Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Last oil barrel, date postponed
Ink on sustainable wood, laser printed paper, financial markets and task performance
3.5 x 2.5 cm / 1.4 x 1 in, Open-unnumbered edition
For price reference click to see Oil Future index
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Constellation A, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Diverse ancient root woods veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
450 x 248 x 5 cm approx.
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Formation 1, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Ancient French walnut root wood veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
62 x 49 x 5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Formation 2, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Ancient French walnut root wood veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
62 x 52 x 5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Formation 3, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Ancient German ash-tree root wood veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
85 x 45 x 5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Formation 4, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Ancient German ash-tree root wood veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
77 x 37 x 5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Formation 5, 2006-2020
From the Fossil Carbon Cycle series
Ancient German ash-tree root wood veneer on molded plywood, tar-based ink and shellac
79 x 27 x 5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Ian Gulf (map diptych) (detail), 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Cardamom and rose pepper glued on vintage maps (offset prints 1951) custom mounted on conservation mat board, individually framed
Installed: 43 x 75 cm; Framed: 43 x 35 cm each
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
#UtopicHope, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Found poster fragments and digital UV paper print on prepared wood, 70 x 96 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
#Skeptodelutional, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Found poster fragments and digital UV paper print on prepared wood, 109 x 110.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
In collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
Cheap, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue,
insect-based shellac, velvet, lead weights and integrated
circuit data storage microchip with near field communication technology
Carving: 22 x 40 x 18 cm, Box: 25 x 71 x 41.5 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
In collaboration with Attilio Napolitano
VoIP, 2018
From the series All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset
Centenary olive wood, rabbit skin collagen-glue,
insect-based shellac, felt and Voice-over Internet Protocol hardware
Carving: 50 x 37.5 x 28 cm, Box: 63 x 43 x 43 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Standard, 2018
From the series Modern Entanglements
Archival inkjet print and narrative label
157 x 126 cm. approx. (framed), Ed. of 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Instrumentalized #30, 2017
Worn-stained pajama pants, semi-stretched around plinth, with hanging cardstock tag
98 x 31 x 28 cm approx
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Instrumentalized #24, 2017
Pattern imprinted translucent polyester shirt,
semi-stretched flat on canvas, with hanging cardstock tag
76 x 35 x 3.5 cm (Artwork), 151 x 35 x 3.5 cm (Display)
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Flashbacks. Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper, wooden
billboard and anaglyph (red & blue) 3D glasses
252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Flashbacks (detail). Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper, wooden
billboard and anaglyph (red & blue) 3D glasses
252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Delivery Methods, Since 1967
Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper,
wooden billboard, neon sign
252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Delivery Methods, Since 1967 (detail)
Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper,
wooden billboard, neon sign
252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Waldorf Astoria, 1961
Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper
wooden billboard, 252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Waldorf Astoria, 1961 (detail)
Israeli Nuclear Arsenal, 2004-2013
Installation. Inkjet print on poster paper
wooden billboard, 252 x 356 cm, Ed. of 6 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Chronoscope, 1951, 11pm, 2009-2011
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Single channel HD video installation incl. screenplay
booklets, sofa and table, 24:49 min, B & W, sound
Dimensions variable, Ed. of 5 + 2 AP
Installation view at Rochester Art Center, Minnesota, USA
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Standard Creole with Bikini, 1940s
From the series Modern Entanglements, U.S. Interventions, 2006-2009
Custom framed C-print and wall label with narrative text
92.7 x 195 cm, Ed. of 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Mobile for the Hotel Ávila, 1939–1942 and The Larger Picture, 1939–1942 (Suite view)
From the series Modern Entanglements, U.S. Interventions, 2006-2009
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Two framed C-prints, mock construction plan of Calder’s mobile (print on paper) and two wall
labels with narrative text, 280 x 410 cm
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Eames-Derivative (small version), 2006-2013
From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect
In collaboration with Media Farzin
