Almudena Romero (b. in Madrid in 1986) is a British/Spanish visual artist based in London and Valencia working with a wide range of photographic processes. Her practice uses photographic processes to reflect on issues relating to identity, representation and ideology. Romero’s works focus on how perception affects existence and how photography contributes to organising perception.
Romero’s practise has been exhibited at international public institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), National Portrait Gallery (UK), TATE Modern-TATE Exchange (UK), The Photographers’ Gallery (UK), Tsinghua Art Museum (CH), Le Cent-Quatre Paris (FR), University of the Arts London(UK) and international photography festivals such as Unseen Amsterdam (NL), Les Rencontres d’Arles (FR), Paris Photo (FR), PhotoLondon (UK), Circulations (FR), Belfast Photo Festival (UK) and Brighton Photo Biennale (UK). She has received various awards and bursaries including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Creative Europe Fund, Arts Council England (2018, 2020,2021), London Community Foundation (2019), a-n Bursaries (2019, 2018), and awards from private foundations including the Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation, The Harnisch Foundation and BMW France Culture and has been nominated for the Prix Pictet (2021).Romero has also been awarded prestigious international residencies at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute(China) , Penumbra Foundation (USA), ISCP New York(US), BMW -Gobelins (France), Lucy Art Residency (Greece), Whitechapel Gallery(UK) and National Portrait Gallery (UK).
Romero has received public artwork commissions from Wellcome Trust, Emergency Exit Artist, Team London Bridge, Southwark Council and Bow Arts Trust for the London Festival of Architecture. Her practice has been published in monographs by the Photography Archive and Research Centre at University of The Arts London and by Fisheye (upcoming) and featured in BBC Four, BBC Two, FOAM Magazine, EL PAIS, Liberation, VOGUE, Radio France Internationale and other international media.
Romero holds an MA in Photography from the University of the Arts London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice in Art, Design and Communication (university teaching qualifications). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2020, Romero worked as a professor of photography on Stanford University’s Bring Overseas Study Program in Florence, Italy. Romero has also delivered courses, lectures and artist talks at universities and museums internationally including Falmouth University (UK), University for the Creative Arts (UK), University of Westminster (UK), Camberwell College of Arts (UK), London College of Communication (UK), Kingston School of Art (UK), Southampton Solent University (UK), Chelsea College of Arts (UK), University College London (UK), School of Visual Arts New York (NY), GOBELINS. Ecole de l'image (FR), IESA (FR), KASK, School of Arts Ghent(BE), Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (CH), Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum (JP), Sotheby's Institute of Art (UK), Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), Royal Society (UK), Estorick Collection (UK), Wellcome Trust (UK) Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), Science Museum (UK), National Portrait Gallery (UK), South London Gallery (UK), Whitechapel Gallery (UK), The Photographers' Gallery (UK), TATE Modern (UK), TATE Britain (UK), Fundacion Mapfre Cultura (SP), Guest Projects (Yinka Shonibare studio- UK), Les Nuits de la photographie-Les Rencontres d'Arles (FR), Penumbra Foundation (US), PhotoForum FORMAT Festival (UK), Nunnery Gallery, Bow Arts (UK), Golden Thread Gallery- Belfast Photo Festival (UK), Lucy Art Residency (GR), London Art Fair (UK), [ SPACE ] (UK), TOMA Metal Art School ( UK), Four Corners Gallery (UK), Photofusion (UK) and Photography Archive and Research Centre. UAL (UK).
Awards, Grants and Funding (selected)
- 2022. Nominee.Louise Roeder Art Prize for Sustainability
- 2022. Awardee.ACAVA Studio Fund
- 2021. Awardee.Arts Council England. DYCP grant.
- 2021. Finalist.Emerging Photographer award Photo London.
- 2021. Nominee. Prix Pictet
- 2020 Winner.BMW Residency Award
- 2020 Awardee.Arts Council England.
- 2020 Awardee.The Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation grants.
- 2020 Awardee.ACAVA studio Fund.
- 2020 Awardee.Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund grants.
- 2020 Awardee.The Harnisch Foundation grants.
- 2019 Awardee National Lottery Heritage Fund. Project Grants.
- 2019 Awardee. i-Portunus. Creative Europe Fund.
- 2019 Awardee.SPAIN arts & culture. Cultural Office. Embassy of Spain in USA. Penumbra residency support grant.
