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Biography

PEDRO SANCHEZ DE MOVELLÁN
[1967, USA]

Pedro S. de Movellán is considered one of the world’s most well-known kinetic sculptors alive today. The son of an abstract painter and an architect, de Movellán perfectly balances both of their influences in his own work. Each piece is unique, precisely constructed to be refined and detailed, yet unpredictable in its motion. In his earliest moments as an artist, de Movellán was fascinated by precision, adamant about the originality of each piece, and deeply concerned about the viewer’s relationship with each separate work. The way de Movellán’s work has changed parallels the massively broad array of today’s art. Contemporary art has become so expansive that it is difficult to quantify what art belongs with which qualifier. In many cases we wind up placing de Movellán’s work retroactively, assigning it attributes from Modernism or Minimalism, for example, even though the work is new and groundbreaking and stands alone.

In an era where artists fluctuate between different media – often times rendering themselves unrecognizable from one series to the next – Pedro S. de Movellán has achieved an unmistakable style. Remarkably – though unintentionally – de Movellán’s biggest influence is often himself. Like many contemporary artists, he is absorbed by new technology and constantly experimenting with materials and the machines that shape them.

“My goal is to achieve the aesthetic and beauty of fluid arcs of motion through simple mechanical constructions. Creating a poise and elegance akin to a ballet dancer. The movement is created by wind, gravity, and or human interaction. I hope to unfold a playfulness in people’s attitudes toward sculpture... Balance is central to the integrity of the work... The unanticipated gestures that are generated will hopefully bring the viewer in closer with the work."

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2023
Pedro de Movellán: Zephyr, Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, Houston, TX, USA

2022
Parallax, Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2020
Forward Motion, M.A.D. Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland

2018
Portal, Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2017
Pedro de Movellán, Sicardi Gallery, Houston, TX, USA

2016
Code, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2014
Retrospective, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY

2013
Kinetic Sculpture, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

2011
New Kinetic Sculpture, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2008
Airfoil, Random Vectors, Davidson Contemporary, New York, NY, USA

2006
Escapement, Davidson Contemporary, New York, NY, USA

2004
Orthogonal Explorations, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2002
Structured Fibers, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

2001
New Kinetic Sculpture, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

1999
New Kinetic Sculpture, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

1997
New Kinetic Sculpture, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

1996
New Kinetic Sculpture, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

1992
Sculpture: Color and Motion, Group Show, Maxwell Davidson Gallery, New York, NY, USA

1991
Bachelor of Fine Arts Thesis Show: Kinetic Sculpture, Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

Selected Public Collections

Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH, USA

International Gem Tower, New York, NY, USA

Nokia Inc., Irving, TX, USA

Outdoor Gibbous, Big Sky Arts Council, Big Sky, MT, USA

Private and corporate collections in the U.S., Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Saudia Arabia, South Korea, and Great Britain

Woodlands Center, Houston, TX, USA