1242 custom-made slotted cards, silk thread, 5 framed vintage magazine ads, three narrative wall labels, vinyl wall lettering, glass and wood platform, Installation dimensions variable, Platform: 594 cm long, with the house of cards on top 150 cm high approx. Framed ads: each 54 x 43 cm approx, Vinyl wall lettering minimum size 75 x 520 cm, Ed. of 6
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Eames-Derivative (small version) (S detail), 2006-2013
From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Eames-Derivative (small version) (detail), 2006-2013
From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Didactic Panel and Model of Alexander Calder's Vertical
Constellation with Bomb, 1943. (Installation view)
From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect, 2007-2009
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Face-mounted C-print, plastic model of original Calder sculpture, wall label with narrative text and vinyl lettering, Dimensions variable, Ed. of 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
R.S.V.P, 1939. From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect, 2007-2009
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Framed C-print; framed Time magazine cover, (May 22, 1939); vinyl lettering on wall and wall label with narrative text, Installation size 90 x 120 cm, Ed. 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Alexander Calder’s performing mobile Orange Fish (1946) at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (detail), 2008. From the series Cultural Diplomacy: An
Art We Neglect, 2007-2009
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Framed C-print, vinyl lettering, wall label with
narrative text, Framed print 105 x 130 cm, Installation
dimensions 177 x 160.5 cm, Ed. of 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Model of Alexander Calder’s Cône d’ébène, 1933 + Saddam Cloud. (Installation view)
From the series Modern Entanglements, U.S. Interventions, 2006-2009
In collaboration with Media Farzin
Ebonized wood, wire, metal bar, nylon and vinyl fabric, carbon fiber, lead, cotton thread, vinyl lettering on wall and wall label with narrative text, Dimensions variable, Ed. of 5 + AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
UNstabile-Mobile (Installation view), 2006
From the series Modern Entanglements, U.S. Interventions
Paper documents, vinyl lettering, framed New Yorker magazine and Calder like sculptural model of Iraqi oilfields made of carbon fiber, plastic, metal and
plexiglas, Dimensions variable, Ed. of 6
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
2 corrupted files from page 13, [m8], 2006-2008
From the series La Vega and Los Manolos, Plan Caracas, 1972-1974
Digital C-Print, from faulty Scanner, UV Diasec mounting
with Dibond backing and aluminum stretcher
114 x 152 cm approx, Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Corrupted file from page 19, [m13], 2006-2008
From the series La Vega and Los Manolos, Plan Caracas, 1972-1974
Digital C-Print, from faulty Scanner, UV Diasec mounting
with Dibond backing and aluminum stretcher
152 x 114 cm approx, Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
The President wants You to buy this magazine, 2001-2002
From the series Systemic Analysis (Installation view)
Laser cut Smart Money and Playboy magazines
Dimensions variable, Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
We Will Never Forget, 2001
From the series Systemic Analysis, (Folios)
Laser cut of page 4 folio, Time Magazine Oct. 1, 2001
on perforated matt board, Framed size: 47 x 69.5 cm, Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Symbolic Surplus, Miranda Tower, Assemblage #5
From the series Symbolic Surplus-Court_ing wall, 1995-2000
10 C-prints Diasec on Plexiglas plus one framed C-print
300 x 240 cm, Ed. of 5
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck
Miranda Tower 1958 (detail), 1998
From the series Symbolic Surplus-Court_ing wall, 1995-2000
Documental photograph
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck’s artworks are connected to current political events, which he uses to question propaganda strategies employed to convey values such as freedom, prosperity, security, and utopia, interweaving these principles with oil policies and global economic ties. Working in a variety of media, including photography, film, installation, and found materials, his discourse juxtaposes disparate elements from a variety of disciplines and sources in order to contextualize historical problems, from the Cold War to oil exploitation in present-day circumstances. On this interesting basis of reflection, his works become “poetic documents,” exposing shadows, cracks, and perverse moments in specific situations that reveal multiple layers of meaning and connections fraught with tension. At times, Balteo-Yazbeck refers to or incorporates the works of other artists, like Alexander Calder, as a counterpoint to this own discourse.
Born in 1972, Balteo-Yazbeck graduated in Fine Arts in his native city – Caracas, Venezuela, where he extensively exhibited his work, and later moved his practice to New York from 2000 to 2010. He is now based in Berlin.
Institutional solo exhibitions include: Diplomatic Entanglements, Rochester Art Center, USA (2015); A little bit of heaven (1998-2008), Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University, USA (2008); Analysis, Jersey City Museum, USA (2006). Other solo exhibitions include: Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck: All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset, Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna, Austria (2020), Instrumentalized, Carmen Araujo Arte, Caracas, Venezuela (2018); Instrumentalized, Green Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2018); Autocratic Nostalgia: Venezuelan Contemporary Landscapes, Henrique Faria, New York, USA (2017); Electoral Autocracy (Venezuelan Case), Galerie Martin Janda, Vienna, Austria (2016), Diplomatic Entanglements, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN, USA (2015); Corrupted Files, Galeria Luisa Strina, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2012).
