About

Werker Collective a.k.a Werker is a long-term multifaceted project about photography and labour initiated by Marc Roig Blesa and Rogier Delfos in Amsterdam in 2009. The collective started as an editorial project releasing ten issues of a contextual publication called Werker Magazine.

Its starting point is the Worker Photography movement, a group of associations of amateur photographers that appeared in Germany in the 1920’s, following in the steps of the first socialist photography experiments in the USSR which extended into the rest of Europe, the United States, and Japan. It takes an interest in working methodologies based on counter-archiving, self-representation, self-publishing, image analysis, and collective learning processes. 

Werker aims to expand the notion of self-publishing into a variety of media such as moving image, digital publishing, installation, printed matter and performance. Werker operates contextual, thus exploring different forms and strategies of interaction with a variety of audiences. Through several projects, in the last ten years, Werker has created an international community of allies, exploring notions of collective authorship, queerness, reactivating oppressed histories and worker’s solidarity.

Some of the art venues where Werker Collective has developed and/or presented work are: Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona, Spain / MACBA, Barcelona, Spain / De Appel. Amsterdam, The Netherlands / CCA U-Jazdowski. Warsaw, Poland / FOAM. Amsterdam, The Netherlands / FRAC PACA. Marseille, France / Winterthur Fotomuseum, Parallel events Manifesta 11, Switzerland / Bunkier Sztuki, Krakow Photomonth, Poland / La Capella, Barcelona, Spain / TENT, Rotterdam, The Netherlands / Fondazione MAST, Bologna, Italy / CA2M, Móstoles, Spain / Galería La Moderna, Collateral program XII Havana Biennial, Cuba / Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands / The Showroom, London, UK / Leo Xu Projects. Shanghai, China / Kiosko Galería, Santa Cruz, Bolivia / García Galería, Madrid, Spain / 1st of May Public Library, Moscow, Russia / Tate Modern, London, UK / Casco, Utrecht, The Netherlands / Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands / Matadero, PhotoEspaña, Madrid, Spain / Stedelijk Museum Bureau, Amsterdam, The Netherlands / La Virreina Centre de la Imatge, Barcelona, Spain.

Contact

Werker Collective
Geldersekade 74
1012 BL Amsterdam
The Netherlands

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Or send us an email: info@werkermagazine.org

Image: Improvised photo-lab in a living-room. Amateur Worker-Photographers. Berlin 1920’s

Visit our project websites:

Domestic Worker Photographer Network →

Image Act →

Werker Correspondent →

About & CV

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Collections

  • 2019 Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2018 Camera Austria Library. Graz, Austria.
  • 2017 Centro de documentación MUSAC. León, Spain.
  • 2016 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland.
  • 2016 Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2016 Museum of Modern Art Library. New York, USA.
  • 2016 Fondazione MAST. Bologna, Italy.
  • 2015 Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Solo shows

  • 2019 ‘werker 2 — a gestural history of the young worker’ 5th ural industrial biennial of contemporary art. yekaterinburg, russia.
  • 2018 ‘Werker 10 — Escola de Fotografia Popular’ Fundació Antoni Tàpies. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2018 ‘Queer 2 Peer Cine Club’ CCA Ujazdowsky Castle. Warsaw, Poland.
  • 2018 ‘365 Days of Invisible Work’ (with the Voice of Domestic Workers & the Jo Spence Memorial Archive) Tenderbooks. London, UK.
  • 2017 ‘Apprendre à ne pas travailler’ FRAC PACA. Marseille, France.
  • 2016 ‘Werker 2 — A Spoken History of the Young Worker’ Manifesta 11 Parallel Events. Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland.
  • 2015 ‘Werker 10 — Escuela de Fotografía Popular’ Centro de Arte 2 de Mayo. Móstoles, Spain.
  • 2013 ‘Werker Sweatshop’ García Galería. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2013 ‘Boy Politics’ Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2012 ‘Werker 7 – The Language of Revolution’ Espai Cultural Caja Madrid. Barcelona, Spain.
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Group Shows

