Tamara Arroyo (eng)
Tamara Arroyo
Spain, 1972
Tamara Arroyo’s body of work reflects a persistent inquiry into the habitability of spaces. She questions the «domestication» of the modern inhabitant and the consumption of certain formal elements and objects within contemporary living spaces. The autobiographical references in her work serve to articulate a discourse on both individual and collective memory.
Through her recurring engagement with images of the spaces she appropriates, the city and public space emerge as privileged settings of everyday life, marked by their distinctive identities and vast creative potential.
Through various formal approaches, her works explore how our surroundings and architecture influence us, distinguishing between lived, experiential, and existential spaces—those that operate on an unconscious level.
The artist emphasizes different intellectual states that arise in our relationship with our immediate environment, such as the emotional need for a sense of belonging to a place or the importance of peripheral vision, which integrates us into space. The latter allows us to notice details and situations that might otherwise go unnoticed, shifting us from mere spectators to active recipients of new stimuli.
She has exhibited at institutions such as Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, La Casa Encendida, Matadero Madrid Centro de Creación Contemporánea, CentroCentro, Es Baluard Museu, the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome, and the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, among others.
Her work is part of the collections of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Madrid, Colección DKV, and Colección Banco Sabadell.
Tamara Arroyo. Pata de banco. 2019-23. Iron, ceramic, stones, cement. 60 x 57 x 21 cm
Tamara Arroyo. Condición urbana. 2023. Enamelled iron. 85 x 81 x 43 cm
Tamara Arroyo. De la serie «Un fatal descontento de lugar». 2021. Iron and ceramics. 63 x 16 x 16 cm (left). 81 x 16 x 16 cm (right)
Tamara Arroyo. Ochentas. 2019. Enamel on metal. 65 x 65 x 12 cm
Tamara Arroyo. Relaciones (I). 2016. Fabric. 72 x 65 cm
Tamara Arroyo. Relaciones II. 2019. Ceramic and brass. Variable dimensions
Tamara Arroyo
Solo exhibitions
2023
A Fatal Discontent with Place, NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid
2021
Eudaimonia, Alimentación 30, Madrid
PANORAMA MADRID 01, CentroCentro, Madrid
2019
Pura calle, NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid
Relaciones, Nordes Gallery, Santiago de Compostela
2018
Series of Spaces, Guillermina Caicoya Gallery, ArteSantandeR, Santander
For Consumption, Casa de Cultura de Felanitx, Mallorca
2017
Ut-Pictura, 6+1 Gallery, Madrid
Everyday Geometries, Addaya Centre d’Art Contemporani, Alaró, Mallorca
Special Project, Set-up Contemporary Art Fair, Bologna
2014
Roman Houses, Ethall Gallery, Barcelona
2012
The Wrong Project, Fragil, Madrid
2010
The Art of Memory, José Robles Gallery, Madrid
2009
Legazpolis Intermedie, Matadero, Madrid
2008
Playgrounds, Estampa 2008, Madrid
From Casa Encendida to Pawn Shop, La Casa Encendida, Madrid
2006
Fridge, Fragil – A Place for Contemporary Art, Madrid
2003
PHE03. Playing Hide and Seek, Valle Quintana Gallery, Madrid
Drawing the House, Vacío 9 Gallery, Madrid
Visit Our Home, Youth Art Center of the Community of Madrid
Group exhibitions (selection)
2024
Canhoto como Zurdo, Kindred Spirits Projects, Lisbon
Canhoto As Zurdo, Nadie Nunca Nada No, Madrid
2023
Meeting with the Object. Contemporary Sculpture, RED ITINER
XV Unicaja Foundation Visual Arts Competition, Unicaja Museum Joaquín Peinado, Málaga
2022
A Recent History of Art (1960–2020), DKV Collection and Juan March Foundation, Cuenca Abstract Art Museum
Dialecto CA2M, Museum of Contemporary Art Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, Madrid
ZONA MACO, Mexico, NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ Gallery
2021
Dialecto CA2M, CA2M, Móstoles
The Shortest Night, MACA Museum, Alicante – in collaboration with NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ and Aural Gallery
Aragon Park, Madrid
VEGAP Proposals, CentroCentro, Madrid
2020
Light No Longer Dances in My Smile. Chapter II, Ana Más Projects, Barcelona
New Paths at MAC: Pulse and Impulse of a Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Madrid
2019
Postcrisis, various venues, Madrid
Forging Identities, Creating Scenarios, MAC Genalguacil, Málaga
Swimming, Gresite, Paracuellos de Jarama, Madrid
Feitizo, Galileo Cultural Center, Madrid
