birth
Múrcia, Spain, 1937
last update
23-04-2025
Born in Murcia, at the age of 19 Isidoro Valcárcel Medina moved to Madrid, where he studied Architecture and Fine Arts. Since the early 1960s, his experimental, transgressive and highly coherent art has positioned him as one of the key Spanish Conceptual artists. In 1968, during a stay in New York, he encountered Minimalism, which he fully incorporated into his work. Since then, he has created and developed situations, interventions, actions and projects that question the role and condition of the object and the art market. In the 1970s, he carried out often-large works in urban contexts, describing movements and spaces in the city, collecting data through surveys, public announcements, collective examinations, dictionaries, among other actions and resources. By the eighties, he embraced collective architecture, since when his work, close to philosophy, has evolved from objective proposals to full dematerialisation: in other words, prioritising attitude and gesture over the object. Among his many actions, as part of the exhibition MACBA Collection: Absorption and Theatricality, 2006, he painted for nine days, between 10 and 19 September, a white wall of the Museum using a number 8 watercolour brush.
He has exhibited in some of the leading spaces in Spain and has participated in exhibitions and collective events throughout Europe. Among his retrospectives, the most significant were those presented at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona; Sala de Verónicas, Múrcia; and Centro José Guerrero, Granada, 2002. Also of note is the documentary No escribiré arte con mayúscula, a compendium looking back over his career, made by the artist with Luis Deltell and Miguel Álvarez-Fernández and presented at the Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de Navarra Punto de Vista, 2015. His work is part of collections such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, Madrid; Institut Valencià d'Art Modern; and MACBA, Barcelona.
He has exhibited in some of the leading spaces in Spain and has participated in exhibitions and collective events throughout Europe. Among his retrospectives, the most significant were those presented at the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona; Sala de Verónicas, Múrcia; and Centro José Guerrero, Granada, 2002. Also of note is the documentary No escribiré arte con mayúscula, a compendium looking back over his career, made by the artist with Luis Deltell and Miguel Álvarez-Fernández and presented at the Festival Internacional de Cine Documental de Navarra Punto de Vista, 2015. His work is part of collections such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, Madrid; Institut Valencià d'Art Modern; and MACBA, Barcelona.
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works
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documents
32 results
I.V.M. Oficina de gestión / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2019
A14360
A14360
El encanto de la crisis / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina, prólogo de Carolina Parra
document
2021
A14561
A14561
Arquitecturas prematuras = Arkitectura goiztiarrak = Premature architecture / Válcarcel Medina
document
2021
A15082
A15082
Isidoro Valcárcel Medina -- Un compromís implícit [Enregistrament audiovisual activitat]
document
10-7-2020 - 7-2-2021
A.HIS.06221
A.HIS.06221
Tres trabajos de clase... y un proyecto de investigación... en la Facultad de Bellas Artes de Cuenca / [trabajos] coordinados por José Antonio Sarmiento ; [proyecto] dirigido por Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2019
A13774
A13774
Isidoro Valcárcel Medina : 9 secuencias sobre la pantalla
document
2016
A13768
A13768
"Motores" / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
1994
A13764
A13764
Rendición de la hora / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2002
A13090
A13090
Rendición de la hora / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2002
A13094
A13094
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A13107
A13107
Isidoro Valcárcel Medina. Constitución 1812 [Reportatge fotogràfic procés de muntatge/desmuntatge exposició]
document
9-12-2011 - 25-3-2012
A.HIS.04174
A.HIS.04174
Isidoro Valcárcel Medina. Constitución 1812 [Reportatge fotogràfic exposició]
document
9-12-2011 - 25-3-2012
A.HIS.00101
A.HIS.00101
Ley del arte : ley reguladora del ejercicio, disfrute y comercialización del arte / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2010
A11479
A11479
Presentació de "2.000 d. de J.C." d'Isidoro Valcárcel Medina [Enregistrament audiovisual activitat]
document
10-10-2001
A.HIS.07469
A.HIS.07469
Dobleces de autor / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2013
A10765
A10765
Intonso / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
[2011]
A10635
A10635
[Fotografies de Valcárcel Medina]
document
[197-]
A11649
A11649
2.000 d. de J.C. : apéndice : índice temático, índice onomástico, índice toponímico, bibliografía / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina ; [cuidado de la edición: Elisa Lozano]
document
2001
A00741.003
A00741.003
La colección del Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía en otoño de 2009 / [proyecto de] Valcárcel Medina]
document
[2009]
A11055
A11055
2.000 d. de J.C. : volumen I : prefacio, año 0, años 1-1000 / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina ; [cuidado de la edición: Elisa Lozano]
document
2001
A00741.001
A00741.001
2.000 d. de J.C. : volumen II : años 0, años 1001-2000 / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina ; [cuidado de la edición: Elisa Lozano]
document
2001
A00741.002
A00741.002
Rendición de la hora / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina
document
2002
A01816
A01816
Informe / Valcárcel Medina
document
2010
A06955
A06955
Otoño de 2009 : Valcárcel Medina-circumstancias
document
2009
A01738
A01738
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A00427
A00427
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A02890
A02890
Encuentros, 1972, Pamplona, 26 VI, 3 VII : Valcárcel Medina, obras al aire libre
document
1972
A04046.003
A04046.003
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A02889
A02889
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A02891
A02891
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A02892
A02892
[Algunas maneras de hacer esto / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina]
document
2007
A02893
A02893
2.000 d. de J.C. / Isidoro Valcárcel Medina ; [cuidado de la edición: Elisa Lozano]
document
2001
A00741
A00741