  • 2020 ‘In the Presence of Absence: Proposals for the Museum Collection’ Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2019 ‘Der Amateur. Vom Bauhaus zu Instagram’ Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. Hamburg, Germany.
  • 2019 ‘Setze barris, mil ciutats’ El Borsí. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2018 ‘A Short Century: MACBA Collection’ MACBA. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2018 ‘fanfare inc.’ Manifesta 12 Parallel Events. Palermo, Italy.
  • 2018 ‘2 Unlimited’ De Appel. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2018 ‘Fotografies com a espai públic’ Sala Bòlit. Girona, Spain.
  • 2017 ‘Fotografies com a espai públic’ Arts Santa Mónica. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2017 ‘Wat nu, Koetsier…?” Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘Signals from the Periphery’ Tallinn Art Hall, Estonia.
  • 2017 ‘Collectivism: collectives and their quest for value’ FOAM. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘All Heal (Valerian)’ Rongwrong. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Imagineering — (Re)activating the Photographic’ Krakow Photomonth. Poland.
  • 2016 ‘Comercio de Rescate’ Galeria Servando. Havana, Cuba.
  • 2016 ‘Visceral Blue’ La Capella. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2015 ‘Motion, Labour, Machinery’ TENT. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2015 ‘Industry, Society and Territory’ Fondazione MAST. Bologna, Italy.
  • 2015 ‘Centro de Investigación Técnicamente Imprevisible’ Sala de Arte Joven. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2015 ‘Sin Oficio, ni Beneficio’ Collateral show of the XII Havana Biennial. Cuba.
  • 2015 ‘Beyond Evidence: An incomplete narratology of photographic truths’ Format festival. Derby, UK.
  • 2014 ‘Puisqu’on vous dit que c’est possible’ Saline Royale. Arc-et-Senans, France.
  • 2014 ‘On the Move’ Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 ‘Communal Knowledge’ The Showroom. London, UK.
  • 2014 ‘Soft [cover] revolution’ Indisciplinadas. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2014 ‘Prospects & Concepts’ Mondriaan Fonds. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 ‘Commonplaces’ Can Felipa. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2013 ‘The Grand Domestic Revolution—GOES ON’ City of Woman. Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • 2013 ‘Reading’ Leo Xu Projects. Shanghai, China.
  • 2013 ‘(des)okupados’ Kiosko Galería. Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
  • 2013 ‘Public Relations’ 1st of May Public Library. Moscow, Russia.
  • 2012 ‘Born in Flames – Resistance’ Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2012 ‘Our Work is Never Over’ Matadero (PHotoEspaña). Madrid, Spain.
  • 2011 ‘The Grand Domestic Revolution – User’s Manual’ Casco. Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 ‘Informality. Art, economics, precarity’ Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam. The Netherlands.
  • 2011 ‘ 1979, A Monument to Radical Instants’ La Virreina Centre de la Imatge, Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2009 ‘End-exam Show’ Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Grants, residencies & awards

  • 2020–2021 Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2018 Project grant. Art for change. La Caixa Obra Social. Barcelona, Spain. 
  • 2018 Art residency. U-jazdowski. Warsaw, Poland.
  • 2017 Art residency. Publication REBEL REBEL. FRAC PACA. Marseille, France.
  • 2017 Werkbijdrage Bewezen Talent. Mondriaan Fonds, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 Photobook Awards 2016. Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards.
  • 2016 Exhibition grant. Werker 2 — A Spoken History of the Young Worker. Mondriaan fonds. The Netherlands.
  • 2015 Production grant. Werker 3 — 365 Days of Invisible Work. Stimuleringfonds, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 GD4PhotoArt Competition: Industry, Society and Territory. Fondazione MAST. Bologna, Italy.
  • 2014 Art residency. Werker 10 — Community Darkroom. Saline Royale d’Arc et Senans, France.
  • 2013 Research grant. Werker 3 — Bilderkritik. Stimuleringsfonds, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 Talentontwikkeling. Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie, The Netherlands.
  • 2012 Production grant. Werker 6 — Cinema Diary. AFK, The Netherlands.
  • 2012 Startstipendium. Mondriaan Fonds, The Netherlands.
  • 2010 Startstipendium. The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture.
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Workshops & Events

