José García Oliva
Displacement
The exhibition ‘Displacement’ showcases the thought-provoking works of Venezuelan artist José García Oliva. Through the dialogue of five pieces, Oliva delves into the complex and interconnected issues surrounding migrant labour, forced displacement, and the arbitrary nature of labels and categories.
The artworks in the exhibition invite viewers to reflect on the experience and consequence of displacement, particularly the difficulty of returning to a place once displaced. This new body of work explores the language of categorisation. And how definitions such as ‘native’ versus ‘outsider’ can be used to justify discriminatory attitudes and actions taken towards ‘invasive’ species or marginalised groups of people.
Through his artworks, Oliva challenges viewers to look beyond surface-level symptoms and to evaluate the root causes of displacement and exploitation. He also invites viewers to consider how seemingly small actions can have far-reaching impacts.
‘Displacement’ offers a glimpse into the nuanced manifestation of long-term effects and invites viewers to reflect on their place in the world and the impact of our actions.
José García Oliva is a Venezuelan artist based in London. His work explores the clash between diasporic identity, migrant labour, and cultural heritage. These collisions are explored through materials, everyday objects, and performative actions that emerge with each research project. Oliva's multidisciplinary practice is driven by collaborative processes and aims to react to and expose socio-political oppression through participatory performances or public interventions. The result of his work is often the enactment of these social exchanges and provocations shaped by the commons and site specificity. Oliva graduated from the Royal College of Art, London, in 2020 and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Madrid with a mobility grant from the Ministry of Education. Oliva is currently the course leader of the MA Visual Communication at Ravensbourne University and is an associate tutor in the Visual Design postgraduate course at Kingston School of Art.
Oliva is currently doing a residency and running a series of community projects at Casa Wabi in Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2022, The project How May I Serve You? was shown at SET Kensington. The exhibition was commissioned by Axisweb and supported by Arts Council England. Earlier this year, Oliva concluded Traces, a year-long project commissioned by Lancaster Art in collaboration with the cleaners from Lancaster University. In addition, he finished his research residency at SOMA, Mexico and a six-month residency at The Muse Gallery in London. In 2021, Oliva won first prize in the UK Ibero-American Visual Art Prize (VIA Art Prize). His Arepa Viuda project was awarded and financed by the Finnish Ibero-American Art Institute. In 2020 he received The Augusts Martin Prize for the innovative use of printing methods and won “Image of the Year 2020” from the cultural program “Next Generation, Please” organized by Bozar in Brussels. The same year, he obtained funding and support from the DIY award, led by LADA, for the “White Vinegar” collaborative project. José García Oliva has exhibited internationally and worked on cultural and social projects together with Fusée de détresse, Brussels; Justice4Grenfell and unions such as CAIWU and IWGB.
@olivajosec
