ABOUT

Álvaro Laiz (b.1981) is a Spanish photographer and artist whose work deals with narratives where traditional culture, nature and industrial development converge. Since 2014 he has committed himself to exploring the links between our distant past and our near future through a multidisciplinary study of hunter-gatherers populations, revealing the profound connection between natural world and ourselves.

In 2017 he published his first book The Hunt (Dewi Lewis/RM, 2017), a reconstruction of a Moby-Dick-alike story of man against nature’s most fearsome and efficient predator in the Boreal Jungle: the siberian tiger. It was presented at Les Rencontres d'Arles 2017 and selected by the British Journal of Photography as Best of 2017.

Álvaro´s work has been recognized by a number of institutions including Magnum and Ideas Tap Foundation, Burn Photography, Visura, Photolucida or Center Santa Fe. He is also the recipient of the 2016 National Geographic Explorer´s Grant for his ongoing project “The Edge”.  a journey following the steps of the paleo-siberian populations through the Bering Strait Bridge 20,000 years ago to become the first settlers in America. 

His work, both photography and large scale video installation, resides in public and private collections such as Museo de América or Fundación INELCOM, curated by Vicente Todolí, and have been exhibited in museums and art fairs such as Musée d'Art Contemporain du Val-de-Marne (MAC/VAL) in Paris, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (MUSAC). His editorial clients include National Geographic, New York Times, Traveller or Forbes among others. 



AWARDS (selection)

PDN´s 30 2018 

National Geographic Explorer Program Grant, 2017

Winner Juror´s Choice Award Center, Santa Fe, 2016

Winner FotoVisura Grant for Outstanding Personal Project, 2015

Emerging Photographer Fund Finalist, 2015

Finalist Magnum-Ideas Tap Foundation Award, 2015

Honorary Mention Photographic Museum of Humanity, 2015

British Journal of Photography Ones to Watch, 2014

Gold Medal China International Photographic Art Exhibition, 2013

1st Prize Contemporary African Photography Award (POPCAP), 2013

2nd Prize Festival Internacional de Fotografía de México (FINI), 2013

Fórum Photographic Can Bastè Grant, 2012

1st Prize Revela International Photography Award, 2012

2nd Prize Pride International Photography Contest, 2012


COLLECTIONS (selection)

INELCOM, Madrid, Spain

Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia, León, Spain

Museo de América, Madrid, Spain

HEF Investment, Madrid, Spain


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

The Hunter, Galería Freijo (Madrid, Spain) 2016

Fósil, Museo de la Minería de Sabero  (León, Spain) 2016

The Hunter, Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia (FCYCAC) (León, Spain) 2015

Fosil, comissioned by MUSAC museum (León, Spain) 2015

Future Plans, Photon Festival (Valencia, Spain) 2015

Transmongolian, Cortona on the Move (Cortona, Italy) 2014

Wonderland, DOCFIELD, IlMondo Gallery (Barcelona, Spain) 2014

Wonderland, Fucares Gallery (Madrid. Spain) 2014

Future Plans, Fundación Can Basté (Barcelona, Spain) 2013

Transmongolian, PhotoEspaña´12 Galería Fúcares (Madrid, Spain) 2012



GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)

The Hunter, Cambio de Rumbo Tabacalera (Madrid) 2017

Future Plans, State Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia) 2016

Transmongolian, Athens Photo Festival (Athens, Greece) 2016

Wonderland / Transmongolian MAC/VAL Museum (Paris, France) 2015

Wonderland, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Castilla y León (MUSAC) (León. Spain) 2014 

Future Plans Pondycherry Festival (Pondycherry, India) 2014

Transmongolian, Hungry Still, Format Gallery (Derby, United Kingdom)  2014

Future Plans, Athens Photo Festival (Athens, Greece) 2013

Future Plans, Delhi Photo Festival, India Habit Center (New Delhi, India) 2013

Future Plans, Festival Internacional del Foto de México (Mexico DF, Mexico) 2013

Future Plans, Vogele Kultur Centrum (Zúrich, Switzerland) 2013

Atlantes, Feria Internacional ARCO, Galería Fúcares (Madrid, Spain) 2013

Future Plans, POP CAP´13 (Basel, Switzerland) 2013

Future Plans, Lagos Photo Festival (Lagos, Nigeria) 2013

Pride Photo Award, the Old Church (Ámsterdam, Netherlands) 2012

Premio Internaciona de Fotografía Revela, Can Basté (Barcelona, Spain) 2012