Carlos Contente, 1977
Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro
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"Carlos Contente began his career making street art and comic strips, before expanding his practice to include fine line drawings featuring repeated shapes and characters, high art references, erotic subject matter, and pop motifs, combined with text to become short vignettes. “Being able to draw and express what I think is a powerful tool in taking advantage of legitimized spaces, because now is when I have something to say,” he has said. His work often features an alter ego in the form of a stylized self-portrait of the artist’s unsmiling face, which Contente reproduces using stencils and stamps, and juxtaposes with imagery that points to a wider social and political context. "
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(Source: www.artsy.net)
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Master's degree in contemporary artistic processes at the postgraduate arts program of the State University of Rio de Janeiro - PPGARTES/UERJ (2019) under the guidance of Maria Luiza Fatorelli.
Bachelor's degree in painting from the School of Fine Arts of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - EBA/UFRJ (2005).
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Solo:
2019
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“Só love/ It´s Only Love”. State University of Rio de Janeiro /UERJ.
Curated by Thiago Fernandes.
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“Ao longo da linha do trem/Thru the railroad”. SESC Eng.Dentro/ Social service of commerce. Curated by Jac Melo.
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2018
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– “Estética da Comicidade”, Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro (UFF), Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.
Curated by Jac Melo,
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2017
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– “Fe.Lis & Contente/ Happy & Content”, collab with Fe.Lis clothing store. Rio de Janeiro.
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2013
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– “Contente, sigo com fé e na humildade, linhas & hematomas contam as minhas histórias/ Content, I keep on with faith and humble heart, scratches and bruises tell my stories””, Emma Thomas gallery, São Paulo.
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2012
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“O Mundo/The World”, Bendana Pinel gallery, Paris
“Traços & Tarsilões”, A Gentil Carioca gallery, Rio de Janeiro
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2011
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“ Infinite Jungle”, Christinger de Mayo gallery, Zurich.
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2009
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“Compradores de mundo/ Worlds buyers”, A Gentil Carioca gallery, Rio de Janeiro
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2007
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“Contente self portraits”, Paco Imperial, Rio de Janeiro
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2006
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“ Tends to infinity ”, Luisa Strina gallery, Sao Paulo
“ Tends to infinity”, A Gentil Carioca gallery, Rio de Janeiro
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2005
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“ Tends to infinity ”, Paco Imperial, Rio de Janeiro
Group shows:
2022.
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Imaginário Periférico, 20 years. Multiverso Colaborativo/@Capiberibe 27. Santo Cristo, Rio de Janeiro.
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Salão Vermelho de Artes Degeneradas/ Red salon of degenerated art. Atelier Sanitário (Leandro Barbosa & Daniel Murgel), Rio de Janeiro. Curated by Fernanda Lopes, Bruna Costa & Thiago Fernandes.
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Uma experiência compartilhada/A shared experience. Ateliê de Gravura da Fundação Iberê. Instituto Ling, Porto Alegre. Curator: Eduardo Haesbaert.
2019.
“Quem sobe esta escada/ Who climbs this stairway?” / Innauguration exhibition of Casa da Escada Colorida/ House of the colorfull stairway. Rio de Janeiro.
Curated by Rac Balassiano & Camila Pinho.
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“Esquele70/ Skele70n”. Group exhibition celebrating seventy years of the State University of Rio de Janeiro. Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro
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“Salão Vermelho de Artes Degeneradas/ Red salon of degenerated art”. Atelier Sanitário, Rio de Janeiro. Curated by Bruna Costa & Thiago Fernandes.
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2018
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– “Art in Dispute", Bodies and Territories”. 5th Meeting of Researchers of Post-graduate Programs in Visual Arts of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Museu da República, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
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– “AFRONTA!/ OUTRAGE!”, , National University of Brasília. Curated by Jac Melo
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– “Do it yourself”, A Mesa, Rio de Janeiro. Curated by Alexandre Sa.
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– “Senzy Viva!”, curator of the posthumous exhibition of the artist and teacher Senzy.. Centro Cultural Pequena África, Rio de Janeiro.
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– “Blur”. PhICA, Phoenix, Arizona. Curated by Ted Decker.
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2017
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– “Experience 14: Gestures, Intervals and Reversals”, A Mesa, Rio de Janeiro.
Curated by Regina de Paula & Ines Araujo.
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– “Uterutopias”, A Mesa, Rio de Janeiro. Curated by Leo Bertolossi.
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2016
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– “Fine Arts School, 200 years”, National Museum of Fine Arts, Rio de Janeiro.
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2014
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– “Compulsão Narrativa/ Narrative compulsion”. SESC Vila Mariana/ Social service of commerce , São Paulo.
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– “Coop Riot”, 8Salon, Hamburg, Germany.
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2013
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– “Convite à viagem/ Invitation to travel”, Rumos Itau Cultural, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro.
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2012
“ Convite a viagem/Invitation to travel, Itau Cultural Institute, Sao Paulo
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2011
“ Brasilian Papers, galerie Bendana Pinel, Paris
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2010
“A Gentil Carioca, Ein Kunstraum in Rio de Janeiro”, IFA galery, Berlin
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“Converging Trajectories”, Modified Arts, Phoenix, USA
Curated by Ted Decker.
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“Like Tears in Rain”, Palacio das Artes, Porto, Portugal.
Curated by Luisa Teixeira de Freitas
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“ Fugue Urbaine”, Fonderie Darling, Montreal, Canada.
Curated by Esther Bourdages
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2009
”New Art New”, CCBB/ Banco do Brasil Cultural Center, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Curated by Paulo Venancio.
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2008 “I/Legitimate, Paco das Artes University of Sao Paulo.
Curated by Daniela Bousso
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2007
Bangkok International Art Festival, Bangkok, Thailand.
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"New acquisitions in the Gilberto Chateaubriand collection", MAM, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Next Step", Artur Bispo do Rosário Museum, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
2006
- "What is normal?", Contemporary Cultural Center, Brasília, DF
- "Arte Pará 2006," Belém, PA
- "General Archive", curated by Paulo Venâncio, Hélio Oiticica Cultural Center, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- "Portuñol", Center for Brazilian Studies, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- "Além dos limites/Beyond limits", Funarte, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- "Rio contemporary scene", Rio de Janeiro, RJ
2005
- International Biennial of Art of La Paz, Bolivia
- "Education, Look!", A Gentil Carioca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Echoes", Campo de São Bento, Niterói, RJ
- "Contemporary Connection", Funarte, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- "Cologne in Colônia", Bispo do Rosário Museum, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Aesthetics of the Periphery", Centro Cultural Correios and Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
2004
- "Plural Dialogues", Calouste Gulbekian Arts Center, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Awards and residences
2010
- Nominated for the PIPA Prize (IP Capital Partners), Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Iberê Camargo Foundation - Printmaking Atelier, Porto Alegre, Brazil
2009
- Quartier Ephémère Residency. Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada
2005
- Entel Prize at the Siart Bienal Internacional de Arte de La Paz, Bolivia
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Contemporary art fairs:
Art Rio - editions from 2011 to 2016
SP Arte - editions from 2007 to 2015
ARCO - 2008 and - solo show in 2009
Zona maco (MEX)- 2011
ChArco (CHI)- 2012
Drawing Now, Paris- 2013
Miami Art Basel -2011 to 2013
Frieze New York -2015