- 2019 Awardee. London Community Foundation grants.
- 2019. Awardee. a-n mentoring bursaries.
- 2018 Awardee. Arts Council England. National Lottery Project Grants.
- 2018 Awardee. a-n Artist Bursaries , UK.
- 2016 Awardee. London Creative Network, professional development programme, London
- 2015 Finalist. The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards.
Commissions (selected)
- 2020.BBC Four. Portrait of Lucy Worsley for BBC Four Lucy Worsley Royal Photo Album Episode.
- 2019. BBC Four. Portrait of Philippa Perry for Victorian Sensations BBC Four episode.
- 2018. Victoria and Albert Museum. Video on permanent display at New Photography Centre.
- 2018. Tsinghua Art Museum. Video for Visions and Reflections exhibition .
- 2018. National Portrait Gallery. Video for Victorian Giants exhibition.
- 2018. Bow Arts for London Festival of Architecture. Mural artwork.
- 2017. The Photographers' Gallery. Participatory artwork installation.
- 2017. University of the Arts London. Participatory artwork (with later exhibition and publication).
- 2016. Fundación Mapfre Cultura. Participatory artwork (Exhibited at the Foundation).
- 2016. Team London Bridge & Fantasy High Street Festival. Public artwork installation.
- 2016. Victoria and Albert Museum. Participatory artwork (with later exhibition). London, UK.
- 2015. Victoria and Albert Museum. Participatory artwork installation.
- 2015. Victoria and Albert Museum . Video for Julia Margaret Cameron exhibition.
- 2015. Emergency Exit Artist.Public artwork installation.
Residencies (selected)
- 2022. International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York, USA.
- 2020-2021. BMW Residency, Paris, France.
- 2020.Guest Projects (Yinka Shonibare Studio),London, UK
- 2019. Penumbra Foundation, New York, USA.
- 2019. Lucy Art Residency, Kavala, Greece.
- 2018. Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China.
- 2018. Bow Arts. Royal Albert Wharf, London, UK.
- 2018. National Portrait Gallery. Victorian Giants exhibition residency.London, UK.
- 2017. Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK.
- 2016. Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Japan.
Works in archives and collections
- Stephan Loewentheil Collection, USA.
- Penumbra Foundation, USA.
- Gabriela Cendoya-Bergareche Collection, France.
- Jerome Kohler, The Philanthropic Lab, France.
- Photography Archive and Research Centre. University of the Arts London, UK.
- Bow Arts Trust, UK.
- Lucy Art Residency, Greece.
- BBC Four, UK.
- BMW Art Collection, France.
- Elizabeth and William Kahane Collection, USA.
- Hans P Kraus Jr Fine Photographs Collection, USA.
- Herve Digne Collection, France.
- Almudena Legorreta Collection, USA.
Solo exhibitions
- 2021. The Pigment Change. Les Rencontres d'Arles , France.
- 2021. The Pigment Change Paris Photo, France.
- 2018. Growing Concerns. RAW Labs. Bow Arts. London, UK.
- 2018. Growing Concerns. Photofusion. London, UK.
- 2018. Portraits From the Elephant. Photography Archive and Research Centre. University of the Arts London.
Group exhibitions (selected)
- 2022. Photo London with Fisheye Gallery, UK.
- 2022. Montanelli Museum. Prague, CZ.
- 2021. Photo London with Fisheye Gallery, UK.
- 2020. London Art Fair, with Nunnery Gallery, UK.
- 2020. Grenze Arsenale Fotografici Festival, Verona, Italy.
- 2019. Belfast Photo Festival with Golden Thread Gallery, UK.
- 2018. Tsinghua Art Museum. Vision and Reflection. Curated by Phillip Prodger. Beijing, China.
- 2018. UNSEEN Festival. CO-OP space. Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2018. Centquatre-Paris. Festival Circulation(s). France.
- 2017(June) The Photographers' Gallery with London Alternative Photography Collective. London, UK.
- 2017 (November). HYPERANALOGUE. The Photographers' Gallery. London, UK.
- 2017. TATE Exchange-TATE Modern. With Digital makers Collective.London, UK.
- 2017. New Approaches in Photography. Four Corners Gallery. London, UK.
- 2017. Venice Biennale 2017. Diaspora Pavilion. Tintypes produced in collaboration with artist Khadija Saye. Venice, Italy.
