Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck

Alessandro Balteo-Yazbeck is a Venezuelan artist based in Berlin, Germany, known for his multimedia works that explore the intersections of art, politics, and globalization.

Balteo-Yazbeck was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1972. He studied at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas Cristobal Rojas in Caracas before getting a Master of Fine Arts degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

His work often involves the appropriation and recontextualization of found materials such as newspapers, advertisements, and archival documents. Through these materials, he explores themes such as colonialism, capitalism, and the impact of globalization on contemporary society.

One of his most well-known works is the ongoing project "N.A.F.T.A. (Not a Fair Trade Agreement)" (2004–present), which critiques the North American Free Trade Agreement through a series of multimedia installations, performances, and publications.

Balteo-Yazbeck's work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He has also received numerous awards and residencies, including the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 2017.