Gian Cruz (1987, Manila), is an emerging multidisciplinary Filipino artist (of Spanish and Chinese origins) whose artistic practice is heavily rooted in photography integrated with his institutional work and background in art theory and criticism. For the 2019-2020 cycle, he became the first Southeast Asian participant in completing the Independent Studies Programme at MACBA. Furthermore, he is the first student of Asian heritage in its 15 year history.
Cruz’s work is central to the volatility of the image in contemporary culture and the multiple discourses that come along with it. His practice extends to performance, translation, history, architecture, ecology, cinema, HIV/AIDS activism and several other fields and contexts that engage with his current preoccupations as an artist.
Over the years he has worked closely with the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Korea, Jeu de Paume, Paris, Picto Foundation (Paris), Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, The Museum of Photography, Seoul, La Biennale di Venezia, the Japan Foundation, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Blackwood Gallery (University of Toronto Mississauga), Pride Photo Award (Amsterdam), Visual AIDS (New York), 4A Centre for Contemporary Art, Sydney, PHotoESPAÑA, Fundación SGAE and Casa Asia, Madrid.