BIO
Peruvian-born, New York based multidisciplinary artist, educator and researcher. Her artistic endeavors have been showcased in exhibitions across New York since 2012. Professionally, Lolo held roles as Producer and Director of Photography. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair Italia among many others.
In her practice she incorporates: Microbes, Bacterial Cellulose, Recycled Objects, Emerging Technologies and Bioplastics, sourced from renewable, non-petroleum-derived materials. She has led workshops about Bioart and Sustainable Art Practice (a concept she has been developing advocating for students to have access to biomaterials education) at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering, Tisch School of the Arts and Genspace , the world’s first community biology lab. Her expertise led her to a cultural exchange in Beijing, China where she introduced “Sustainable Art Practice: Living Materials, Biomaterials and the Future of Art Making.”
She was commissioned to create a site specific installation at BioBat Art Space, New York’s only BioArt gallery. She participated in “The Every Woman Biennial”, ‘Havana Biennial” and has completed artist residencies in Governors island, New York. In June 2024, her research: “The Future of Biodesign Education” was featured in Cambridge Press.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Driven by a profound interest in sustainability, biological design, and audience engagement, my artistic practice seeks to bridge the realms of science, art, and education. I believe art possesses the dual power to entertain and educate plant the seeds of curiosity. My work aims to transport viewers to a space where perception, sensation, and emotion meet. While I was trained in visual arts and still use light and space in my work, my focus shifted towards biological materials, inspired by extensive travel and the distressing sight of plastics and pollution in the world’s most pristine environments.
Central to my practice is the conscious selection and creation of materials. Instead of purchasing supplies, I fabricate many elements in a circular, sustainable manner. Through fermentation I utilize bacterial cellulose and natural-based polymers. Speculative ideas are integral to my concept development, allowing me to construct new universes.
I find a deep sense of peace in the solace of collaborating with living materials. As a migrant, my experience of displacement fuels a deep-seated desire to understand and connect with people beyond traditional physical spaces, exploring new dimensions in materials, interconnections, and identity.
*Complete CV upon request
Biennial Exhibitions
2024 VideoAkt Bienal Internacional de Arte de los Nuevos Medios, Lima, Peru
15th Havana Biennial, “Shared Horizons”, Wifredo Lam Centre for Contemporary Art, Havana Cuba
5th Edition Every Woman Biennial. La Mama Galleria. New York, NY, USA
Two-person Exhibition
2018 Du·et. Caravaglia Studio. New York, NY, USA
Group Shows (Selection)
2024 Let it Drain, Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton NY USA
2024 A World Water Map, Swale House, Governors Island NY, USA
2023 Embodied Futures & the Ecology of Care. BioBat Art Space. Brooklyn, NY, USA
2023 GUI/GOOEY. Plexus Projects, USA (online)
2019 Intertwine. Veronica Studio. Brooklyn, NY, USA
2016 Interpretation: Monumental Public Space & The Human. State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg, Russia
2016 Photography. Milk Gallery. New York, NY, USA
2015 Photography as a New Document. New York, NY, USA
2012 The Soul of Self Portrait. Fred Pomerantz Art and Design Center. New York, NY, USA
Residencies
2024 Swale Lab + Urban Soils Institute, Governors Island, New York, NY, USA
2024 New York Latin American Art Triennial, Governors Island, New York NY, USA
Selected Presentations & Talks
2024 De Bebida a Biomaterial, Havana, Cuba
2024 Eco-Imagination, Beijing China
2024 Artist Panel Discussion, BioBat Art Space, Brooklyn NY, USA
2023 New York Public Library, Artists Studio Community Series, USA (online)
2023 Open Studios, Sunset Park, USA
2023 Artist talk : Artists in Laboratories, MIT Global Community Bio Summit, USA (online)
2022 Willoughby Walks, Brooklyn NY, USA
2015 Artist talk: Documentary Media & Practice, International Center of Photography, NYC, USA
Teaching
2024 Teaching Artist “SMART Project”
2024 Sustainable Art Practice: Living Materials, Biomaterials & the Future of Art Making, Beijing, China
2024 Stained Bioglass, Genspace, Brooklyn NY, USA
2024 Sustainable Art Practice: Earth Day Festival in Partnership with March for Science, Union Square NYC, USA
2024 Biomaterials, “Break into Biotech” Cohort 1, Genspace, Brooklyn NY, USA
2023 Sustainable Art Practice & Open Space, ITP Camp, New York University, USA
2023 Bioplastics 101, Earth Day Festival in Partnership with March for Science, Union Square NYC, USA
2023 Bioplastics, New York University, USA
2022 Painting with Yeast, Makers Space, Tandon School of Engineering, USA
2022 Artist in Laboratories, ITP Camp, New York University, USA
2015 International Center of Photography, Teaching Assistant to Andre Lambertson, NY, USA
2014 International Center of Photography, Teaching Assistant NY, USA
Grants
2024 Foundation of Contemporary Arts, Emergency Grant
2023 Green Grant
2022 Sustainability Grant
2022 NYU Prototyping Fund
Research
Ostia, L. (2024). Sustainable Art Practice: The Future of Biodesign Education. Cambridge Open Engage
doi:10.33774/coe-2024-hvr17
Education
New York University, Tisch School of Art, Masters (MPS), Interactive Telecommunications (ITP), NYC, USA
Parsons, The New School of Design, Bachelor of Fine Art, Photography & Digital Media, NYC, USA
Fashion Institute of Technology, Associate in Applied Science, Spatial Experience Design/ Exhibit Design, NYC, USA