- 2016. MozEx. Curated by V&A and Tate Digital.
- 2016. Victoria and Albert Museum. participatory artwork commission. London, UK.
- 2016. Fundación MAPFRE Cultura. Participatory artwork. Madrid, Spain.
- 2016. Brighton Photo Fringe with the London Alternative Photography Collective. Brighton, Uk.
- 2016. Process. DreamSpace Gallery. London, UK.
- 2015. Revela-T Festival, Cataluña, Spain.
- 2015. The Arts Pavilion. Photomonth. London, UK.
- 2014. Open Peckham Platform, London, UK.
- 2014. Night Contact, Brighton Photo Biennial, UK.
- 2014. The Polaroid show, Doomed Gallery, London, UK.
- 2014. London Analogue Festival, OXO Tower Wharf, London, UK.
- 2012. PHOTON Festival, Valencia, Spain.
Education
- 2015 Pg Cert Academic Practice in Art,Design & Communication, UAL. (University teaching qualifications)
- 2012 MA Photography, London College of Communication, UAL.
- 2011 Photojournalism, documentary photography & studio lighting, University of Montreal, UdeM.
Publications (monographs)
- 2022. The Pigment Change.
- 2018. Portraits From the Elephant.Monograph. Published by Photography Archive and Research Centre. University of the Arts London.
Press, media & books featuring my work
- 2022. Reconnexions, la photographie en transition. Published by Textuel.
- 2022. L'Œil écoute - Podcast.
- 2022. Lomography magazine.
- 2022. Country and Townhouse magazine
- 2022. Better Photography India magazine
- 2022. Moove magazine
- 2021. Forbes
- 2021. The Art Newspaper
- 2021. El Pais- Paris Photo
- 2021. Sciences et Avenir
- 2021. MONOPOL- Paris Photo
- 2021. BeauxArts magazine
- 2021. FAD Magazine- Paris Photo
- 2021. El Pais
- 2021. Liberation
- 2021. MONOPOL.
- 2021. Yorokobu magazine.
- 2021. VOGUE Italia magazine.
- 2021. Harpers BAZAR China blog.
- 2021. FAD magazine
- 2021. Madame Figaro magazine.
- 2021. Blind Magazine
- 2021. FishEye Magazine
- 2021. France Fine Arts. Podcast
- 2021. BMW Residency catalogue. De L'Air Editions.
- 2021. Design Boom.Online Magazine
- 2021. Mashable. Online platform
- 2021. WestArt TV
- 2021. AlternativePhotography.com
- 2021. Art The Science blog
- 2021. C4 Journal
- 2021. Dw Euromaxx. Online Platform
- 2021. Talento a Bordo
- 2021. The Eyes. Online Magazine
- 2020. BBC Four. Lucy Worsley Royal Photo Album
- 2020. FOAM Magazine
- 2020. Le Quotidien de l'Art.
- 2020. FishEye magazine
- 2020. Artvisions
- 2020. Reponses Photo
- 2020. Polka magazine
- 2020. London Alternative Photography Collective. The Digital Test Lab Workshop Guide.
- 2019. BBC Four. Victorian Sensations
- 2019. Blog interview with The Auction Collective.
- 2018. Photomonitor. Interviewed by Francesca Marcaccio. Online magazine.
- 2018. Radio France Internationale. Interviewed by Siegfried Forster.
- 2018. Unseen Festival Radio.
- 2018. EXTRA magazine. Published by FOMU, Foto Museum.
- 2018. Yogurt Magazine. Online publication.
- 2018. L'Oeil de La Photographie Online magazine.
- 2018. Interviewed by Unseen Amsterdam.
- 2018. Le Quotidien de l'Art. Print magazine.
- 2018. Art Visions. Online magazine.
- 2018. Obsolete and discontinued. Book. Published by Brovira Press.
- 2018. The Physics and Art of Photography. Book. Published by Morgan & Claypool.
- 2017. Beneath the Salt. Book. Published by YONA Editions.
- 2017. Photocatalysis. Photo Zine. Published by Revolv Collective.
- 2016. Culture Trip. Media platform. Video interview.
- 2015. Time Out. Press.
- 2015. Photomonitor. Online magazine.
- 2015. Uncertain States.Print magazine.
- 2015. She Shoots Film.Online magazine.