  • 2020–2021 ‘Politics of Sleep’ with Julia Morandeira Arrizabalaga. Collective Practices Research Program. KKH Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 2020 ‘Technologies of Care’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2020 ‘weaving counter-archives’ ÉSAD Valence, France.
  • 2020 ‘(Un)Spoken Archives’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Broadcasted on Radio Alhara (Palestine) and Ja JaJa Nee Nee Nee (The Netherlands).
  • 2019 ‘(un)Common Views’ EKA. Tallin, Estonia.
  • 2019 ‘The Giant Floating Eyeball’ KABK. Den Haag, The Netherlands.
  • 2019 ‘Werker Materials 4/5/6 — Memòria popular d’un barri obrer’ Sala Pepita Casanellas, Barcelona.
  • 2018 ‘Queer 2 Peer Cine Club’ (Series of 4 screenings, debates & workshop) CAC Vilnius, Lituania.
  • 2018 ‘365 Days of Invisible Work’ with Taula en Defensa dels drets de les treballadores de la llar i les cures. MACBA, Barcelona.
  • 2018 ‘Bilderkritik 11 — Street’ Casco, Utrecht.
  • 2018 ‘The Insurgent Family: Reassessing the Anthropocene’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2018 ‘Preliminary Studies Towards de Nieuwe Nieuwsmarkt’ with Rietlanden Women’s Office & Experimental Jetset. De Appel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2018 ‘Queer 2 Peer Cine Club’ (Series of 4 screenings & debates) CCA Ujazdowsky Castle. Warsaw, Poland.
  • 2018 ‘Werker 10 — Escola de Fotografia Popular’ (Series of 12 Workshops with Dar Chabab, Baixem al Carrer, Susoespai & Table in Defence of House, Care Workers & Cleaners). Fundació Antoni Tàpies. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2017 ‘The Very House of Difference: Self-publishing & Togetherness’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘Salon REBEL REBEL: Fanzine, Art & Culture’ FRAC PACA. Marseille, France.
  • 2017 ‘The best photography books of the year’ PHotoEspaña. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2017 ‘Collaboration: The Essence of Counter-Culture’ FOAM. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘Image + Agency = Change’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘Self is Plural: The Construction of an Alternate Ego’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Werker 2 — Image Act’ Master of Voice, Sandberg Institute. San Serriffe. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Master of Voice’ Sandberg Institute. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Retrouvailles’ Fanfare. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Parallel Curriculum’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘The Applicant’ Lisette Smits. Embassy of the Netherlands. Berlin, Germany.
  • 2016 ‘Communal Knowledge at Work’ The Showroom. London, UK.
  • 2016 ‘Manual to Leisure’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 ‘Working Together’ Wysing Arts Centre. Focal Point Gallery. Southend-on-Sea, UK.
  • 2016 ‘(un)Common Views’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2015 ‘Young Worker’s Camera’ TENT. Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2015 ‘12th Historical Materialism Conference’ SOAS, University of London, UK.
  • 2015 ‘Werker Magazine & Julian Stallabras’ Courtauld Institute of Art. London, UK.
  • 2015 ‘Werker Magazine & Jorge Ribalta’ University College of London, UK.
  • 2015 ‘Work + work + workshop’ Tetterode M4. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2015 ‘Social Art Map’ J4DW, Werker Magazine & Louise Shelley. Birkbeck University. London, UK.
