ALEC VON BARGEN

Alec Von Bargen (1972, New York City) is a multidisciplinary artist; a social anthropologist of sorts. Using photography as the starting point for his artistic proposal, he captures aesthetic instances resonating true with their historical, political and social contexts. Although his research is meticulous, he does not prep, pre-produce, light or stage for the creation of his murals, sculptures, installations and video pieces. Von Bargen recently exhibited at both the 54th and 56th editions of the Venice Biennale, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the OCT Museum in Shanghai, China and Les Rencontres D’Arles Festival, France, amongst others. His work has won numerous awards including the IPA’s in LA, the Sony awards and the PX3’s in Paris. He was a finalist at the Dubai Emerging Artist Award and Aesthetica Magazine selected him as finalist for their prestigious award in 2019. He was finalist for the Terry O’Neill Award and the Celeste Prize in Berlin, Germany. His most recent series is included in the 161st Royal Photographic Society exhibition. Alec is Visual Advisor to both the Venice Film Festival’s ‘Biennale College Cinema’ and the Red Sea Film Festival’s ‘Red Sea Lodge’ He spends most of his time between Italy and Mexico but works all over the world.

For eighteen months, Von Bargen travelled to twenty-three Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) missions in ten countries, documenting life amidst unfolding global conflicts. Through interviews, photography, recordings, and video, Von Bargen has illuminated the tapestry of human struggle and perseverance across the globe.