Santiago Aleman

"The Vernacular work of the artist represents the history of stories, the overlapping of layers that life creates in the natural way that human action creates, the abstraction of the actions. With the use of plain colours - with the texture of traditional oil paint - one layer on top of another link the interaction of the action of painting in the vernacular architecture with the solidness of the architectural wall itself represented by the massive use of gesso and the thickness of the supporting canvas frame." (Santiago Aleman)

"The Swatch residency, for me, has meant to experience an enriching interaction with other great artists and creative minds, at the same time as feeling the energy and vibes that a location and a setting like the Swatch Art Peace Hotel can give to your artistic development. Having my work exhibited at the Venice Biennale, invited by Swatch, has been a tremendous honour and a validation of my work of all these years. I have tried to show what my vernacular abstraction means and can express in a specific setting like the Biennale for an international audience with multiple perspectives on what art means." (Santiago Aleman)