_Drawing. London Biennale. Gallery 32, London, England

Home with No Walls. The World Social Forum, Bombay, India

Urban Poetry. Interurban Gallery. Vancouver, Canada (Catalogue)

Premio La Joven Estampa. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. San Juan, Puerto Rico (Catalogue)

Banners III. Projectives-Artists Museum . Buddy Lubbock Regional Arts Center, Texas

New Directions in Print: The Borderless State. City Museum of Art, Racokzi, Hungary (Catalogue)

Wandering Library. Museo Ebraico. Exhibition at Venice Biennale, Italy (Catalogue) 

4^th International Graphic Triennial. Bitola Museum and Gallery, Macedonia (Catalogue)

International Print Biennial, Varna, Bulgaria (Catalogue)

VII International Biennial of Graphic Arts, City Museum of Art, Gyor, Hungary (Catalogue)

III Olot Digital Print International Exhibition. Olot, Spain/Häsinglands Museum, Sweden (Catalogue) 

XI Biennale Internationale de la Gravure et  des Nouvelles Images. Sarcelles - Val de France (Catalogue) 

Premio La Joven Estampa. Casa de las Américas, Havana, Cuba (Catalogue)

International Print Biennial in Beijing. Yan Huang Art Gallery, Beijing, China (Catalogue)

4^th Egyptian International Print Triennial, Gizah, Egypt(Catalogue)

WhereTo WhereFrom. LIPA Gallery,Chicago

Item-Grafica Digital. National Museum of Printmaking. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Frans Masereel Centrum Jubilee Exhibition, Frans Masereel Centrum Gallery, Kasterlee, Belgium

Portrait: Investigation of Self. Camberwell College of Art Gallery, London, England

Do- Don’t / Can –Can’t. IMPACT Conference. University of Cape Town, South Africa

Entre el Gesto y la Repetición. Centro de Estudos Brasileros. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Catalogue) 

Fragile Landscapes. St. Peter’s Heritage Centre, London, England

Markers II. International Exhibition. Kassel, Germany (Catalogue)

Bonifacio del Carril Printmaking Award. Eduardo Sivori Museum. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Matrices 2002. International Small Electronic Graphic Form. Budapest, Hungary

Kala Art Institute. Fellowship Artists Exhibition. Kala Art Gallery, Berkeley

XV Maximo Ramos Printmaking Award. Ferrol, Spain (Catalogue)

10^th Drawing and Print Biennial. Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (Catalogue)

IV International Biennial of Photography: XIV Gaudí Medal. Reus, Spain (Catalogue)

9^th International Photographic Art Exhibition. Beijing, China (Catalogue)

Travelers’ Tales- Mail Art Project. The Space@inIVA. London, England

12^th Tallinn Print Triennial. Tallinn, Estonia (Catalogue)

Gasworks: Visiting Artists Exhibition. Gasworks, London, England

ABC Trilingüe: International Printmaking Exhibition. Genaro Pérez Museum. Cordoba, Argentina /Atelier Piratininga Art Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil/ Presse Papier, Montreal Canada/ Galeria Habana, Cuba (Catalogue)

A Survey of Photomechanical Prints. CADE. Glasgow School of Art, Scotland (Catalogue)

I Bienal Arte Objeto.  José Luis Cuevas Museum. Mexico City, Mexico

Women of the World. White Columns. New York, USA . Traveling Exhibition(Catalogue)

Strategies of Departure. Ludwig Foundation. Havana, Cuba

Digital Art Prodaltec Award. National Museum of Fine Arts. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Catalogue)

I Argentine Biennial of Graphic Art. Distefano Art Gallery. Buenos Aires, Argentina

II Mercosur Printmaking Biennial. ArteBA. Buenos Aires, Argentina

International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition. University of Hawaii Art Gallery (Catalogue)

Artifacts of Disappearance. San Francisco State University Art Gallery. San Francisco

Fast Forward. Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC (Catalogue)

SIART’99. First International Art Exhibition.  National Museum of Fine Art. La Paz, Bolivia (Catalogue)

23^rd International Biennial of Graphic Art. Jakopic Gallery. Ljubljana, Slovenia (Catalogue)
National Exhibition of Printmaking and Drawing. Museum of Fine Arts. Salta, Argentina

11^th Tallinn Print Triennial. Tallinn, Estonia (Catalogue)

XII San Juan Biennial of Latin American and Caribbean Printmaking. San Juan, Puerto Rico (Catalogue)

Critics’ Residency Program. Maryland Art Place. Baltimore, MD (Catalogue)

Digital Print Award. Croydon Clocktower Museum. London, England

ArtSites98. WPA/Corcoran. Washington DC. (Catalogue)

International Independent Exhibition of Prints in Kanagawa. Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery, Japan (Catalogue)

