Paloma Ayala (1980, Matamoros, Mexico) studied a Bachelor in Fine Arts in the University of Monterrey, Mexico (2002) and a Professional Teaching Degree at Arte A.C. also in Mexico (2003). From 2005 to 2010 she worked as a Community Assistant in Rochester, NY (USA). Paloma lives in Switzerland since 2010, she pursues her interests in social-based artistic practices. She has graduated from the Master in Fine Arts degree from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in September 2017.
Paloma is interested in the relationship between domestic and political contexts. In her practice, she establishes a working relation with specific communities, creates topics of research, asks for collaboration or participation, and addresses domestic issues in the public space with the ultimate purpose of bringing them back to the domestic. She often introduces fictional narratives as means of social, institutional or political critique, presented in the form of publications, videos, conversations, drawings and installations directed to different sorts of public, including people outside of ordinary cultural spaces. She is currently trying to resolve a connection between her Mexican native background and her current living space in Zürich, which until now has proven to be an elusive task.
List of Exhibitiions and Events
* July 2019 / "Monumento al Momento del Encuentro" public ice sculpture and social space. Monterrey, Mexico
* July 2019 / Text "Qué es el descanso sino un arma?" published in the "Paisaje, Ciudad y Delito" publication. Monterrey, Mexico
* May 2019 / "Letter from Onion Island" fanzine exhibition in the context of the conference "Gloria Anzaldúa". University of Paris
* May 2019 / "El Fin de la Mar Caribe" sand experiments in collaboration with Javier dragustinovis. Shedhalle, Zurich
* Abr. 2019 / "Composting Zines" workshop in collaboration with Martina Baldinger and Gökçe Ergör. CULTIBO, Olten
* Mar. 2019 / "Composting Zines" workshop realized by Colectivo Xolotl. Matamoros, Mexico
* Jan. 2019 / Text "A game to play indoors in Khirki Village" published in the newspaper Khirki Voice, edited by Mallini Kouchipillai, New Delhi
* Dec. 2019 / "USE THE SPACE. USE IT, YOU MUST." publication. written in New Delhi and Zurich. Printed in Mexico
* Dec. 2018 / Artist Talk and exhibition of body of publications and video. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo of Matamoros (MACT) and ‘El Depa’ Independent Space, Matamoros, Mexico
* Nov 2018 / "Composting Zines" Workshop in VOLUMES Independent Publications Fair in collaboration with Martina Baldinger and Gökçe Ergör. Kunsthalle, Zurich
* Sept.-Oct. 2018 / "In view of the normalcy". Series of screenings and fanzine in collaboration with Prerana Khandelwal. Gallery of the School of Arts and Aesthetics (SAA) and Jewharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
* July 2018 / "Lost in a snowstorm, we are friends". Sommerfenster exhibition in Les Complices*, Zurich
* Dec. 2017- Jan. 2018 / Forever Now: Fiktions, Futures and Cinema" . Series of events, screenings and workshops organized in collaboration with Nora de Baan, Katja Lell, Gokce Ergor and Martina Baldinger. Les Complices, Zurich
* Nov. 2017/ VOLUMES Fair. MEXA! Independent Publications from Mexico. Curated a fanzine exhibition and talk organized together with Adriana Dominguez. Helmhaus, Zürich
* Nov. 2017 / "The many ingredients of the soup of domestic violence". Open discussions about domestic violence tofether with activists, teachers, social workers and other experts in the topic. In the context of Analog Sessions, curated by Eirini Soudiaki. Gessnerallee, Zurich
* Sept. 2017 / MFA Degree Show, showing works by students of the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. Curated by Ian Woolridge and Judith Welther. Zurich
* June 2017 / “Monterrey Metrópoli, Diario de los Nuevos Distritos” publication distributed in “I never read” Book Fair, Basel, and “BIG Biennalle D’espaces Independents”, Geneve
*Mar. 2017 / “Christmas Dinner”, video screening. Selected on the Shortlist for the Credit Suisse Videokunst Förderpreis (video prize), Bern
* Dec. 2016- Jan. 2017 / “Monterrey Metrópoli, Diario de los Nuevos Distritos”, 3rd edition of the Fictitious News series. Publication distributed in the streets, Metro, Colegio Civil Cultural Center, and Graficante studios. Monterrey, Mexico
