Andrés Ginestet - Biography
| May 5, 1964 - |
Born in a Spanish family in Germany, grown up in Spain |
| 1980 - |
First philosophical approaches towards themes concerning violence at the Lyçée Français de Barcelone. |
| 1982 - |
Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Litterature at the Lyçée. moves to Germany. apprentice as a sculptor in Germany. Since then, manufacturing, exhibiting, selling sculptures, paintings, drawings and photography. |
| 1984 - |
Principle of the work with visible forms of violence in the public space. Translating the concept of emancipation in drawings. |
| 1986 - |
Artistic abstraction of the concept "emancipation from violence". |
| 1988 - |
Construction of the initial thoughts towards the” Elan”, the biggest massive sculpture in ceramic in the world. Beginning of the making of the "Elan", preparing construction, design, making the sculpture and ending the process around 1998. |
| 1992 - |
Creation of the decoration for the façades in a commercial project in Eindhoven, Netherlands. |
| 1993 - |
Construction of the basements for the Élan and building the main parts on the public site. First public discussion, spontaneous strike of the employees and civil servants working in the building followed by a public discussion with scientists and groups of up to 700 employees within the total of 1500. The discussions are centered around the issues of emancipation from violence as presented as a theme within the sculpture in this public space. Since then constant scientific and practical work in the matters regarding violence, mostly domestic violence. Doing competitions and small sculptures, among them, first price in a competition for the city water and transportation company in Dortmund. |
| 1994 - |
First grant earned for pure development of thoughts and art, planning of the sculpture Tightrope Walker. Integration of the work for a life without violence as a life concept. The theme of the sculpture is the existence of a couple dancing together on a rope, that is a mirror construction of the leveled dialogue between genders. The sculpture is constructed in such a way that it makes explicit, that only the cooperation between genders guarantees the survival of human kind, that is clearly threatened within the sculpture by nature. |
| 1997 - |
Strategic first realization of the "Tightrope Walkers" at university, creation of a first group of research and a first research concept to analyze the cost of sexual violence within society. Beginning of Social Studies at the University of the city of Bochum, Germany. Development of industrial designs, like the speaker "Gitana". |
| 1998 - |
Founding and construction of the foundation "Seiltänzer" ("Tightrope Walkers"), Ending of the final work at the monument "Elan". Writing first essays. |
| 1999 - |
First conferences and political actions, following scientific research. making and constructing small sculptures and the first figurative portrait of a model representing innocence and purity. Development of first architectural drawings and concepts. |
| 2000 - |
Teaching at the University of Calgary in Canada. First bronze "Daumier". |
| 2001 - |
Teaching at University Barcelona. Organization of an international cooperation working against violence and development of a project for the work of theater projects against vioklence between Kosovo and the city of Dortmund. Calling as a member of the city council of Dortmund (til 2005). First and successful experiences in public education programs of prevention of violence, working on request of the parents of the children in the school. |
| 2002 - |
Construction of paintings longer than 10 m. First solo exhibition in Paris. Participation in 3 competitions in architecture, 2 first prices, 1 second price. |
| 2003 - |
Architectural concepts for buildings worth > 500 million € i.e. Biomass Power plants. Direct commission for a group of sculptures for the Polytechnic University Valencia, Spain. This group was supposed to become the planets first representation of guidance in the creation of knowledge towards a non-violent system in Europe. The representation of philosophers was designed to support and reinforce the visibility of attitudes leading away from violence. The project was only started and never finished, due to administration changes. Finishing the first non violent design of a private home in Germany. Competition, 1. Price for the Franco German school in Shanghai with the architects Bauwerk, Münster, Germany. Making of the first art thought for collectors. Publishing of the first essay "Lisa or the untouchable of innocence and purity". Beginning of the development of a first economical alternative to the actually existing systems in power, as a basis for a society free of violence. Since them, permanent political discussions with inventors, representatives in economy, technological parcs and industry. |
| 2004 - |
Planning, creation and construction of the public monument " rayfish" on top of the roof of the Sea Life Centre in the city of Oberhausen in cooperation with the architect Norbert Jokiel. Commissions, portraits and exhibitions for 2 museum and theme oriented exhibitions. "Special mention of the jury" VI. Competition of art and photography organized by the Spanish foreign ministry in France, Paris. First teaching in monumental sculpting at the school for art in La Bisbal, Spain. First commissions in teaching classes at the university of Osnabrück. Seminar for Interdisciplinary and System Theory in a European perspective. Summer semester 2004. (Main studies, European Studies, department of cultural sciences). |
| 2005 - |
Finishing of a sculpture for the cultural centre "Factory Forroll", Palafolls, Spain representing the differentiation of gender. Participation at the V Congress of Sociology for the Future, Alicante, Spain. First implementation of the alternative economical model. Development of the first >Trojan Horses within an aesthetic concept of culture towards vitality and away from violence. |
| 2006 - |
Making of a bronze portrait of a sitting man, the founder of the botanical Carl Faust for the beach walk in Blanes, Spain. 4 single exhibitions in Spain and Germany, participation at the art fair in Munich. Public speech: "fragments as units to measure values within social sciences" at the “Critical perspectives, III Catalan Congress of young sociologists, Barcelona, and at the VI Congress of Sociology for the Future, Alicante, Spain. |
| 2007 - |
Artist of the year, 1. Price, IX. Competition of art and photography organized by the Spanish foreign ministry in France, Paris. Exhibition of the first group of sculptures that are a reference to the Minoan (peace-) Culture, in Pforzheim, Germany. Several Group exhibitions. Finishing the first version of the essay "Epoch". Conference: "Ponencia sobre los rasgos de distinción para la identificación de patrones de violencia dentro del arte." VII Congreso de Sociología para el Futuro; und II Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Victimología. Conocer, reconocer y reparar a las víctimas. Donostia-San Sebastián. "El abandono de la ilusión y del mito de la violencia dentro de las ciencias sociales." IX Congreso Español de Sociología (FES). Poder, cultura y civilización. Barcelona. |
| 2008 - |
Several group exhibitions in the US and Germany, solo exhibition in the Diocesan Museum of the Cathedral of Barcelona, several competitions, Exhibition at the Museum of Photography in Spain, Several major works for German Collectors. EXV World Congress of the ISC, Meetings With members of the UN in Vienna. |
| 2009 - |
Group exhibition in the US. Photography at the permanent collection of the Museum of Photography in Spain, 2 Solo Exhibitions in Berlin, Solo exhibition at the Film Festival Cannes, invited artist, 9 films are made about Andrés Ginestet in Cannes, several group exhibitions, solo exhibition in Paris, Exhibition at the town hall in Paris, Art Miami 2009 Several works for US and German Collectors 23rd Congress for European Victimology, Lisbon, Portugal. conferences at University Barcelona. First Instructing of Spanish Police Forces. First mediation for Peace in Afghanistan. |
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