Resume
Solo Exhibitions
2014
Gema Álava: Tell Me & Silences, AC Institute, New York, NY, USA
2013
Gema Álava: Tell Me the Truth (2008-2013), curated by Ignacio del Valle, Twin Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2012
Gema Álava: Find Us, Utopic Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Presence: Net, in collaboration with composer Josué Moreno, Estampa, Madrid
2011
The Oracle: Tell Me a Secret, in collaboration with composer Josué Moreno, Estampa, Madrid, Spain
2010
Gema Álava: Trust Me, Amster Yard Gallery, Instituto Cervantes, New York, NY, USA
Gema Álava: Tell the Truth, John Jay College Gallery, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
Tell Me a Story I, II, III, The Malcom X & Dr. Betty Shabath Memorial and Educational Center, New York, NY, USA
2009
Gema Álava: Find Me, CUE ART Foundation, New York, NY, USA
Gema Álava: Tensions, Mumford Fine Art, London, England
Gema Álava, SUNY Rockland Community College, New York, NY, USA
2008
Gema Álava: Tell Me the Truth, Wyman Contemporary Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Gema Álava: Tell Me a Story, Lucy Gooding Gallery, The Bolles School, Florida, USA
2006
Gema Álava: Hay Ropa Tendida (Clothing), King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center of New York University, New York, NY, USA
2002
Gema Álava: Land of No One, Lance Fung Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2000
Gema Álava: The Siren’s Silence, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
1999
Gema Álava: List of Things to Forget, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
1998
Gema Álava: Fragments, Mill & Short Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017
Folding Cosmos, Mies Van der Rohe Pabillion, curated by Miwako Kusashima, Barcelona, Spain
DIS, The Industry City Gallery, curated by Art Beyond Sight and the Dedalus Foundation, New York City, USA
Kill Switch, Maus Contemporary, AL, USA
2016
Marbella Art Fair, Twin Gallery, Málaga, Spain
2015
Leonardo, CSIC Headquarters, Madrid, Spain
2014
Entorno, Centro Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain
Pinta Art Fair, Twin Gallery, London, England
2013
Fabrications, curated by Christina Stahr, International Textile Show, NJ, USA
El Hilo de Ariadna: Lectores Navegantes, curated by Francisco Jarauta, La Casa de Lector, Matadero, Madrid, Spain
Presence Net, Twin Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Gabinete de Curiosidades, Galeria Pilar Cubilo, Madrid, Spain
2012
Art In Odd Places: Model, AiOP Festival, curated by Edwin Ramoran, New York, USAArt Festival O+, Kingston, NY, USA
2011
Fiber Art in the 21st Century curated by Sandra Siders, Lehman College Art Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2010
Trust Me: New Life, MANIFESTA 8, The European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Murcia, Spain
Heart Happening, The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami, FL, USA
MURAM, Museo Regional de Arte Moderno, Cartagena, Spain
Paperworks, Mumford Fine Arts, London, England
Summer Show, Tasch Galleries, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
2009
Nueve Lunas, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, USA
Hope Blossoms, The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami, FL, USA
Affordable Art Fair, London, England
Red Dot Art Fair, New York, NY, USA
Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY, USA
From Wall to Wall, curated by Carmen Ramos. C-wow Gallery, NJ, USA
Mumford Fine Art, PaperWorks, London, USA
2008
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, A Dialogue by Gema Alava as part of the proposal selected by Cai Guo-Quiang for "Everything is Museum", New York, NY, USA
Framing Aids curated by Ada Cintron, Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY, USA
N.Y. Motion 1.0, curated by Elvis Fuentes and Paco Cao, El MUSEO del Barrio and The Cervantes Institute, New York, NY, USA
Staff Show, MoMA Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
Red Dot Art Fair, New York, NY, USA
FORM: Art & Design Fair, London, USA
Art Now Art Fair, Miami, FL, USA
2007
The Feminine Mystique, curated by Rocio Aranda, Jersey City Museum, USA
Grand Opening, Sacco Gallery, Miami, FL, USA
Desideratum, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ, USA
99 cent, curated by Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, Victory Hall- Contemporary Arts Center, New Jersey City, NJ, USA
2006
Drawing Stage, curated by Carmen Ramos, City Without Walls- Cwow, Newark, USA
2005
Children’s Museum of the Arts, curated by Kimberly Marrero, New York, NY, USA
2004
Peekskill Project, curated by Lance Fung, Peekskill, NY, USA
A Slow Read, Curated by Katarina Wong, The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2003
Proyectos Especiales, curated by Hitomi Iwasaki, The Queens Museum of Art, NY, USA Emerge 2002, Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, NJ, USA
2002