The Folio Society Golden Jubilee Illustration Competition. Royal College of Art. London, England

10^th Seoul International Print Biennial. Ill Min Cultural Center. Seoul, Korea (Catalogue)

ArteBA. Annual Contemporary Art Fair. Recoleta Cultural Center. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Braque Printmaking Award. Recoleta Cultural Center. Buenos Aires, Argentina 

 

VISITING ARTIST LECTURES/SEMINARS/CONFERENCES 

InterUniversity Master Program in Art and Education, University of Girona, Spain  2012     

            A-Lab Forum: DOCUART. Queens Media Art Labs, New York City  2012     

Zona Imaginaria Studios. Buenos Aires, Argentina  2009     

Centro Cultural España-Córdoba. Argentina.  2008     

Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA  2007     

Prints on the Run Symposium.Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK  2006    

Poli/Grafica Symposium. Triennial of Latin American and the Caribbean Art, San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2005    

            Faculty of Art. University of Massachusetts, Amherst  2005    

Kunstihoone Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia  2003     

Bristol School of Art, Media &Design, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK  2000       

                              Gasworks Art Gallery, London, UK

Casa de las Américas, Havana, Cuba  1999        

            Panel Chair, Digital Printmaking in the Context of Contemporary Graphic Arts, International   

               Forum on Graphic Arts, Museo del Grabado, Buenos Aires, Argentina  1999        

Art Department, University of Maryland at College Park  1998        

National University of Cordoba, Argentina  1998     

 

 

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

 

Makan-Bait International Residency Program. Amman, Jordan  2009  

Who Can Live in This House, National Endowment for the Arts, Buenos Aires, Argentina  2009 

Estonian Artists’ Association. Tallinn, Estonia  2003 

Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA.  2002 

Frans Maseerel Graphic Center, Kasterlee, Belgium  2001 

Gasworks Studios, Triangle Art Trust, London, England  2001 

Ludwig Foundation, Havana, Cuba  2000 

Critics’ Residency Program. Maryland Art Place. Baltimore, USA  1998 

 

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England

Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California, USA

Colección Arte de Nuestra América, Casa de las Americas, Havana, Cuba

City Museum of Art, Gyor, Hungary

Ayuntamiento de Ferrol, Spain

Fototeca del Museu Comarcal Salvador Vilaseca de Reus, Spain

Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA

St. Peter’s Heritage Centre, London, England

Fundación Ludwig de Cuba, Havana, Cuba

Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium

Frans Masereel Center, Kasterlee, Belgium

Instituto de Cultura Puertoriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery, Kanagawa, Japan

Museo de Bellas Artes Fernando Bonfliglioli, Cordoba, Argentina

DEXA Art Galley, University of Panama, Panama

Escola Recanto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Centro Nacional de Grabado, Santiago, Chile

Archive of Hungarian Electrographic Art Association, Budapest, Hungary

GRANTS, AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Print Edition Grant. Centre for Fine Print Research. University of the West of England. UK  2012        

Collective Fellowship Who can live in this House Project. National Endowment of the Arts, Argentina  2010-09  

Research Travel Grant. University of New Haven, College of Arts & Sciences.  2009        

Travel Grant. Women of the World Exhibition in Amman, Jordan.  2007     

Commission for Public Intervention.  Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center. Buenos Aires, Argentina  2006     

Diploma of Honor.  International Triennial of Graphic Art, Bitola, Macedonia  2006     

Centre for Fine Print Research Fellowship. University of the West of England, Bristol, UK 2000-04 

City Museum of Art Acquisition Award. VII International Biennial of Graphic Art. Gyor, Hungary  2003     

Travel Grant: Exhibition and Residency in Tallinn, Estonia  2003     

Kala Art Institute Fellowship.  Berkeley, CA, USA.  2002     

MPI02 Award. Iowa Miniprint International, University of Iowa Fine Arts Museum, USA.  2002     

Travel Grant for participating in the Zagreb Urban Festival, Croatia.  2002     

XV Maximo Ramos Print Award. Ferrol, Spain.  2001     

Vauxhall Art Festival Commission for Installation. London, UK.  2001     

Ludwig Foundation of Cuba Fellowship. Havana, Cuba  2000     

The Creative Database Artist Development Grant, USA.  1999     

David C. Driskell Award of Excellence, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.  1997     

University of Maryland Graduate School Fellowship. College Park, MD, USA.  1995-97 

Honorable Mention, Sixth Annual Exhibition, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, USA.  1996     

Travel Grant. Arte BA Foundation. Buenos Aires, Argentina.  1995     

Honorable Mention for Printmaking, Libero Pierini Fine Arts Museum, Rio Cuarto, Argentina.  1993     