Recent group exhibitions include: Autonomous Human: Mechanical Fossils, Art & Industry Triennale, La Condition Publique, France (2023); Petromelancholia, Brutus, Rotterdam, Holland (2023); Transformations, Works From The Collection Of The Cooperative Mobilière, Museum Franz Gertsch, Burgdorf, Switzerland (2023); Oil. Beauty and Horror in the Petrol Age, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany (2021); Serendepia, Espacio Monitor, Caracas, Venezuela (2021); Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona, USA (2020); Nuestra América, Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo Brazil (2020); Making New Time, curated by Omar Kholeif, Sharjah Biennial 14, Sharjah, UAE (2019); Crude, Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE (2018); Everything Is Connected: Art and Conspiracy, The Met Breuer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, USA (2018); Parapolitics: Cultural Freedom and the Cold War, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany (2017); 4.543 billion. The matter of matter., CAPC Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, France (2017); Colourless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously, curated by David Upton, Project Arts Centre, Dublin, Republic of Ireland (2017); Weapon of Choice, Shiva Art Gallery, New York, USA (2017); Acordo de Con ança, Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, São Paulo, Brazil (2017); La Democrazia in America, XVI Quadriennale D’Arte Di Roma, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy (2016); Liquid Assets, Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria (2013); When Attitudes Became Form Become Attitudes, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, USA (2013); Order, Chaos, and the Space between: Contemporary Latin American Art from the Diane and Bruce Halle Collection, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, USA (2013).
Whilst the nation seems unable to wean itself from oil, a number of contemporary Venezuelan artists in the diaspora are developing critiques of Venezuela’s enduring cultural entanglements with oil.
All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset transforms classic imperialist maxims into hashtags
Jim Quilty reviews Crude by Murtaza Vali, a group show at Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE.
Beliz Tecirli reviews, Crude, a group show curated by Murtaza Vali at Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE.
A review of Everything Is Connected: Art and Conspiracy exhibition at The Met Breuer, New York by Eric A. Gordon.
Bob Nickas reviews Everything Is Connected: Art and Conspiracy, the Met Breuer, 945 Madison Avenue, New York City, through January 6, 2019.
Kevin Jones on Instrumentalized, Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck's second solo at Green Art Gallery.
A review of Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck's Electoral Autocracy (Venezuelan Case) at Galerie Martine Janda, Vienna, Austria.
A review of Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck's Modern Entanglements exhibition at Green Art Gallery, Dubai.
Kevin Jones explores the entanglements in Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck's practice in the March-April issue of Harper's Bazaar Art Arabia.
A review of Beyond the Supersquare exhibition at The Bronx Museum of Arts.
Ines Gebetsroither reviews Alessando Balteo-Yazbeck's solo show at Galerie Martin Janda, Wien, in Issue 13 of Frieze d/e magazine.
Read our review of Turin's annual contemporary art fair by Niru Ratnam.
A review of artists and exhibitions presented during Art Dubai 2013.
Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck and Media Farzin have been awarded the inaugural Moving Image Award and their winning work will be in the permanent collection at Tate Modern.
A review of Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck’s large-scale manipulated photographic prints exhibited at Galeria Luisa Strina, São Paulo, Brazil.
Everything Falls Apart is an incisive take on the complexities of political systems and ideologies and the various ways artists are considering recent and not-so-recent histories in light of the current situation.
A review of Everything Falls Apart at Artspace, Sydney.
Taylor, Alex J. "Unstable Motives. Propaganda, Politics, and the Late Work of Alexander Calder" American Art. Smithsonian. Volume 26, Spring 2012.
A review of Untitled (12th Istanbul Biennial) by Brian Boucher.
Lee Weinberg, an independent curator and writer, headed to the opening week of the Istanbul Biennial in October. Here she reports back on the curatorial constructs used to frame this largescale exhibition, which has become a key fixture on the international contemporary art calendar.
In his work, Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck, an emerging artist from Venezuela, deploys the language of Modernist abstraction, including the grid, in order to infuse its forms with contemporary political concerns.
Negar Azimi on Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck and Media Farzin’s Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect exhibition.
A review of Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck and Media Farzin’s exhibition at Christopher Grimes Gallery, Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect.
A review of Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck and Media Farzin’s exhibition at Christopher Grimes Gallery, Cultural Diplomacy: An Art We Neglect.
Carolina Ledezma on Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck and his works.
We are pleased to announce Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck's inclusion in the book Immanent Vitalities: Meaning and Materiality in Modern and Contemporary Art, published by the University of California Press as part of the Studies in Latin American Art series, supported by the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art.