After studying architecture and sociology in Madrid and Barcelona, Ignacio Criado settled in Madrid. A pioneer of Conceptual and experimental art in Spain, he was a friend of Juan Hidalgo and the action group Zaj. During the mid-1960s and the 1970s, his work was in line with international movements such as Fluxus, Arte Povera and Land art. Like them, he questioned the traditional view of the artistic object. A follower of Duchamp, Criado was interested in the poetics of the 'poor' object and regarded art as a tool for understanding the world. Through a variety of media (action, installation, sculpture, photography, video, architecture), he reflected on concepts such as the passage of time, the contrast between idea and matter, and the dialectics of construction and destruction. Difficult to classify, he always acted with great freedom of ideas and creativity.

His many exhibitions include: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2012); IVAM, Valencia (1999); and Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Seville (2013). He also participated in significant events such as the Encuentros de Pamplona (1972); and Fuera de formato, at the Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid (1983); as well as the Venice Biennale (1977) and the Seville Universal Exposition (1992), among others. His work is included in the collections of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Seville; and MACBA, Barcelona.