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Eugènia Balcells, pioneer of experimental visual art, dies
A pioneering legacy in audiovisual art and conceptual video, recognized with national and international awards.
Eugènia Balcells, one of Catalonia's most innovative visual artists, died this Sunday at the age of 82. Considered a pioneer in the incorporation of new technologies into the field of art and experimental cinema, Balcells leaves a legacy that has marked the trajectory of video and audiovisual installations in Spain and the United States.
Born in Barcelona in 1943, Balcells initially trained in Technical Architecture before moving to the United States in 1968 to study art at the University of Iowa. Her career developed between Barcelona and New York, where she settled permanently from 1979, then alternating between both cities from 1988.
His work, framed within conceptual art, stands out for its constant experimentation and intersection with disciplines such as science, philosophy, literature and music. Balcells created video installations, performances, murals and video scores, exploring the limits of video as an artistic medium. Among his most relevant creations is the multimedia installation Des del Centre , which was on view last year in the Oval Room of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC).
Balcells' career can be divided into two stages: a first focused on denouncing the abuses of consumer society and the influence of the media on mass culture and gender stereotypes; and a second, marked by the study of human perception, color, light and perfect geometric figures, especially the circle.
In February 2010, he was awarded the Medalla al Mérit en les Belles Arts 2009, in the Gold category. That same year, on the occasion of his exhibition Frecuencias , the National Council for Culture and the Arts awarded him the National Visual Arts Prize of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
