Gabriel Barcia-Colombo
American film director
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo (born 1982) is an American video artist and filmmaker. His video sculpture installations explore themes of memory, identity, and human connection through a combination of video, photography, and video sculpture.[1]
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | USC School of Cinematic Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | DNA Vending Machine, New York Minute, Hereafter Institute, Platform, Neon Museum Residency |
| Relatives | José Rubia Barcia (grandfather) |
| Website | www |
Barcia-Colombo is the grandson of Spanish poet and writer José Rubia Barcia.[2]
Early life and career
Barcia-Colombo graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television. He is a professor of Media Arts at the Tisch School of the Arts.[3] In 2008, he was awarded the NYFA grant for video.[4] In 2012, he was made a TED fellow.[5] Barcia-Colombo has presented two TED talks, one in 2012 and another in 2013.[6][7]
In 2014, Barcia-Colombo founded "Bunker," a pop-up VR gallery in New York City, which features artists' work in the form of code-driven sculpture, augmented reality, and virtual installation.[8][9] The gallery re-opened at Sotheby's in New York in 2017.[10]
In 2025, Barcia-Colombo directed a music video for David Byrne's single "Everybody Laughs" from the album Who Is the Sky?.[11][12]
Art projects
DNA Vending Machine
In 2014, Barcia-Colombo created a vending machine that dispenses human genetic material to raise awareness about privacy issues related to the use of information stored in human DNA.[13] The machine was installed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
New York Minute
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In 2015, Barcia-Colombo created a video art project entitled New York Minute for the Fulton Center. The project featured 52 portraits of New Yorkers performing everyday activities in super-slow motion. The project received recognition from the non-profit organization Americans for the Arts.[14]
Hereafter Institute
In 2016, Barcia-Colombo created the project Hereafter Institute, which premiered at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of the Art and Technology Lab.[15] The project examines the ways in which people memorialize themselves after death in the digital age and what happens to their data when they die.[16]
Platform
Platform is a video artwork by Barcia-Colombo that examines what it means to be in a crowd after years spent apart. The work features a portrait of 40 New Yorkers in a slow-motion moment as they come together to examine the passersby in the new Grand Central Terminal.[17] Platform is also shown in the Madison concourse under Grand Central Station.[18]
The Neon Museum Residency
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During his residency at The Neon Museum, Barcia-Colombo investigated how technology and light influence memory by creating a series of sculptures inspired by the neon signs at the museum.[19] Barcia-Colombo gave an artist talk via Zoom and conducted a projection mapping workshop with students.
In addition, Barcia-Colombo utilized his studio space at the Juhl to record video of Las Vegas locals. These came together in a composite video sculpture and as recreations of three Las Vegas figures: Vegas Vic performed by Brent Holmes, Vegas Vickie performed by Laci Cerrone, and Elvis performed by Heidi Rider.[20]
