Born in Argentinian Patagonia and trained in Buenos Aires and Amsterdam, Amalia Pica lives and works in London. The political and social situation experienced in her country of origin during the military dictatorship (1976–83), when thousands of people were imprisoned and murdered with impunity for their political dissent, is central to her art and ideas. Her installations, sculptures and projections raise questions about language, communication and community participation, and are invariably at the service of social protest. Pica strives to distance protest from conflict and violence, with works that incorporate a sense of partying and collective celebration. With heightened colour and seemingly simple materials, the elements she incorporates connect directly with the universal imaginary of the party. Thus, confetti, bunting and other supposedly ‘poor’ elements become catalysts in a forceful vindication of social justice. Pica also incorporates mathematical models to construct metaphors about communication, repression and shared experience.

Pica’s solo exhibitions include those at the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen; Switzerland (2012); MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2013); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2013); Museo Tamayo de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City (2013); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (2014); Kunstverein Freiburg (2016); and Centro de Arte Andaluz Contemporáneo (2019). She has also participated in influential exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale (2011 and 2015) and Shanghai Biennale (2018). Her work is included in collections such as Tate, London; Guggenheim Museum, New York; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Fundação Serralves, Porto; and MACBA, Barcelona.