Vik Muniz
Vik Muniz (b. 1961, Brazil) is an influential Brazilian artist best known for his complex photographic works. Sourcing a wide variety of eclectic and found materials—notably chocolate, jelly, toys and trash—Muniz recreates iconic art historical works and scenes from popular culture. His practice explores memory, perception and the image as communication. In addition to his visual art practice, Muniz starred in the documentary film Waste Land (2010), a production that tracked the course of his work sourcing recyclable materials from Rio De Janeiro’s trash dump for his project Pictures of Garbage (2008).
In 2001, Muniz represented Brazil in the 49th Venice Biennale. The artist’s career has been continually awarded, and he was recently named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for his social activism. Today, Muniz’s works are held in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum (New York), Museum of Modern Art (New York), Tate Modern (London) and Centre National de la Photographie (Paris), among others.
Related Works
- In our sister gallery, form & concept, Robert Ebendorf creates jewelry and adornment out of unique found objects such as shells, twigs, buttons, and bottlecaps. View his work.
- Robert Rauschenberg altered the landscape of abstract contemporary art through his “combine” creations and innovative approach to collage. View his work.