  • 2015 ‘Werker Magazine & Willem de Kooning’ De Punt. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2015 ‘On the move: Image-text-print-screen’ Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2015 ‘Bilderkritik 9 — Office’ Critical Studies, Sandberg Institute. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 ‘All You Can Read!’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 ‘Sin Oficio, ni beneficio’ Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales. La Habana, Cuba.
  • 2014 ‘Colonialismo interno y ciudadanías del sur’ Museo Reina Sofía. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2014 ‘New grammars of the body in protest’ Kunstraum. London, UK.
  • 2014 ‘Bilderkritik 8 – Bathroom’ Domestic Work is Work. Tensta Konsthall. Stockholm, Sweden.
  • 2014 ‘Bilderkritik 7 – Livingroom’ Indisciplinadas. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2014 ‘Werker 10 – Community Darkroom’ INBA. Tetouan, Morocco.
  • 2014 ‘Werker 7 – The Language of Revolution’ San Serriffe. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 ‘Bilderkritik 6 – Bedroom’ with Sindihogar / Sindillar, Can Felipa. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2014 ‘Werker 10 – Escuela de Fotografía Popular’ Centro de Arte dos de Mayo. Móstoles, Spain.
  • 2014 ‘Puisqu’on vous dit que c’est possible’ ISBA. Besançon, France.
  • 2014 ‘Communal Knowledge’ The Showroom. London, UK.
  • 2014 ‘Ce qu’exposer peut dire’ ISBA. Besançon, France.
  • 2013 ‘Werker 6 — Cinema Diary’ San Serriffe. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 ‘Offprint’ Art publishing fair. Beaux-arts de Paris, France.
  • 2013 ‘Imagenes que ocupan plazas’ Centro de Arte dos de Mayo. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2013 ‘Werker 9 — Radical Sports Centre’ Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 ‘Marginal Studies’ Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 ‘Bilderkritik 3—Laundry’ Work Like This. Tate Modern, London, UK.
  • 2013 ‘Pero…¿esto es arte?’ Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2013 ‘Bilderkritik 2—Doors & Windows’ with Justice for Domestic Workers. The Showroom. London, UK.
  • 2013 ‘Revolution at Point Zero’ with Silvia Federici. Casco. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 ‘Plat(t)form 2013’ Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland.
  • 2012 ‘Ask! (Actie Schone Kunsten) & Justice for Domestic Workers’ The Showroom. London, UK.
  • 2012 ‘Werker Overview’ Composició de lloc III. La Central del Raval, Barcelona.
  • 2012 ‘Werker goes to The NY ArtBook Fair’ Casco & Witte de With. The NY ArtBook Fair, U.S.A.
  • 2012 ‘Access Denied. Conference on Social Protection and Migration’ UvA. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 ‘Kitchen 139’. Ask! & Werker Magazine. W139. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 ‘See it Again, Say it Again: The Artist as Researcher’ SMBA. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 ‘Town meeting: Respect and Recognition for Domestic Work’ Casco. Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 Informality – A new collectivity. Ask! (Actie Schone Kunsten). SMBA, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 Ignite Amsterdam 8 / Pièce de Résistance. Mediamatic. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2009 Contemporary Art Screen Zuidas. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Publications

