Guatemalan artist (b. Nicaragua, 1971)
Currently lives and works in New York City, NY.

SOLO/TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2010
Tracing Memories, Taller Boricua, New York, NY, May 28—July 10. Curated by Marcos Dimas and Christine Licata.
2008
Días especiales (Special Days), Bronx Blue Bedroom Project, Bronx, NY.
Recuerdo de nuestra boda, espacio ce!, Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en La Antigua, La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. Commissioned by Centro Cultural de España/Guatemala.
Suite Sweet Love, Casa Ibargüen, XI Festival del Centro Histórico, Guatemala City, Guatemala; traveling to Casa No’j, Xela, Guatemala. Commissioned by Centro Cultural de España/Guatemala.
1999
Título de propiedad, Belia de Vico–Arte Contemporáneo, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (Selected)

2010
Basic Instinct, Black and White Project Space, Brooklyn, NY, December 2010—January 2011. Curated by Sasha Okshteyn. (Upcoming)
16th International Festival of Contemporary Arts – City of Women, Ljubljana, Slovenia. October 8-17. Artistic Director: Mara Vujic. (Upcoming)
Parábola. Una línea imaginaria y semicircular entre mujeres fotógrafas, Centro Cultural de España in El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador, September 2010. Curated by Walterio Iraheta. (Upcoming)
Utrópicos, Central America & Caribbean: Archivacción, XXXI Bienal de Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain, June 4—September 12. Artistic Director: Santiago Olmo.
Pinta London, Latin American Art Fair participating with Rollo Contemporary Art, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England.
Design in the Heights: Contemporary Meets Colonial, Uptown Arts Stroll 2010, Morris-Jumel Mansion, New York, NY, June 1—August 29.
NoMAA Visual Arts Grantees Exhibition, Uptown Arts Stroll 2010, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado. June, 2010.
Ver para creer, XVII Bienal de Arte Paiz, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Artistic Director: José Roca.
“Caperucita ha crecido,” Galería Antonia Puyó, Zaragoza, Spain. Organized by Fanny Guerineau from Seminario Interdisciplinar de Estudios de la Mujer (SIEM), Universidad de Zaragoza, as part of the XIII Muestra Internacional de Cine Realizado por Mujeres.
Women-Made, The Grady Alexis Gallery at El Taller Latino Americano, New York, NY. Curated by Andrea Arroyo.
Hair Tactics, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
The Body in Women’s Art Now, New Hall Art Collection, Cambridge, UK.
2009
The Body in Women’s Art Now: Part 1: Embodied, Rollo Contemporary Art, London, UK. Catalog. Curated by Philippa Found.
¡Aquí! (Here), An Uptown Latino Art Exhibition, NoMAA Gallery, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY.
NoMAA Visual Arts Grantees Exhibition, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, New York, NY. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
Pintura: El proyecto incompleto, espacio ce!, Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española, La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala. Curated by Rosina Cazali and Emiliano Valdés.
The Happening: Kinesics as Art Object, Rush Arts Gallery, New York, NY. Curated by Nico Wheadon.
\'flo\ : art, text, new media, The Center for Book Arts, New York, NY. Catalog. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
2008
Espada de Dos Filos, Latina Voices: California—New York, Arte Américas, Fresno, California.
Freeze Frame, Rush Arts in Miami, Miami, Florida; traveling to Blank, Cape Town, South Africa. Catalog. Curated by Nico Wheadon.
IV Encuentro Mundial de Arte Corporal, Caracas, Venezuela.
XVI Bienal de Arte Paiz, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Artistic Director: Nelson Herrera Ysla.
NoMAA Visual Arts Grantees Exhibition, The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, New York, NY. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
Horror vacui, Primera muestra de performance y accionismo, Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española, La Antigua, Guatemala. Catalog. Curated by Rosina Cazali.
Other, Other..., A sampling of 2007 and 2008 Urban Artist Initiative Grant (UAI/NYC) recipients visual arts and media, Longwood Art Gallery, New York, NY. Curated by Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz.
Beneath The Skin, A PERFECT 8 Exhibit, Chashama ABC, New York, NY. Curated by Diana Schmertz.
What Does a Woman Want?, Proyecto X, San Francisco, CA. Curated by Cecilia Nuín.
Tres artistas. Tres vivencias, 2do Salón Nacional del Grabado, Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Curated by Lucrecia Cofiño de Prera.
Resonance New York, Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery, New York. Curated by Diana Schmertz.
2007
The Feminine Mystique: Contemporary Artists Respond, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ. Catalog. Curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
Art Agora: The (S) Files, La Bienal del El Museo del Barrio, Instituto Cervantes, New York, NY. Catalog. Co-curated by Elvis Fuentes and Carmen E. Ramos.
El Museo’s 5th Bienal: The (S) Files / The Selected Files 007, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY. Catalog. Co-curated by Elvis Fuentes and Carmen E. Ramos.
T’What?, Gallery NuLu, Louisville Photo Biennial 2007, Louisville, Kentucky. Co-curated by Aron Conaway.
Libertad, Centro Cultural Metropolitano, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Curated by Belia de Vico/Contexto.
Ejercicios de lo efímero, Centro Cultural de España/Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Curated by Rosina Cazali.
Our Man in Havana: The Vacuum Cleaner in Art, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ. Catalog. Curated by Emma Wilcox.
Real pARTy 07, Real Art Ways, Hartford, Connecticut.
Slide Slam, Real Art Ways, Hartford, Connecticut.
Women of Color Art Exhibit on Violence Against Women, Brecht Forum, New York, NY.
art for art’s shake 07, la contaminazione dello spazio, Palazzo Zambeccari, Bologna, Italy. Catalog.
2006
The Art of Sensuality, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY.
Imagining Ourselves: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women, Online exhibition from the International Museum Of Women, San Francisco, CA http://www.imaginingourselves.org. March, May and July—August.
Real PARTy 06, Real Art Ways, Hartford, Connecticut.
Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) 26, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY. Catalog. Curated by Lydia Yee and Erin Salazar.
Armi della prossimità. Tra performance e arti visive, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano, Milano, Italy. Curated by Lorenza Pignatti.
2005
Sweet Taboos, Episode 4: Bittersweet, III Tirana Biennale, Tirana, Albania. Catalog. Curated by Joa Ljungberg.
Contemporary Latin American Art Group Show, Shimna, New York, NY. Curated by Risa Needleman Gallery.
2003
La región más transparente. Una exploración de los espacios íntimos, Centro Cultural de España/Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala. Curated by Rosina Cazali.
2001
Globalización, Nomadismo, Identidades, VII Bienal Internacional de Pintura, Cuenca, Ecuador. Catalog.
IV Bienal del Caribe, Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