AIM 2002, curated by Edwin Ramoran, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
Exit Art Gallery, Reactions, NY, USA
2001
Dress-up, The Alternator Gallery, Kelowna, Canada
ARCO 01, Feria Internacional de Arte, Madrid, Spain
Spiralprosjektet, Stavanger, Norway
1999
McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, CA
Nature and Technology, Charles H. Scott Gallery, Vancouver, CANADA
Spiralprosjektet, Rana Museum, NORWAY
1998
Carnaval, Sala de Exposiciones, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain
1996
Premio Nacional de Dibujo Gregorio Prieto, Museo Gregorio Prieto, Spain
XIV Premio Penagos de Dibujo, Sala de Exposiciones Mapfre, Madrid, Spain
1995
Projects, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, England
1995
Galería el Gayo Arte, Madrid, Spain
XV Premio Penagos, Sala de Exposiciones Mapfre, Madrid, Spain
1994
Premio Pintura, Sala de Exposiciones, Facultad de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain
Performances and Projects
2017
Confía en Mí (TRUST ME), Museo Fundación Guayasamín, Quito, Ecuador
Inspirando Audiencias, Museo Fundación Guayasamín, Quito, Ecuador
Inspirando Audiencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador (PUCE), Quito
Walking Among Hexagons, The Gallery at Industry City, New York City, USA
Inspiring Audiences, The Dedalus Foundation, New York City, USA
Inspiring Audiences, Pratt Institute, New York City, USA
2016
Dame un Museo para Perderme y una Obra para Encontrarme, Museo de la Ciudad de Quito, Ecuador
Inspirando Audiencias ,Festival de Arte y Educación Al Sur del Sur, Quito, Ecuador Inspiring Audiences,
Neurology Grand Rounds 2016, SUNY, NYC, EEUU
Inspiring Audiences, Downstate Medical Center, Neurology Department, NYC, EEUU
Inspiring Audiences: Relational Art, with the participation of artists Alison Knowles and Jessica Higgins, Pratt Institute, NY, USA
2015
Walking Among Hexagons, CSIC Headquarters, Madrid, Spain
Tell me a Secret, PS 174, Queens, New York City, USA
2014
Tell Me a Lie, Picture Research Project. Collaboration with Professor Robert Walker for his book "The Shame of Poverty." Oxford University Press. England
Trust Me: E/S, curated by Ilya Noe, Month of Performance Art 4th Edition, Berlin, Germany
Tell Me a Secret, Festival de Arte y Educación Al Sur del Sur, Quito, Ecuador.
Tell Me, AC Institute, New York, NY, USA
Tell Me the Truth 2008-2013, Cervantes Institute, New York, NY, USA
2013
Nets, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, USA
2012
Reading, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA
Circle of Hope, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, USA
Cycle, in collaboration with Jessica Higgins, Emily Harbey Gallery, New York, NY, USA
Find My Future, AIOP Art Fair, New York, NY, USA
2011
Reading, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, USA
Here and There, in collaboration with sound artist Robert Lange, Lehman College Art Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2010
Trust Me: New Life, MANIFESTA 8, The European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Murcia, Spain
2009
Find Me, Cue Art Foundation, New York, NY, USA
Build a book with Gema Álava, The Morgan Library&Museum, New York, NY, USA
Education
2000
San Francisco Art Institute, CA, USA. MFA, Masters in Fine Arts, New Genre
1999
The Academy of Art University, CA, USA. MFA, Masters in Fine Arts, Painting & Printmaking (with honors)
1997
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. MA in Education
1996
Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, Spain. Graduate Certificate, Aesthetics, History & Theory of Contemporary Art
1996
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. BFA, Bachelors in Fine Arts, Painting
1995
Chelsea College of Art & Design. The London Institute, England. BFA Semester
Published Books
2013
Gema Álava: Tell Me the Truth 2008-2013, Published by Gema Alava Studio. Introduction by Gema Álava. Essays by Alfonso Armada, Julián Casanova, Luis H. Francia, Michael Gallagher, Shamina de Gonzaga, Anna Grau, John Hemingway, Stéphanie Jeanjean, Herman Moreno, Peri Uran, Ignacio del Valle and Midori Yamamura. (Bilingual edition English/Spanish)
2012
Gema Álava: School for Tightrope Walkers, Published by Gema Alava Studio. Essay by Jonathan Goodman. (Bilingual edition English/Spanish)
Grants, Fellowships and Awards
2017
Selected to be part of the First Pilot Program of the ADI Institute of Art and Disability. Fellowship from Art Beyond Sight Art and The Dedalus Foundation New York
Selected to be part of the First Pilot Mentorship Program: Social Practice. Fellowship from The New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, USA
2016
Selected to attend the Creative Aging Training at University Settlement, NY, USA
Selected by Art Beyond Sight, Project Access for All, to participate in the Festival of Fun and Fraternity representing community engagement by the Major’s Office for People with Disabilities.
