Fritzia Irizar (eng)
Fritzia Irizar
Mexico, 1977
Fritzia Irizar’s conceptual artworks test the elusive forces of value as it is expressed in economic and symbolic forms including labor, precious materials, money, and myths.
Her work refers to the flow of money on an individual scale and to the consumption of the work of art.
Several of her projects have incorporated diamonds and salt, both crystals and similar in appearance, and both used as currency in different historical moments. Salt is prized for its food preserving properties, while diamonds have been valued only for the purity of their composition. The notions of these materials’ value are subject to the beliefs and fantasies, a complexity alluded to in her pieces.
Fritzia Irizar body of work recognizes that history and science are almost fictions, built on small surfaces of knowledge and subject to the decision of a few individuals. However, they are fictions that we want to hold: as acts of faith, of belonging, of will or certainty
Taken out of its typical environments, the currency Irizar uses in her works takes on symbolic qualities that speak to the construction of desire and value.
She has exhibited in several international institutions such as the MUAC, Museo Ex Teresa Arte Actual, Sala Siqueiros and Museo Rufino Tamayo in Mexico City, the Orange County Museum of Art in Santa Ana, CA2M (Centro de Arte 2 de Mayo) in Madrid, Headlands Center for the Arts in San Francisco, CIFO Fundación Fontanals Cisneros in Miami, Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice, Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, Fundación Banco Santander in Madrid, Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA) in Beirut and the Rashid Karami International Fair in Tripoli. She has also participated in different biennials: the 9th and 10th Mercosur Biennial in Porto Alegre, the 12th FEMSA Biennial in Monterrey and the 14th Cuenca Biennial.
Her work can be found in collections such as JUMEX, Mexico; Isabel y Agustín Coppel Collection, Mexico; Servais Collection, Belgium; Colección Olor Visual, Spain; Braddock Collection, USA; Proyecto Bachué, Colombia; CIFO Collection, USA; Fondazione Benetton, Italy; and CA2M, Spain.
Fritzia Irizar. Untitled (Xcambó I). 2024. Digital print. 75 x 100 cm. Ed. 5 + AP
Fritzia Irizar. Untitled. Serie de dibujos de paisajes de la selva yucateca en peligro de extinción 3. 2020-21
Ink made with ashes from burnt dollars on paper. 56 x 76 cm
Fritzia Irizar. Untitled. Serie de dibujos de paisajes de la selva yucateca en peligro de extinción 2. 2020-21
Ink made with ashes from burnt dollars on paper. 56 x 76 cm
Fritzia Irizar
Solo exhibitions
2025
Xcambó: estados del agua. Fundación MARSO, Mexico City
2021
Chicxulub. Estudios en un paisaje. NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid
2019
Mazatlanica. MUAC, Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City
CaCO3. Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA), Santa Ana, CA, USA
2016
La historia del humo. NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid
Golden Green – Greening Gold. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
White Chameleon / HFCS. The Lab, San Francisco
Golden Green – Greening Gold. Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco
2015
Camaleón blanco JMAF. Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Zapopan, Mexico
2014
Prospección al Nuevo Territorio. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
Obliteraciones. SAPS, Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros, Mexico City
2012
Naturaleza de Imitación. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
2009
Ilusión y Decepción. Museo de la Ciudad, Querétaro, Mexico
2006
Fritzia Irizar. Garash Galería, Mexico City
Group exhibitions (selected)
2024
A stubborn and a hermit walk into a bar: Casa / Estudio Nancarrow. Mexico City
2022
Desde la herida. Bienal Sur, Centro Cultural Kirchner, Buenos Aires
Raíz y Rizoma. México en la Colección Otazu. Casa de México, Madrid
2021
Americas COVID 19 Memorial. Museo de las Américas, Denver
The two entrances of a mine. NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ for Female Voices of Latin America, Vortic
#novoysola. Mexico City
2020
El animal herido. Museo Experimental el ECO, Mexico City
