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Emmanuel Rodríguez Chaves is a visual artist interested in reflecting on the use and interpretation of images through an expanded notion of painting and the creation of installations that he calls "scenarios." His work employs found images that he subsequently manipulates to question the traditional use of the archive as a control device.

Emmanuel completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne, Australia, studied at the Kunsthochschule Berlin, Germany, and graduated with a Bachelor's and a Licentiate degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Painting from the University of Costa Rica.

From mid-2023, together with fellow artists Montserrat Mesalles and Luciano Goizueta, Emmanuel has founded abra.espacio. An independent art project in San José, Costa Rica. Located in the iconic building: Condominio Las Américas.

Emanuel’s work is part of private and public collections in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany , United States, Australia, Czech Republic.

Lives and works in San José, Costa Rica.

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Emmanuel Rodríguez Chaves es un artista visual que se interesa en reflexionar sobre el uso e interpretación de imágenes a través de una noción expandida de pintura y la creación de instalaciones que él denomina "escenarios". Su obra emplea imágenes encontradas que posteriormente manipula para cuestionar el uso tradicional del archivo como dispositivo de control.

Emmanuel completó su doctorado en la University of Melbourne, Australia, realizó estudios en la Kunsthochschule Berlin, Alemania y se graduó en la carrera de Bachillerato y Licenciatura en Artes Plásticas con énfasis en Pintura en la Universidad de Costa Rica.

Desde mediados de 2023, junto con los artistas Montserrat Mesalles y Luciano Goizueta, Emmanuel ha fundado abra.espacio. Un proyecto de arte independiente en San José, Costa Rica. Ubicado en el icónico edificio: Condominio Las Américas.

La obra de Emmanuel forma parte de colecciones privadas y públicas en Costa Rica, Guatemala, Alemania, Estados Unidos, Australia y República Checa.

Vive y trabaja en San José, Costa Rica.

Studies

  • 2016-2021 Doctor of Philosophy, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia.

  • 2013-2015 Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, Germany.

  • 2011-2012 (Honors) Fine Arts, Painting, Universidad de Costa Rica.

  • 2005-2012 Bachelor Fine Arts, Painting. Universidad de Costa Rica.

 

Scholarships and residencies

  • 2019 Teaching Associate under the Academic Assistantship Program. Painting Department. Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. The University of Melbourne.  

  • 2016 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France, Alliance française Costa Rica, Institut français

  • 2016 Melbourne Research Scholarship, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

  • 2013-2015 DAAD-Stipendium, Kunsthochschule Weißensee Berlin.

 

Prizes and awards

  • 2018. AG McMillen Arts Trust, Victorian College of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne, Australia. 

  • 2017. VCA Access Program. Victorian College of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne.

 

Conferences, Symposiums and Publications

  • 2021 Conference. Memory: Victorian College of the Arts Graduate Academy Conference. Panel 'Re-making the Archive: Contesting Institutional Power'. The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

  • 2020 Conference. Dark Eden. The Sixth International Conference on Transdisciplinary Imaging at the Intersections between Art, Science and Culture, UNSW, Australia.

  • 2019 Symposium. Wally Thompson Iberian & Latin American Studies Research Showcase Day, 18 October 2019 (In collaboration with Claudia Sandberg Unimelb and Antonio Castillo RMIT University. La Trobe University City Campus, Melbourne, Australia).

  • 2019 Publication. A Naïve Faith in Images: A (Re) Construction of Two Files. VIBE Research Journal. The Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne, and The University of Western Australia.

  • 2018 Symposium. IX Coloquio-taller de la Red Europea de Investigaciones sobre Centroamérica Identidades heridas: el discurso del cuerpo en las artes centroamericanas. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy. November 2018.

  • 2017 Publication. Mnemonic Fear: Kadder Atia at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Published in Discursions, Art+Australia Online.

 

Curatorial projects

  • 2024 Rastros y existencia: un palimpsesto. Group show curated in collaboration with Luciano Goizueta, Oriana Capra and Montserrat Mesalles. abra.espacio. San José, Costa Rica.

  • 2024 Horizonte azul by José Manuel Oviedo. abra.espacio, San José, Costa Rica.

  • 2024 Unidad, tiempo y memoria by the collective of women artists from Islita. Casa Museo Islita. Punta Islita, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

  • 2023 Subir una montaña. Group show curated in collaboration with Luciano Goizueta, Federico Herrero, and Montserrat Mesalles. abra.espacio. San José, Costa Rica.

  • 2019 Anathema: Kicking A Dead Horse, with artists Yundi Wang, Madeleine Peters, Peter Narzisi, Aaron Christopher Rees and Sanja Pahoki. Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.

 

Solo shows 

  • 2019 Pintura. c3 Contemporary, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, Australia.

  • 2019 A Naïve Faith In Images: (Re) Construction Of Two Files. VCA Artspace (PhD Exhibition), Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia.

  • 2018 darkroom / The Assassination of Viviana Gallardo. Bus Projects, Melbourne, Australia. 

  • 2017 Sinonimia.  Allianza Francesa, San José, Costa Rica.

  • 2014 Fifth Column. Klaus Steinmetz Contemporary, Escazú, Costa Rica.

  • 2013 Coercitiva, procesos y fracasos. Museo Calderón Guardia, Costa Rica.

  • 2012 Error, Bacon como proceso. Universidad de Costa Rica. Costa Rica.

 

Group shows

Recent Work History

*Emmanuel has also worked in the humanitarian sector and teaching at the university level.

  • 2023 Learning and Training Officer for the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Centre

  • (CADRIM), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (Remote)

  • 2023 Global Atelier (Traveling Studio) On-site (Costa Rica) Elective Course in collaboration

  • with Dr Sanja Pahoki. Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. The Victorian College of the Arts.

  • University of Melbourne.

  • 2022 Acting Professor Mixed Media. University of Costa Rica. San José.

  • 2022 Sessional Lecturer Visual Studies: Visuality and Cultural Production. University of

  • Costa Rica. Sede Interuniversitaria de Alajuela.

  • 2022 Sessional Lecturer. Drawing IV. Fine Arts Faculty. University of Costa Rica. Sede Sur

  • 2022 Communication and Design Consultancy for the Caribbean Disaster Law Department.

  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Caribbean Cluster and

  • Latin America. (Remote)

  • 2021 Global Atelier (Traveling Studio) Virtual Elective Course in collaboration with Dr Sanja

  • Pahoki. Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. The Victorian College of the Arts. University of

  • Melbourne. (Remote)

  • 2020-2021 Officer, Interactive Multimedia Comms, Regional Office, Americas, Costa Rica.

  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (Remote)

  • 2019 Teaching Associate. Department of Painting. The Victorian College of the Arts.

  • University of Melbourne.

  • 2019 Research Assistant to Dr. Raafat Ishak, Head of the Department of Painting. The

  • Victorian College of the Arts. University of Melbourne.