  • 2019 ‘Werker Materials 4/5/6—Memòria popular d’un barri obrer’ Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona, Werker Collective.
  • 2018 ‘Why Exhibit? Positions on Exhibiting Photographies’ Why Not… Gather Together?! by Lars Willumeit. FW: Books, Amsterdam.
  • 2018 ‘365 Days of Invisible Work’ Camera Austria International 142.
  • 2018 ‘Reading gender & sexuality through selected images from the domestic worker photographer network’ Counter-Signals. Chicago, U.S.A.
  • 2018 ‘10 Minutes Photography Course’ fanfare inc. Chapter 2: Tools. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘Culture, Democracy and the Right to Make Art: The British Community Arts Movement. A. Jeffers, G. Moriarty. Bloomsbury. London, UK.
  • 2017 ‘Werker Correspondent’ Collaborate! FOAM Amsterdam. The Netherlands.
  • 2017 ‘10 Minutes Photography Course’ Extra Magazine. Fotomuseum Antwerpen, Belgium.
  • 2017 ‘365 Days of Invisible Work’ Spector Books. Leipzig Germany.
  • 2017 ‘Werker Correspondent 1 — My School Stinks’ Mustapha Alaoui. Fez, Morocco.
  • 2017 ‘Werker Correspondent 0 — The Work of Youth after School Season’ Bilal Loukili. Meknès, Morocco.
  • 2017 ‘Schooling & Culture Vol.2 Issue 1: The State We are In’ London, UK. (design & contribution)
  • 2017 ‘Werker Collective and the Worker Photographers: Taking Back Control of the Image’ Charlie Clemoes. Novara Media. London, UK. (article)
  • 2016 ‘Masterworks of Industrial Photography’ (catalog). Fondazione MAST. Bologna, Italy.
  • 2016 ‘Is the Personal Still the Political?’ Siona Wilson (article). Exit Theory. British Art Studies #4. London, U.K.
  • 2016 ‘O dyscyplinowanym i erotyzowanym ciele mlodego robotnika’ (article). Nowa Orgia Mysli. Poland.
  • 2016 Werker 2 — A Spoken History of the Young Worker. (self-published). Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 Visceral Blue (catalog). Barcelona Producció. La Capella, Barcelona.
  • 2016 To be Continued (contribution). Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2016 The (Un)becomings of Photography (catalog). Krakow Photomonth Festival. Poland
  • 2015 Photography meets Industry (catalog). Fondazione MAST. Bologna, Italy.
  • 2015 Centro de Investigación Técnicamente Imprevisible. Sala de Arte Joven. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2015 Puisqu’on vous dit que c’est possible (catalog). Revue D’Ailleurs. ISBA. Besançon, France.
  • 2014 The Grand Domestic Revolution Handbook (catalog). Casco. Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 On the Move (catalog). Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 Project 1975 (catalog). SMBA. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2014 Prospects & Concepts (catalog). Mondriaan Fonds. Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 Werker 6 – Cinema Diary (self-published). Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2013 Werker Sweatshop y los abecedarios del conflicto (article). A*Desk, Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2013 Fotografía para leer (article). El País, Madrid, Spain.
  • 2013 Werker Sweatshop: La vida penosa de los artistas (article). El País, Madrid, Spain.
  • 2012 Leyendas del Centro (catalog). Espai Cultural Caja Madrid. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2012 Werker 7 – The Language of Revolution (self-published). Espai Cultural Caja Madrid. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2012 Pop Politics. Activismos a 33 Revoluciones (catalog). CA2M. Móstoles, Spain.
  • 2012 Les Rencontres d’Arles 2012 (catalog). Actes Sud. Arles, France.
  • 2012 Documents pour une information alternative (article) ‘Artpress 2’ Nº24. Paris, France.
  • 2012 Our Work is Never Over (catalog). Matadero Madrid, PHotoEspaña. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2012 Werker 5 – Photography Lesson 1 (contribution). Scapegoat journal, Issue 02. Toronto, Canada.
  • 2011 Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (article) The Visual Artbeat, Issue 7. Salzburg, Austria.
  • 2011 De eindjes aan elkaar knopen (article) Tubelight. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2011 Alternatieven als antwoord op het kapitalisme (article) Art. Antwerpen, Belgium.
  • 2011 1979, a Monument to Radical Moments (article). Frieze Magazine. London, United Kingdom.
  • 2011 Werker 2 – A Visual History of the Young Worker (self-published). La Virreina. Barcelona, Spain.
  • 2010 Antes que Todo (catalog). Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2010 Por Siempre Jamás (article). ABC Cultural. Madrid, Spain.
  • 2009 Augustus. Red Caballo & Andrea Valdés. La Vanguardia, Cultura/s (372-375). Spain.
  • 2009 Werker ABC (self-published). Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • 2008 Augustus, Red Caballo & Paul Ardenne. Editions de l’oeil. Paris, France.
  • 2008 Le mois de la Photo (catalog). MEP / Actes Sud. Paris, france.
  • 2008 Les 10 Expos Inconturnables (article). Beaux-arts Magazine. Paris, France.
  • 2006 Lignes de Fuite (catalog) Actes Sud / ENSP. Arles, France.
  • 2004 Generación, premios y becas de arte Caja Madrid (catalog) Madrid, Spain.