Born in Barcelona in 1942, Muntadas has made the United States his base for the past 30 years. This year he represents Spain at the 51st Venice Biennale, June 12-Nov. 6, 2005. A conceptual artist of early vintage, Muntadas has tackled a variety of controversial social and political issues, including censorship, urban renewal, political advertising and television programming. Displayed in public and private settings, his work is multi-media and collaborative in nature.
In terms of his age, his origin in a country once under a dictatorship, his pursuit of a career in nontraditional media outside of his birthplace, and -- most importantly in terms of his keen interest in the functioning of social and political structures, Muntadas has much in common with other European artists such as Hans Haacke, Krzysztof Wodiczko and Christo and Jeanne-Claude (although the latter pair's work has had far more flamboyant visual resonance in public space.)
Muntadas' most recent show at Kent Gallery, New York featured two early slide projections, Emisio/recepcio (1974/2002) and La televisión (1980). It was on view Mar. 24-May 10, 2005. We spoke in New York, several weeks before the opening of the biennale.