Sergio Vega (Argentine, b.1959) was born in Buenos Aires, and currently lives in the United States. In addition to his artistic pursuits, Vega is a professor of photography and sculpture at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Between 1991 and 1992, Vega participated in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program, and received his MFA in 1996 from Yale University.
The artist is especially well known for his project El Paraíso en el Nuevo Mundo, which he has been working on for 10 years. The title was inspired by the 17th-century book of the same name. Similar to the author of the original work, Vega believes that the Garden of Eden was located in South America. However, unlike the author, Vega suggests that the garden was in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Vega’s works in various media, including text, photography, video, sculpture, dioramas, miniature models, and installations. His work deals with social issues, such as colonialist theories and the development of cultural and social conditions.
The artist has participated in many international exhibitions and biennials in Venice, Lyon, South Korea, and Johannesburg. His works have been reviewed in Artforum, frieze magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, and Time magazine.
