Bernardo Ortiz's work focuses on the exploration of drawing in its material and conceptual conditions. The artist relinquishes mimetic images of the world in order to emphasize the minute effects of things and events. He is interested in process, in the transient, in drawing as a path, and in everything that surrounds this act of making.
In recent years, the artist has devoted himself to the study of diagrams and notations, developing a research practice situated at the intersection of drawing, writing, and systematic thought. From this process emerges a series of exhibitions and publications that examine the tensions between the visible and the invisible, between presence and absence.
Born in Bogotá in 1972, where he lives and works, Ortiz graduated in Visual Arts from the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, 1995) and obtained a master's degree in Philosophy from the Universidad del Valle (Cali, 2002). His recent exhibitions include solo shows at Luisa Strina (São Paulo, 2026 and 2017); Casas Riegner (Bogotá, 2024 and 2019); Alarcón Criado (Seville, 2023 and 2020); Siobhan Davies Studios (London, 2019); and the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (2016), among others.
He has also participated in international exhibitions such as the Sydney Biennale (2016), the Bienal de São Paulo (2012), and the Biennale de Lyon (2011). His work is included in major collections such as MoMA (New York), Tate Modern (London), the Centre National des Arts Plastiques - CNAP (Paris), and Deutsche Bank (Berlin), among others.
In addition to his artistic production, Ortiz has also been involved in editorial and curatorial projects. From 1995 to 2007, he was co-editor of the magazine Valdez, which was selected for Documenta Magazines in 2007. He also worked as co-curator on exhibitions such as the 7th Mercosul Biennial (Porto Alegre, 2009) and the 41st Salón Nacional de Artistas (Cali, 2008). His written production includes critical and theoretical texts published on various international platforms, such as e-flux and OEI.