David Lamelas facts for kids

David Lamelas (born in 1946 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a famous Argentine artist. He was one of the first artists to create Conceptual art, which is art focused on ideas rather than just the finished object. In the 1960s, he was a big part of the new and exciting art scene in Argentina. David Lamelas is known for his sculptures and films. Today, he lives and works in different places, including Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, and Europe.

David Lamelas: Early Life and Art

David Lamelas finished his studies at the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1963. When he first started his art career, he focused on making sculptures. He showed his artwork in many exhibitions in Buenos Aires.

In the 1960s, Lamelas was a key member of the Instituto Torcuatro di Tella. This group helped new and experimental art, like conceptual art, become popular. At that time, the government in Argentina started to oppose new art movements. This happened after President Arturo Umberto Illia was removed from power in June 1966. The new president, Juan Carlos Onganía, used the Argentine Armed Forces to control political groups and young people. The government also started to watch artists who spoke out. David Lamelas faced opposition from the government, and was even held by authorities a few times by 1968.

In 1967, Lamelas showed his art at a big event called the 9th São Paulo Biennial. His art piece, called Dos Espacios Modificados (which means Two Modified Spaces), won a top award. Later that same year, his art piece Situacion de Tiempo (Time Situation) was shown in Buenos Aires.

In 1968, he moved from Argentina to London to study sculpture at Saint Martin's School of Art. Also in 1968, David Lamelas was chosen to represent Argentina at the Venice Biennial. This is a very important art show. His artwork there was called The Office of Information about the Vietnam War at Three Levels: The Visual Image, Text and Audio. This piece showed many of Lamelas' main ideas. These ideas included how we get information, how people communicate, and a look at world events.

Lamelas became interested in making films while he was studying in London. Some of his most famous films are "Film Script," "To Pour Milk Into a Glass," and "The Dictator." His films often explore ideas about time, space, and how we watch things. They also look at popular culture.

Awards and Recognition

David Lamelas has received several important awards for his art.

• In 1992, he won the Diploma al Mérito at the Konex Foundation Awards for his Conceptual Art.
• In 2012, he received the same award again, this time for his Video Art.
• In 1993, he was given a Guggenheim Fellowship for Fine Arts. This is a special award that helps artists create new work.
• In 1998, he received the DAAD Stipendium from Germany.

Selected Exhibitions

David Lamelas's artwork has been shown in many important exhibitions around the world. Here are some of them:

Solo Exhibitions David Lamelas has also had many exhibitions focused only on his own work:

• A New Refutation of Time, 1997, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art
• David Lamelas, Extranjero, Foreigner, Étranger, Ausländer, 2005. Museo Tamayo. Mexico City
• David Lamelas, 2006, Secession, Vienna

See also

In Spanish: David Lamelas para niños