2018
XIV Bienal de Cuenca: Estructuras Vivientes. Cuenca
NO PLACE. Glinkastraße 17, Berlin
Cycles of Collapsing Progress. Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA), Tripoli, Lebanon
2017
Poéticas de lo cotidiano. Seattle Art Museum, Seattle
Punto de partida. Isabel and Agustín Coppel Collection, Sala de arte Santander, Madrid
Transformed: reclamation, re-invention + identity. Site 133, Texas
2016
XII Bienal FEMSA. Centro de las Artes, Monterrey
A la conquista del caucho. Arredondo/ Arozarena, Mexico City
¿Cómo te voy a olvidar?. Galerie Perrotin, Paris
Rastros y Vestigios. Museo de San Ildefonso, Mexico City
2015
10a Bienal do Mercosul. Porto Alegre
The Future is Unwritten. Giorgio Cini Foundation, Venice
APPROPIATION | Performance | Part 1. Michaela Stock Gallery, Vienna
Utopia is no place. NF/NIEVES FERNÁNDEZ, Madrid
Rastros y Vestigios. Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Guadalajara
Rumorosa: Sinuosidad visual y auditiva. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
Estudio Abierto 5: Zea Mays. Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Mexico
2014
Bienal del Paisaje. Instituto Sonorense de Cultura, Hermosillo, Mexico
2013
9a Bienal do Mercosul. Porto Alegre
Bienal Online. Curated by Cuauhtémoc Medina
Comedores de Loto. Casa del Lago, Mexico City
2012
Zona Maco Sur 2012. Arredondo\ Arozarena, Mexico City
Programa Bancomer-MACG, Arte Actual. Museo Carrillo Gil, Mexico City
Primer Acto. Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City
2011
Fetiches Críticos. Museo de la Ciudad de México
Arte y Política. Cecut, Tijuana
Viewpoint 2011. CIFO, Miami
ZonaMaco 2011. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
2010
Arte y Política. Museo de Sinaloa, Mexico
Fetiches Críticos. CA2M, Madrid
Tangible. Arredondo \ Arozarena, Mexico City
Trayectorias aleatorias. Brussels
2009
El Resplandor. Salón Los Angeles, Mexico City
2008
Bolso Negro. Casa Vecina, Mexico City
2007
Stealing Time. Leubsdorf Art Gallery, New York
Creación en movimiento. CENART, Mexico City
2005
Jornadas de Puertas Abiertas. Casa de Velázquez, Madrid
2004
Invasión, ocupación, expansión. Centro Cultural España, Mexico City
El misterio del kilo de oro. Instituto de México, Paris
2002
Aktuelle Kunst Aus Mexico. Braunschweig, Germany
21/05/20. La Estación Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City
Despedida y Debut. Galería La Esmeralda, Mexico City
Lo Zoo. Museo Ex Teresa Arte Actual, Mexico City
2001
Sin título. MUCA-Roma, Mexico City
2000
1 metro cuadrado. Galería Alikarnassus, Monterrey
1. Galería de Arte Joven DIFOCUR, Culiacán
Collections
Colección Jumex, Mexico
Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M), Spain
Colección Banco de España, Spain
Fondazione Benetton, Italy
Isabel and Agustín Coppel Collection, Mexico
Colección Olor Visual, Spain
Proyecto Bachué, Colombia
Servais Family Collection, Belgium
Braddock Collection, USA
CIFO, Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation Collection, USA
Awards and residencies
2021
Americas COVID 19 Memorial Award. Museo de las Américas, Denver
Residencias Charco. Cidade da Cultura, Santiago de Compostela
2016
Headlands Residency. Headlands Center For the Arts, San Francisco
International Residency Récollets, Centre International d’Accueil et d’Echanges des Récollets, Paris
2011
13th Northwest Biennial of Visual Arts Award, Museo de Arte de Sinaloa
2010
Arte Actual 2010-2012, Bancomer-Museo Carrillo Gil
2008
FOECA Established Artist Grant, Fondo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes
2007, 2005
FONCA, Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes
2005
Casa Velázquez Residency, Madrid
2004
National Prize Antonio López Sáenz
State Visual Arts Photography Prize
2003
Unión Latina Young Creators Award
2002, 1999
FOECA Young Creators Grant, Fondo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes
1996
Guest Artist, Kalamazoo Institute Of Arts
Press
2025 – ABC Cultural. La mano que mece la cuna en la Bienal de Pontevedra. María Peña Lomba
2025 – Atlántico. La Bienal de Arte contra la guerra se abre en el Museo. Iria Lorenzo
2024 – Reforma. Conjuga Fundación Marso arte y compromiso social. Yanireth Israde
2019 – Proceso. Fritzia Irizar en el MUAC. Isabel Leñero