* Dec. 2016- Jan. 2017 / “Christmas Dinner”, video screening. Selected on the exhibition Auswahl 16, curated by Claudia Spinelli. Aargauer Kunstmuseum, Aarau
* Dec. 2016 / “#9044" Soup-making and exhibition event at ELSA Industrial Workshops in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Artist Talk at Galerie 409 in Brownsville, Texas
* Dec. 2016 / "Screening of "Christmas Dinner" in the Pavilleon, in the context of the program Amt für Alles, run by Patrizia Vitalli and Sabeth Irgendwie. Zurich
*Oct. - Dec. 2016 / “Proposals”, a participatory artistic research and workshop event with students of the Autonome Schule Zurich. Collaboration with Julia Weber presented in the context of the Humain Parcour program. Zurich
* Oct. 2016 / “Trendy Mendies”, collaboration with Isabelle Wackernagel and Clarissa Hurst, part of the festival “ExpoTranskultur 2016: mein, dein ALLTAG hier” curated by Eleonora Stassi. Zurich
* Sept. 2016 / “#9044”, documents of a long distance collaboration with Javier Dragustinovis presented in the Art Container, Zurich
* Aug. 2016 / “KRAEISLAUF” Collective Drawing Experiment. Collaboration with Alejandra Jean-Mairet in the context of the LIVING ROOM program in Stadion Brache, curated by Anna Graber. Zurich
*Aug. - Oct. 2016 / “Ein Bett am Ende des Tages”, photographs and objects from the Workshop with refugee woman held in Quartiertreff ACCU, Oerlikon. Collaboration with Janeth Berretini part of the festival “ExpoTranskultur 2016: mein, dein ALLTAG hier”, curated by Eleonora Stassi
* April 2016 / “Christmas Dinner”, installation in the Showroom Z+ “Der Schmerz der Anderen”, Zurich. Grant prize awarded for production
* Nov. 2015 / “Faking a State of Emergency Wall 1”, installation in the Infotag, Zurich
* Oct. 2015 / “Faking a State of Emergency”, installation in the Art Container, Zurich curated by Anna Fech
* Sept. 2015 / Participation in the Archive Box Museum, Zurich. Curated by Costanza Sartoris and Francesca Brusa
* May-June 2015 / “A month in Matamoros”, series of events, workshops, collaborations, exhibition, and interviews in the Northeast of Mexico and Texas. Sponsored by Edith Maryon Stiftung
* May – Nov 2015 / “Bienal de las Fronteras”, selected with the piece “Personal Volcanic Action”, photograms, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo of Matamoros, Mexico and Brownsville, Texas. Acquisition Prize
* April 2015 / 1st Edition of the Contemporary Nomadic Art Center, project by curator Anne Brand. Participant with the piece “Personal Volcanic Action”, photograms. Kanzleistrasse, Zurich
* April 2015 / “Stop Decadence”, drawing event and discussion about modern human settlements in the context of Z+ Program. Josephwiese, Zurich.\
* April 2015 / Exhibition and Artist Talk in the context of “Destillat”, with the series “What escaped corruption is extremely precious”, drawings. Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zurich.
* March 2015 / “Linie 31”, participant with the piece “Take one, take many. Spread the word.”, at Halle Li, Zurich. Curated by Salome Kuratli and Maya Minder.
* Feb-March 2015 / “What escaped corruption is extremely precious.” exhibition in Bärengasse Museum, Zurich. Curated by Mona Liem.
* Jan 2015 / “Stop Decadence”, drawing event and discussion about modern human settlements. Public spaces and Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zurich. Part of DOING & REFLECTING: art strategies, cultural practices & public spheres, organized by Domonique Lämmli
* 2013 – 2014 / Screenings of “Zala Moves” animation, in Performance Mix Festival organized by New Dance Alliance New York City (June 2014), Main Stage Series: dance made in Canada Festival (August 2013), Winnipeg Film Festival, Canada (June 2013), and LiftOff Fall Workshop: Creative Process at Massachussets US (Oct 2013).
* June 2013 / “Movement and Manufacture”, drawing and handmade animations with dance performance by Sasha Amaya, D’Clinic Studios, Lendava, Slovenia
* July to Oct 2013 / “Portas Abertas”, international open festival and exhibition, Sala Rostrum at Bilbao, Portugal
* 2013 – 2014 / Screenings of “Zala Moves” animation, in Main Stage Series: dance made in Canada Festival (August 2013), Winnipeg Film Festival, Canada (June 2013),
LiftOff Fall Workshop: Creative Process at Massachussets US (Oct 2013), upcoming in New York at Art Here Now (June 2014)
* April 2012 / “Casa Vacía”, hispanic artists show, Zurich.