Honorable Mention for Printmaking, National Miniprint Exhibition, Cordoba, Argentina.  1993     

National University of Cordoba Award, Summa Cum Laude.  1992     

3D Object Award. CIDAM Biennial, Cordoba, Argentina.  1991     

Sculpture Award. Fernando Bonfiglioli Fine Arts Museum, Villa Maria, Argentina.  1991     

Honorable Mention for Painting, Guernica Art Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina.  1991     

Painting Award. Fernando Bonfiglioli Fine Arts Museum, Villa Maria, Argentina.  1990    

 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Serrano, Catherine. “Uncovering EL Museo’s Bienal: (S) Files 007” NYRemezcla. No 25. New York, July 2007

Williams, Wendy. “The (S) Files” Arts, New York Cool. New York, August, 2007

Miles, Rosie and Gill Saunders, Prints Now: Directions & Definitions. V&A Publications, London 2006

Nasrallah, Ibrahim. ‘The Translation of a Wound’. Exhibition catalogue, 2006

Nasrallah, Ibrahim. ‘Eyes closed as wide as their dreams’. Al Ayyam. October 9^th, 2006. No. 6422

Al Jarrah, Rasmi. ‘Mandrile’s images at Makan: Visual Captions of Travel Stations’. Al Rai. July 20^th, 2006

Al Ali,  Nawal. ‘Cecilia Mandrile’ The Translation of Wound at Makan Gallery’. AlGhad. July 20th, 2006

Al Masoudi, Muhyee. ‘…Mandrile at Makan Gallery’. Al Deyar, Culture and Arts. July 18^th, 2006

Al Ali,  Nawal. Interview.  AlGhad. July 27th, 2006 

Thirkell, Paul, “The Borderless State”. New Directions in Prints, Catalogue, 2004

Harm, Anders, “Jättes ?tlemata” (Things not said), Eesti Ekspress, October 23, 2003

Fuentes, Elvis, “Handywomen,” Catalogue, October 2003

Naqvi, Azra, “Lingering Perfume of Absence” Saudi Gazette, January 11, 2003

Pasha, Rafiq, “ Dolls and portable objects as art” Saudi Gazette, January 13, 2003

Parraman, Carina. “20:20. A Documentation of Artists making Prints” Centre for Fine Prints Research, UWE 2003

Candiani, Alicia, “Displacement, hybridization, and globalization,” Grapheion 17, 2002

Westbrook, Lindsey, ”Printmaking layer by layer,” East Bay Express, July 17-23, 2002

Vid Jerej, Pise, “Success of the Festival First Shift,” Jutarnji list, July 20, 2002

Bilic, A., “Inhabitants of Zagreb adopt dolls,” Vecernji list, July 16, 2002

Bilic, A .,“Talking Monuments,” Vecernji list, July 15, 2002

Zagreb Obiteljski, Radio Interview, July 14, 2002

“Cecilia Mandrile Argentineast,” Interview, Eesti Ekspress, September 20, 2001

Radio Interview, BBC World, London, March 2001

Molas, Verónica, “La gráfica circular de Cecilia Mandrile,” La Voz del Interior, March 10, 2002

“Gasworks goes International,” A-n magazine, February 2001

Vallejos, Soledad, “Trilingüe,” Pagina 12, December 8, 2000

Molas, Verónica, “Reconstruir con lo que aun tiene vida,” La Voz del Interior, May 21, 2000

Mattoni, Silvio, “El Silencio en las manos de Cecilia Mandrile,” Catalogue, May 2000

Molas, Verónica, “En el principio era la nada,” La Voz del Interior, July 29, 1999

Mattoni, Silvio,”Juguetes en una noche de lluvia,” Artinf,  Winter 1998

Ingram Allen, J., “Changing Alternative Spaces,” (illustration) Sculpture Magazine 17.8, October 1998

McGough, Laura, “Excavation,” Washington Review, June-July 1998

Iglesias, Analía, “Creación sin frontera,” La Voz del Interior, July 4, 1998

Isaak, J. A and J. Silverthorne, “Maryland Art Place: Critics’ Residency Program,” Washington Review, April-May 1998

Clark, Yourtee, “The Body in Exile,” Washington Review, April-May 1998

Wagner, Kathy, “Light Burdens,” Washington Review, April-May 1998

Candiani, Alicia, “En América Latina y el Caribe: La apropiación de la imagen digital en el contexto hemisférico,” Symposium on Latin American and Caribbean Printmaking,XII Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe,1998/ IMPACT Conference Catalogue. Bristol, UK, 1999

Cullum, Jerry, “Emigré life takes multiple forms,” The Atlanta Journal, February 21, 1997

Byrd, Cathy, “Latina Artist: Multiple Visions,” ArtPapers, May-June 1997