Francisco Tropa

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, 1968 Lives and works in Lisbon.

Sculpture has been a permanent interest in the artistic practice of Francisco Tropa, who works since the beginning of the 90s and has gained a significant attention by institutions and the critique. Representing Portugal in the Venice Biennale (2011), he also participated in Istanbul Biennial (2011), Manifesta (2000), Melbourne Biennial (1999) and Bienal de São Paulo (1998). Several media are used by Tropa – sculpture itself, drawing, performance, photography or film – to convene a series of reflections introduced by the different traditions of sculpture. Subjects such as body, death, nature, landscape, memory, origin or time, are always present in his works, in an endless process of projection of references from the history of art, from other art works, from previous works of the artist, and from specific authors. Notions of device and spectator are also fundamental to understand his practice, which defies all the traditional categories of art, its representation and perception.