INTRUSO, Salón, Madrid – curated by Bernardo José de Souza and Isabella Lenzi
2018
Wanting to Look Like Night, CA2M, Móstoles, Madrid
Permanent Collection, Es Baluard, Palma de Mallorca
WORKING GLASS, MAVA Glass Art Museum, Alcorcón, Madrid
2017
Ut-Pictura, 6+1 Gallery, Madrid
DELIKADO PELIGROSO, Ranchito Cuba, Philippines and Japan, Matadero Madrid
Interrupted Linearity, ArtistaxArtista, Havana
Felanitx Art Competition, Mallorca
PROMOTORA, Can Felipa, Barcelona
Fictional Narratives, 6+1 Gallery, Madrid
2016
Open Studios, BilbaoArte Foundation, Bilbao
Learning from Can Felipa, Can Felipa, Barcelona
House-Studio-Street-Neighborhood, CentroCentro, Madrid
In Situ, Casal Son Tugores, Alaró, Mallorca
Possible Models, OTR Art Space, Madrid
Paper, Paste and Thread, La Eriza, Madrid
2014
Station XV, Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Madrid
2013
Freestyle, Cajamurcia Foundation, Cartagena
Station XV, Spanish Academy in Rome
Drawing Competition, Centenera Jaraba Foundation, Matadero, Madrid
2012
Gregorio Prieto Drawing Competition, Madrid
Turning the Page, traveling exhibition across Catalonia
Reflections, OTR Space, Madrid
2011
Intervened Library, Espacio F, Madrid
Reflections, OTR Space, Madrid
2010
Drawing Pages, Columpio Gallery, Madrid
47th International Visual Arts Prize, Pollença, Mallorca
Explum Visual Arts Prize, Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia
2009
Daydreaming Is a Frightening Contradiction, José Robles Gallery, Madrid
Anonymous Drawings, KASKADENKONDENSATOR, Liste, Basel
2008
One Plus One Crowd, Doméstico 2008, Madrid
Build, Inhabit, Think, IVAM, Valencia
Modern Tales, Max Estrella Gallery, Madrid
2007
PILOT 3, Venice Biennale, Giudecca
OASIS, CAC Málaga, Unicaja Art Collection
2006
Generaciones 2006, Obra Social Caja Madrid
10th Pamplona Biennale, Pamplona
2005
42nd International Visual Arts Prize, Pollença, Mallorca
2004
Nit Niu 2004. The Castaway’s Night, Cala Sant Vicenç, Mallorca
Generación 2003, Obra Social Caja Madrid
2003
Purificación García Prize, Royal Botanical Garden, Madrid
Meanwhile, Conde Duque Cultural Center, Madrid
2002
Seven Studios in a Warehouse, Doméstico 2002, Madrid
2001
13th Edition – Visual Arts and Photography Circuits, Community of Madrid
Grants, awards and residencies
2023
Casa Wabi Residency, Puerto Escondido, Mexico
2021
Art Production Grant, Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport
2020
Art Production Grant, Community of Madrid
VEGAP Proposals 2020
2019
Acquisition Prize, Nebrija University
2018
Acquisition Prize, DKV
ABABOL Festival Residency
2017
Art Production Grant, Community of Madrid
ArtistaxArtista Residency (Ranchito-Cuba), Matadero Madrid
First Prize, III Ciutat de Felanitx Art Competition, Mallorca
2016
ArteShop Prize, Bilbao
BilbaoArte Grant, Bilbao
2015
ArteLateral – Open Studio Award
Addaya Residency, Alaró, Mallorca
2014–2015
Residency at Espacio Oculto, Madrid
2012–2013
Residency at the Spanish Academy in Rome
2008
2nd Runner-up, ABC Art Prize
2007
Madrid Process Grant – Popular Games
2006
Community of Madrid Grant – Sunset
First Prize, Antoni Gelabert Visual Arts Award, Palma
First Prize, Visual Arts, Provincial Council of Ourense
2002
Generación 2003 Project Grant, Obra Social Caja Madrid
2001
Photography Honorable Mention, INJUVE
First Prize, Architecture and Photography Prize, Ministry of Public Works
Collections
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid
CA2M – Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles
Es Baluard – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Palma de Mallorca
Museum of Contemporary Art, Madrid
Galila Barzilaï Collection, Brussels
City Council of Felanitx, Mallorca
AECID – Spanish Academy in Rome
City Council of Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia
ABC, Madrid
City Council of Palma, Mallorca
City Council of Pamplona
Unicaja Foundation
Pollença Museum, Mallorca
Fundació Guillem Cifre, Mallorca
Obra Social Caja Madrid
Provincial Council of Ourense
El Brocense Art Hall, Cáceres
National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid
INJUVE – Spanish Youth Institute
Spanish Ministry of Public Works
Government of Extremadura
RAJA Art Collection
Press
2025 – Tamara Arroyo. Massimo Dutti ArtInProgress – Issue 151
2020 – Babelia. El País – Tamara Arroyo: el mundo en una bolsa – by Bea Espejo
2019 – El Cultural. El Español – Tamara Arroyo, visión periférica – by Elena Vozmediano
2019 – Entrerayas, la revista de Arquitectura – La artista Tamara Arroyo gana (…)
2019 – PAC Plataforma de arte contemporáneo – Tamara Arroyo Premio Adquisición Universidad Nebrija