2014
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual artist Fellowship
2013
New York Foundation for the Arts Grant for ARTEpreneur
2012
Nominated by the Smithsonian Institution for an Artist Research Fellowship (SARF)
Selected for AiOP Art Festival, New York, NY, USA
2011
Awarded a Peter S. Reed Foundation, New York, USA. -- Nominated by the Peter S. Reed Foundation
Nominated for USA American Artists Projects
2010
Selected for WOOLOO’s New Life Residency
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship
2009
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Grant. Six week Workshop Series
Guest Visiting Artist, SUNY Rockland Community College, New York
2008
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship
Guest Visiting Artist 2008 Art Department The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Florida
2007
Fundación General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid Fellowship, Madrid, Spain
2006
Educational Consultant for the creation of the program From Door to Door, 2005. Door to Door received a 2006 American Architectural Foundation Award for Excellence in K–12 Architectural Education.
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship
2003
The General Consulate of Spain in New York, Visual Artist Fellowship
2001
The Bronx Museum of the Arts, AIM, Artist in The Marketplace Grant, New York
Aljira-A Center for Contemporary Art, Emerge 2002 Program, New Jersey
Vermont Studio Center Fellowship, NY, USA
2000
San Francisco Art Institute, Finalist MFA 2000 Graduation Award, CA, USA
Nominated for a Headlands Artist Residency, San Francisco, CA, USA
1999
San Francisco Art Institute, International Student Fellowship for Graduate Studies
1997
Fundación “la Caixa”, Fellowship for Graduate Studies in the USA, Spain
Fundacion General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Full Fellowship, Madrid, Spain
1996
Ministry of Education and Sciences of Spain, UCM Contemporary Art History Fellow, Spain
1995
Fundación General de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Beca Colaboración Fellowship, Spain
ERASMUS Fellowship between European Universities, Spain
Second Prize. International Penagos Drawing Competition, Fundación MAPFRE, Spain
1994
Universidad Complutense, Beca-Colaboración Fellowship, Madrid, Spain
Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Tecnicos de Madrid First Alternate and Honorable Mention, National Painting
Competition, Spain.
Bibliography
2017
Kahn, Lisa, Trust Me: el papel de la confianza en un mundo quebrado, XTArt
Edgar Davila Soto, Gema Álava: El despertar sensorial a través del relato, Fotografía Arquitectónica, Quito
2016
Gema Álava: el arte como construcción social y educativa, Iberarte
2015
Rapko, John, Why Do Curators Talk Like That, SFAQ and NYAQ Magazines
Ramas, Alma, Gema Álava presenta su instalación efímera: Hexágonos, XTRArt
2014
Madsen, Tina, Trust Me:E/S, Month of Performance Art Berlin
Truax, Raegan, TRUST ME: A reflection, California
2013
Pantadiosi, Julio, Miradas al fresco con Gema Alava, EL MUNDO
Armada, Alfonso, Gema Álava sigue tensando con sutileza el alambre sobre el que camina en la oscuridad, ABC
Hernandez, Virginia, Cada cual con su clavo, METROPOLI
E. Vasconcellos, Gema Alava presenta Dime la Verdad, EL MUNDO
Hofher Ariel, To Eradicate Poverty 'Utilize thread of Conversation' says UN Artist, MEDIA GLOBAL NEWS Mario Suarez González, Obras de Arte Escondidas en Madrid, EL PAÍS
