Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga

1971–

Ricardo Miranda Zuniga grew up between Nicaragua and San Francisco. His personal perspectives and ideology have been molded by a bicultural reality consisting of such polar elements as Disneyland and the Nicaraguan Leftist Revolutionary movement. Tied to a multi-disciplinary education, his background has led to work based on a twofold principle: to approach communication as a creative process that seeks interaction and dialogue; and to investigate how economic realities formulate not only the world we live in, but more importantly, the lives we lead. Ricardo combines computer-generated art with sculptural vehicles to transcend the monitor and achieve powerful social metaphors that investigate issues of globalization. His work exists in both the embodied public space and the virtual space of the Internet. Recent projects have been supported by Franklin Furnace, thing.net, Harvestworks Media Center, Exit Art, the Bronx Museum, DAÏMÕN Media Center, NYFA, and the American Museum of the Moving Image. Ricardo is based in Brooklyn, NY, and currently teaches in the Art Department of The College of New Jersey.

Wikipedia entry

Introduction

Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga (born 1971 in San Francisco) is an American new media artist who approaches art as a social practice that establishes dialogue in public spaces. Themes such as immigration, discrimination, gentrification and the effects of globalization extend from his experience and observations into works that tactically engage viewers through populist metaphors while maintaining criticality. He has said, "I have always felt very strongly that for art to matter its need to be socially relevant and exist outside of the gallery and museum amongst people at large."

Zúñiga has shown his works in New York City; Berlin; Madrid; Valencia, Linz, Austria; Quebec; St. Petersburg; Chile; Washington, D.C.; Miami; São Paulo; Mexico; Tennessee; Chicago; Madison, Wisconsin; Buffalo; Philadelphia; and numerous times in California, including in San Francisco. Not limited to the traditional gallery space, he has exhibited his works in places as various as public parks; within the New York City Subway system; and at the San Diego-Tijuana border.