Manuel Calderón’s animated works use the artist’s body as its primary element, but these aren’t exactly self-portraits. They reflect on the space we inhabit and the broader implications of our day-to-day movements. His recent work, in particular, pushes even further the idea of abandoning any specific story to tell and instead conveying a broader narrative of existence.
“My work with video does not have a narrative,” the artist has said. “They are moving, animated, drawings. The spectator observes, and ideally, the spectator should stay there and not wait for something to literally happen. Of course there is a moment where he decides if he should stay or not, even when he is already aware that nothing will happen; however, something is obviously happening. This is about observing, something as simple and complex as that.”
See more of his work below.
Linz, Austria based German artist 
Cai Guo-Qiang's work, including the monumental “Sky Ladder,” transforms the space with seemingly minimalist strokes. However, much of the work comes out of meticulous planning and labored execution. Recent portraits also continue the artist's use of surprising materials, such as the gunpowder portraits below.
There, but not really. That’s the context for Barcelona-born artist