GRANTS / AWARDS / HONORS / RESIDENCIES

2010
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Swing Space Residency Program, Governor’s Island, NY
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, ReGrant Program for Individual Artists, New York, NY.
2009
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, ReGrant Program for Individual Artists, New York, NY.
2008
Urban Artist Initiative/NYC Fellowship, New York, NY.
Nominated—Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) Subvention Grant, Miami, FL.
Shortlisted—Ida Applebroog Award Biennial, New York, NY.
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, ReGrant Program for Individual Artists, New York, NY.
2006
Nominated—The Rema Hort Mann Art Grant, New York, NY.
2005-06
Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) Program #26, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (Selected)

2009
“The Body in Women’s Art Now: Part 1: Embodied,” Exh. cat. London: Rollo Contemporary Art. Essay by Philippa Found.
“\'flo\ : art, text, new media.” Exh. cat. New York: The Center for Book Arts. Essay by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
White, Rebecca. “To Be With You. Jessica Lagunas is one part roaring feminist, one part hopeless romantic, but she is all woman. No apolgies. No regrets.” Zink Magazine. February.
2008
“Los Desaparecidos / Horror vacui,” Exh. cat. Guatemala: Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española.
Toledo, Aida. “Discusiones sobre lo Efímero: Reflexiones sobre la Performance en Guatemala.” in Los Desaparecidos / Horror vacui, 64-73. Guatemala: Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española.
Montijano Cañellas, Marc. “Jessica Lagunas. El mecanismo de la emoción.” Homines.com, Portal de arte y cultura. www.homines.com/arte_xx/jessica_lagunas/index.htm
Peréz-Ratton, Virginia, “Performance and Action Work in Central America, 1960-2000: A Political and Aesthetic Choice,” in Deborah Cullen (ed.,) Arte No es Vida, Actions by Artists of the Americas 1960-2000, 204-213. New York: El Museo del Barrio.
Aspect. The Chronicle of New Media Art. “Arte de las Américas,” Vol 11. DVD, Excerpt of “Para Verte Mejor,” “Para Besarte Mejor,” and “Para Acariciarte Mejor.”
Toledo, Aida and Anabella Acevedo. “Through their Eyes: Reflections on Violence in the Work of Guatemalan Performance and Installation Artists.” N.Paradoxa, International Feminist Art Journal (London, UK). Volume 21 (January 2008): 56-66.
2007
Schmertz, Diana (ed.,) Perfect 8. (New York). Issue 2: Resonance (Fall 2007): 19-20, 55-56.
Baker, R.C. “Best in Show: Bounty in the Barrio.” The Village Voice, November 13th, 2007, p 53.
Schwendener, Martha. “A Latino Biennial That Bucks a Global Trend.” The New York Times, August 31, 2007, p E28.
“The Feminine Mystique: Contemporary Artists Respond.” Exh. cat. New Jersey: Jersey City Museum. Essay by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado.
“El Museo’s 5th Bienal: The (S) Files / The Selected Files 007.” Exh. cat. New York: El Museo del Barrio. Essay by Elvis Fuentes and E. Carmen Ramos.
Peréz-Ratton, Virginia, “Central American Women Artists in a Global Age,” in Maura Reilly and Linda Nochlin (eds.,) Global Feminisms, New Directions in Contemporary Art, 122-143. London-New York: Merrell Publishers.
Cofiño de Prera, Lucrecia. “Libertad: una muestra de arte conceptual.” elPeriódico (Guatemala). July 23, p. 24.
Cofiño de Prera, Lucrecia. “Efímero: 1. adj. Pasajero, de corta duracion. (DRAE)” elPeriódico (Guatemala). July 9, p. 23.
Cordero, Mario. “Arte feminista.” La Hora (Guatemala). March 10th, p. 3.
Imagining Ourselves: Empowerment, Inspiration, and Community Building! Two Women Express How Imagining Ourselves Has Changed Their Lives. International Museum of Women, San Francisco, California. Brochure. Winter Newsletter, p4.
