Joaquin is a Venezuelan multidisciplinary artist, currently based in Los Angeles, California. He started painting on walls and creating artwork for local bands at age of 15. His insatiable hunger to create led him to pursue a career in graphic design and then went on to further his education by earning a Masters of Fine Arts at SCAD University granting him a successful career as a fine artist and creative director in the ad industry.
Joaquin's work is a reflection of his fascination with typography, textures, and the constant barrage of messages that people receive from the media daily. He decontextualizes words and phrases that are often used to dictate meaning or action, giving them new life in his artwork. Joaquin's obsession with magnification and amplifying microscopic details allows viewers to see beyond what meets the eye.
His award winning experience in advertising for over a decade has greatly influenced his development as a fine artist. Joaquin's artwork often resembles nonexistent ads that break the rules of design and advertising while utilizing the same principles and elements.
Joaquin's work explores the intersection of visual and linguistic elements much like the work of John Baldessari and Richard Prince, drawing inspiration from the way they deconstruct and recontextualize images and text to create new meanings. Baldessari's influence can be seen in Joaquin's use of found objects and materials, as well as his playful approach to art-making that incorporates humor and irony. Prince's appropriation of advertising imagery and his interest in the cultural impact of mass media also resonate with Joaquin's exploration of the ways we consume visual information in our daily lives. Additionally, Joaquin's interest in Marcel Duchamp's use of readymade objects and his challenge to traditional notions of art and authorship inform his approach to creating art that is both visually compelling and conceptually thought-provoking.
Joaquin's art is a meditation on the beauty of found objects and forgotten materials, interpreting them in a new way and freeing them from their original purpose. His artwork is an amalgamation of layers of elements intertwined and merged with water and paste, creating depth and meaning that is both tactile and visually stunning.
Solo Exhibitions
2023 | Till Wrong is Right - Artsy Conveyance, Miami, FL
2021 | Déficit de Atención - Cerquone Projects, Caracas, Venezuela
2019 | Fake Smile - Adhesivo Contemporary, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions
2023 | Somos Arthouse Collective, Brooklyn, NY
2022 | Loading - Reset Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela
2022 | Art Show - Sonic Union, New York, NY
2019 | Pretenso - Cerquone Projects, Madrid, Spain
2019 | Unqork - Adhesivo Contemporary + Seer Projects, New York, NY
2019 | The Loft - Showfields, New York, NY
2019 | Opening - Kayas Boutique, Lisbon, Portugal
2018 | Scope Art Show - Arte Ponte Gallery, New York, NY
2018 | Omisión Ligera - Cerquone Projects, Caracas, Venezuela
2018 | Art in Progress - Bombay Sapphire, New York, NY
2018 | Omisión Ligera - Cerquone Projects, Madrid, Spain
2018 | Playground - TOBE Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2017 | 100 Pieces - Safe Place for Youth, Los Angeles, CA
2017 | Disorder - Unfollow Collective, Brooklyn, NY
2017 | Art Bellow - Sur Le Mur Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 | 100 Pieces - Safe Place for Youth, Los Angeles, CA
2016 | IABF - Flamingo Publications, Brooklyn, NY
2016 | What We Do is Secret II - Unfollow Collective, New York,NY
2015 | What We Do is Secret I - Unfollow Collective, Brooklyn, NY
Auctions
2022 | For A Brighter Venezuela - Fé y Alegría, Houston, TX
2021 | 35 ANGEL SANCHEZ - LATAM Freedom & Development Foundation, Miami, FL
2019 | Showfields - Paddle8, New York, NY
Press
2021 | Luis Chataing - Arriba Miami - Radio Interview with Joaquin Salim, Miami, FL
2020 | Rodrigo Diamanti, Sin Mordaza - “Your Art is Your Power” Interview Podcast, Caracas, Venezuela
2020 | Jaraim Navas, Yo Soy Mega - “Art in Music with Joaquin Salim” - Radio Interview, Caracas, Venezuela
2020 | Rolling Stone Magazine - “Arawato Drops New Video Created by Joaquin Salim”, Mexico City, Mexico
2018 | People Magazine - “Angel Sanchez Talks About His New Collection”, Miami, FL
2018 | El Nacional - “The Venezuelan artist takes New York City with Fake Smiles”, Caracas, Venezuela
2018 | Juan A. Gonzáles - “Joaquin Salim stands up against Fake Smiles”, Caracas, Venezuela,
Lectures
2022 | “From 5:00pm to 9:00am” - Fine Arts Foundation Studies - SCAD University, Savannah, GA
2021 | “Guest&Gusto Series” - SCAD University, Savannah, GA
2021 | “From 5:00pm to 9:00pm” - Brother Advertising School, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2020 | “Spending Life Ignoring The Other Side of The Story” - Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2018 | “From 5:00pm to 9:00am” - Advertising Dept - SCAD University, Savannah, GA