Iván Argote was born in 1983 in Bogotá, Colombia. He lives and works in Paris, France.
Argote studied at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His work explores the relationship between history, politics, and the construction of our own subjectivities. Through videos, sculptures, collages, and public installations, Argote seeks to question how we relate to one another, to the State, to heritage, and to traditions. His works are critical—at times anti-institutional—and often center on the idea of bringing affection into politics, and politics into affection, always with a tone that is both forceful and tender.
Some of his solo exhibitions include Juntos Together at ASU – Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe (AZ), 2019; Radical Tenderness at MALBA, Buenos Aires, 2018; Somos Tiernos at Museo Universitario del Chopo, Mexico City, 2017; and Sírvete de mí, sírveme de ti at proyectoamil, Lima, among others. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, biennials, and film festivals such as Global Resistance at Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2020; Desert X, Coachella Valley, CA, 2019; Poéticas de la emoción at CaixaForum, Barcelona, 2018; and Regreso al futuro at La Casa Encendida, Madrid, 2018.
His works are part of several important collections, including the Guggenheim Museum (New York, US), Centre Pompidou (Paris, FR), ASU Art Museum (Phoenix, US), CNAP – Centre National des Arts Plastiques (Paris, FR), Banco de la República Art Collection (Bogotá, CO), Kadist Foundation (San Francisco, US), Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (Miami, US), MACBA (Barcelona, ES), MUNTREF (Buenos Aires, AR), and Saatchi Art (London, UK), among others.
Last year, he was nominated for the prestigious Prix Marcel Duchamp and presented his work in an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou that ran from October 2022 to January 2023. In 2022, Argote also completed an artist residency at the Villa Medici in Rome.