2006
Martínez, Neyda Luz. “Beauty is Truth.” New York Post, April 12, 2006, Tempo, p 55. Interview.
Genocchio, Benjamin. “For Hopeful Artists, the Search to Be Just Themselves.” The New York Times, April 9, 2006, p 8 WE.
AIM 26, Artist in the Marketplace. Exh. cat. New York: Bronx Museum of the Arts. Essay by Lydia Yee and Erin Salazar.
West, Cassandra. “A generation arrives.” Chicago Tribune, March 8, 2006, Woman News, p 5, C Section 5.
Goldman, Paula. Imagining Ourselves: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women. San Francisco: New World Library.
2005
Tirana Biennale 3, Sweet Taboos, 5 Episodes. Exh. cat. Tirana: Institute of Tirana Biennale, Albania.
Mandel, Claudia. “Miradas de mujer” (Women Gazes), ArtMedia Magazine (Costa Rica). No. 004 (April-June 2005): 28-31.
2004
Toledo, Aida. “Arte-Manía: Noticias sobre el performance en Guatemala: El caso de Jessica Lagunas”, TATUANA #1: Spanish Program of the University of Alabama. www.bama.ua.edu/~tatuana/numero1/arte.html
2002
Toledo, Aida. “En el performance y la instalación. Espacios imaginarios de artistas guatemaltecas”, Revista Isis Internacional (Chile). No. 33 (December 2002): 145-156.
Díaz Bringas, Tamara. “Art in Central America: The Critical Glance.” Atlántica, Revista de Arte y Pensamiento (Spain). No.31 (Winter 2002): 40-69.
VII Bienal Internacional de Pintura, Cuenca, Ecuador. Globalización, Nomadismo, Identidades. Exh. cat & Brochure. Cuenca: Bienal Internacional de Pintura 2002. Essay by Diana de Solares.
2001
Cazali, Rosina. “El oro y la plata en Santo Domingo” (Gold & Silver in Santo Domingo), elPeriódico (Guatemala). November 21, 2001, p 18.
2000
Toledo, Aida. “Definiendo cuerpos propios. Los alegóricos tacones de Jessica Lagunas”, La Cuerda (Guatemala). September 2000, p 8.

ARTIST TALKS / CURATORIAL PROJECT

2010 Blue was never my color, anyway!, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY. Panel discussion.
2009 \'flo\ : art, text, new media, The Center for Book Arts, New York, NY. Artist Talk.
2008 Girls Gone Wild: Tupperware Parties to Riot Grrrls: The Feminine Mystique Panel, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ. Artist Talk.
2007 The Feminine Mystique, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ. Artist Talk to Randolph High School Students.
2007 Voces: Art Agora, The Public Dimension of Contemporary Art, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY. Artist Talk.
2007 Image and Identity Online Exhibition, Imagining Ourselves. Co-curator.
2006 AIM 26, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY. Artist Talk to Morris High School Students.

SCREENINGS

2010 XIII Muestra Internacional de Cine Realizado por Mujeres, Screenings at Centro de Historia, Zaragoza, Spain, March 11—20th. Organized by Seminario Interdisciplinar de Estudios de la Mujer (SIEM), Universidad de Zaragoza.

2009 “Performing Localities: Recent Guatemalan Performance Art on Video,” Institute of International Visual Arts, London, UK, May 5-6. Organized by the Department of Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art.

2008 “Preoccupation, Femlink: The International Video Collage, Curated by Véronique Sapin (France) and CM Judge (USA).

ARTIST REGISTRIES

Feminist Art Base, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum, NY.

Studio Visit, PS1, NY.
Irving Sandler Artists File Online, Artists Space, NY.

COLLECTIONS

Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection.
National Gallery of Prague, as part of Femlink’s International Video Collages: “Preoccupation” (2008) and “Male” (2009).

EDUCATION

2006–present The Art Students League, New York, NY.
2008 Hunter College, City University of New York, NY.
1992 Advanced Technical Degree in Graphic Design, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Guatemala City, Guatemala.