Victoria Arribas Roldan, Gema Alava: conferencia en la School of Visual Arts, Nueva York, y Presence Net en Twin Gallery, Plataforma de Arte Contemporáneo
Agustin Alonso, Gema Alava: Las Razones Equivocadas, RTVE.es, El Gentrificador
2012
Allison Meier, Exploring Art in Odd Places, Hyperalergic
Alma Ramas, El último proyecto de la artista Gema Álava tendrá lugar en una feria de arte contemporáneo de la ciudad de Nueva York durante el mes de mayo, Xtrart
Amelia, Artistas Españolas en Nueva York, Dominical, Periódico de Catalunya
Pierce, David, New York Fiber in the 21st Century, Surface Design Journal
Anna Grau, Nunca pierdas un sombrero en vano: FIND US, Cuarto Poder
Arrivas, Victoria, Entrevista a Gema Alava, Plataforma de Arte Contemporáneo
Costa, José Manuel, VIA LIMITE - El Objeto Sonoro, RTVE - RADIO CLASICA
TELL ME o cómo perder el miedo dentro de un museo, FronteraD
2011
Lopez, Carol "Conectado: Gema Alava" On Madrid, EL PAÍS
Grau, Anna “Gema Alava: Me fascina la gente que cree que no entiende de arte” ABC
Trust Me, CENTERPOINT NOW, Publication of the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations
2010
Trust Me, Published by Riksutställningar, Swedish Travelling Exhibitions,
Gema Álava en Manifesta 8, EUROPA PRESS
Lotus House Put Heart into Performance Art at the Margulies Warehouse, MIAMI TIMES
Coal, New Life, Paris, France
Levin, Jordan, Artsy, MIAMI HERALD
Dawn Chawn, Wooloo, ARTFORUM
Exibart, Il Retorno de Iberia, Italy
De lo evidente y lo invidente, La Verdad, Murcia, Spain
La Bienal de Arte Contemporáneo Manifesta 8, EUROPA PRESS
Jonathan Goodman, “Gema Alava: Brave New World” Fronterad Magazine
2009
Laporte, Eduardo, “Encuentrame” Diario Las Provincias, Valencia, Spain
“Proyecto Nueve Lunas ilumina la ONU” El Diario La Prensa, NY
Laporte, Eduardo, “Arte Efimero” El Correo de Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
2008
Sirefman, Susanna, "Fung Sway" SURFACE MAGAZINE, Art & Design, No.72
Mooney, Ted, "Gema Alava: Tell Me the Truth," Artists Organized Art
"Gema Alava: Tell Me the Truth" IBERARTE, Spain
2007
Armada, Alfonso, “Nueva York, El Deso y la Quimera” Editorial Espasa, Spain
Haber, John, “Desperate Artists” Haber Arts, New York
Merino, Juan Fernando, "En Busca del Hilo Conductor" EL DIARIO/La Prensa, NY
2006
Bischoff, Dan, "Make Room for Drawings" The STAR-LEDGER, New Jersey
Armada, Alfonso, "Un MoMA Enaltecido" Diario ABC
2003
Bischoff, Dan, "Aljira's New Gallery Emerges" The Sunday Star-Ledger, NJ
Piquer, Isabel, "El Museo Neoyorquino de Queens" EL PAIS
Sider, Sandra, "Gema Alava Crisostomo: Funambulista" FIBERARTS Magazine
2002
Armada, Alfonso, "Gema Alava: Caligrafia de la Fragilidad" Diario ABC
Cotter, Holland, "Artist in the Marketplace" THE NEW YORK TIMES
Television Coverage
2013
TELECINCO, Tell Me the Truth, Gema Álava, Spain
2011
TV4 Television, Estampa, Spain
2010
NY1 Television, Contraportada, Trust Me: Transmitiendo arte a partir de palabras, NY TVE, Televisión Española, Con Visado de Calle, Spain
2009
NTN, Nueve Lunas en Naciones Unidas, USA
UVU, Art Happening at the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami, Florida
2008
NCI Noticias, HITM, Hispanic Information Telecomunications Network, Gema Alava: Conquistando la Gran Manzana, USA
HITM, Dialogo de Costa a Costa, The Importance of Art in Education, NY
2008
HITM Por Arte de Mujer: Gema Alava Crisostomo, NY
2006 - 2008
HITM, Contact Arte, (6 Programs) NY