* August 2010 / Participation in “Le Folie Culture” Festival with the video “Red Balloon”, Quebec City, Canada
* March 2010 / “HER”, with the “Evo Girls” group, Flying Squirrel Community Space, Rochester NY, USA
* Dec – Jan 2010 / “RoCo Members Exhibition”, Rochester Contemporary, Rochester NY, USA
* October 2009/ “Inspiration”, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester NY
* April 2009 / “Art Awake 09”, selected 5 artworks, Pixley Warehouse, Rochester NY, USA
* Nov - Dec 2008 / “RoCo Members Exhibition”, Rochester Contemporary, Rochester NY, USA
* May 2008 / “Evolutionary Girls Club Show”, itinerant show at Equal Grounds Cafe, Rochester NY (July 2008) and Squeaky Wheel Art Center, Buffalo NY USA
* March 2008 / “Art Awake 08”, selected 6 artworks, Station 55, Rochester NY, USA
* March 2007 / “BIG”, selected 1 piece, High Falls Gallery, Rochester NY, USA
* Dec 2007 / “Food”, selected 1 piece, High Falls Gallery, Rochester NY, USA
* March 2003 / “Collective 7”. Soft sculpture and video, ‘Casa de la Cultura’, Monterrey, Mexico
* April 2003 and 2001 / Selections on the “Biennale Nuevo León for Emergent Art”, ‘Casa de la Cultura’, Monterrey, Mexico
Residencies / Exchanges / Other Programs
* Sept. - Oct. 2018 / Self organized residency at Khoj International Artists. New Delhi
* October / OCTOBER SCHOOL "Affect and Emotions in the Public Sphere", Program organized by the Institute of Contemporary Research, with mentoring artists Christoph Shenker, Franz Krachenbuhl, Tushar and Sharmila Samant, in Shiv Nadar University New Delhi, India
* June- Nov. 2017 / “KIOSKO” program to share and distribute independent publications by Foundation Alumnos #47, Mexico City
* April 2017/ “Art in Action: Artist-led Activities”, discussant and presenter in the series of discussions and talks with Jay Koh, Suresh Kumar and Jasmina Metwaly. * Organized by Dominique Lämmli and Anne-marie Bücher. School of the Arts in Zürich and Luzern.
* April 2017 / “Art and Crisis: Learning from Documenta”, Exchange program with students of the Royal Art Institute, Stockholm. With mentoring artists Donatella Bernardi, Olav Westphalen, Georgos Popudopulous. Visits to Documenta14 (Athens), Beirut and Lesbos.
* March 2017 Exchange program with student of Geidai University, Tokyo, with mentoring by Hotaro Higuye and Ulrich Görlich. Nara, Japan.
* Oct 2016 “Matter Fictions”, with mentoring artists Margarida Mendes and Christian Hübler, Lisbon
* Jul - Aug 2016 “MANIFESTA Summer School”, with mentoring artists: Jasmina Metwaly and Philip Riszk, CAMP collective, Heiko Schmidt, Georgia Sagri, in Zürich
* Aug 2015 “Art Colony” Air Program in Ohrid, Macedonia
* Aug 2014 “Old School” AiR Program in Gorna Lipnitsa, Bulgaria
* May 2013 “Mixer” AiR Program in D´Clinic Studios in Lendava, Slovenia
* May 2012 “FAR”, Festival of Art as Research in Ottersberg, Germany
Grants
* Dec. 2018 / *June 2016 / Production grant for the project “Monument of the Moment of Exchange” from Edith Maryon Stiftung
* Sept. 2018 / Reisestipendium from the Aargauer Kuratorium for the project "Half an Island"
*June 2016 / Production grant for the project “Fictitious News” from AVINA Stiftung and Edith Maryon Stiftung
* Nov. 2015 / Production grant for the video “Christmas Dinner” and series of photographs “Family Snapshots”, exhibited in the Showromom Z+, April 2016, Zurich.
* May 2015 / Acquisition prize in the “Bienal de las Fronteras”, for the photogram wall piece “Personal Volcanic Action”
* 2015 / Production grant from Edith Maryon Stiftung for the project “Shame and Generational Disorder”.
* 2014 / Awarded 2nd Place in the state´s “Social Innovations Price” competition to the project ExpoTranskultur Verein, by Kanton Zurich Offices of Social Development.
* 1998 – 2002 / Awarded with scholarship from SoFEs (Sociedad de Fomento Económico) and UdeM through the completion of BFA program at the University of Monterrey (UdeM), Monterrey, Mexico