PERFORMING ARTS

2013 - BIG DRAW&THE OLYMPIC PARK (London) Dance,architecture, music participatory event

- BUILD YOUR WORLDS Artistic Direction, Choreography.

Southwark Council Commission

2012 - “Gamelan Architecture” Choreography Trayectos Festival Zaragoza, Spain/Cultural Olympiad UK.

2011- “THE TROLL’S GROTTO” set and costumes design for Little Troll theatre co. London.

2010 – “Mausoleum” Site-specific dance project at the Dulwich Gallery Museum’s Mausoleum.

-“Dancing Landscapes”(Big Dance 2010) Site-specific project in Crystal Palace Park

- “LAUDERDANCE HOUSE” (Big Dance 2010) Site-specific dance project in Lauderdale House

2009 Delicatessen (Set design for the CDA dance production.

Blank Canvas: Dance residency Firkin Crane, Ireland

2008  Trayectos Zaragoza:

City Centre Square, Zaragoza Spain

2008  Trayectos Huesca: CDAN (Centre fot Art and

Nature, Huesca  Spain

Festival Valderrobres Danza Contemporanea.

(A one week community dance proyect.)

2007 –Creatures in the City of Den Bosch Festival. (Performance) Hertogenvosch, Holland 2007 –Creatures in the City of Den Bosch Festival. (Performance) Hertogenvosch, Holland

         - KEBULLAKOLORES, Madrid Dance Marathon 2007. Madrid, Spain

2006- “SI EL TIEMPO NO(S) LO IMPIDE” S Festival, Huesca, Spain. International  co-production The Exploration  Corporation + ABC Danza

- SWITCH Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno. Performance and workshops based on Femke Van Gent’s exhibition.

           - KEBULLAKOLORES! Opening number of the Madrid Dance Maraton 2006.

           - “Stillness &Movement”: Galleri/Carmarthen.Performance &workshops based on Femke Van Gent and Sue Fielding’s visual art

           - “QX Evol”.Brighton Fringe Festival/Nightingale Theatre. Launch of “The Exploration Corporation” (Unlimited)

           - Bodyparts Festival, Royal Scottish Accademy of Art, Edimburgh.

2005-  “Drawn to Dance” Dance performance at the Hayward Gallery. Site specific piece inspired by the work of Rebecca Horn and the building’s layout.

            -“Qx”, premiere Brighton Festival. Interactive, movement based show inspired by Don Quixote’s character.

           - Movement and Drawing workshops for Rebecca Horn’s exhibition at the Hayward Gallery

2004  -Co-Artistic Director of SIX THOUSAND CHAIRS (Curator*) Three days Contemporary Art event, at Crystal Palace Park, London (site-specific installations &performances).                                                                                               

          -THE  BIG MATCH Football based performance

          -PASTORAL Site-specific performance. Concept and Direction

2003 -DANCE and MUSIC PERFORMANCE Project at the Orchard Lodge Remand Centre- London

          - LETTERS FROM SIBERIA  An Interactive Community Promenade Performance around the ruins of a castle with the   

            people of Paide (Estonia). Inspired on the letters written by those who were sent to Siberia by Stalin.

          - A THIN LINE  INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE    (Still touring)

           Created, Directed and Performed by Carlos Cortes: Space Invaders (Fierce Internat. Performance Festival),    

           Coventry.  UK Time & Space Intern. Performance fest. Paide, Estonia. The Big Stage Cardiff, UK. ARTIC Festival de

           Arte Contemp. Zaragoza Spain.Candem People's Theatre,London, UK.  54º N Art Festival Hull UK.2002-3   

            Nightingale Theatre (Brighton) International Festival Community and Performance, Rhode Island USA. En La 

            Frontera Art Festival. Zaragoza, Spain

2002   THREE POEMS  (BALLET)   SET AND  COSTUMES DESIGN Chopin/Derek  Deane Ballet de Zaragoza Spain

           ARABIAN NIGHTS  SET AND COSTUMES DESIGN Dominic Cook Isleworth Actors Co London-UK

2000   CANTERBURY  TALES    SET AND  COSTUMES DESIGN Chaucer/ Isleworth Public Hall Isleworth Actors co.London 

           PROJECT 4/STAGE WIMBLEDON.  SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE  WSA Theatre. London UK

           PROJECT 4/STAGE  ZARAGOZA SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE ARTIC Arts Festival Zaragoza Spain

           LATE FROST    DIRECTION  South London Theatre. London UK

1999   AFTER BABEL  DEVISED  PERFORMANCE  Experimental Group Project. Wimbledon School of Art Theatre. London

1998   SHAKRAS (Ballet) SET DESIGN B. Bartok/ P. Mohovich. Balletto di Toscana.  Florence Italy

1996   ODAS (Ballet) SET DESIGN  H. Purcell/ P. Mohovich Compañia de Paolo Mohovich. Zaragoza -Spain

1995   EL DESPERTAR DE FLORA (Ballet) SET DESIGN R. Drigo/ M. Galindo Ballet de Zaragoza. Zaragoza  Spain

1988-90  PROFESSIONAL DANCER Sol Dance Company, Tenerife, Spain.

VISUAL ARTS

SOLO EXHIBITIONS/COMMISSIONS

2012 - “In the Night Garden” GX Gallery London UK

          - “Gamelan Architecture” ASPEX Gallery Portsmouth

2011 – TURNER CONTEMPORARY, Margate, UK. Interactive  

            installation commission for opening season.

  1. - FIRSTSITE, Colchester UK Interactive installation commission  

   for opening of new building

-  Of Men and Angels. Exhibition, GX Gallery, London UK

2010 – Cars, Men, Flowers and a Birdhouse. GX Gallery. 

           London UK

2009 - Storyboard GX Gallery London UK

         - Magdalena y el Capitan Chorizo, Ctro de Historia

           Zaragoza Spain. Site Specific Installation.

2008 – GX Gallery. London UK

          -Galeria Pilar Gines. Zaragoza International Expo 2008. 

           Spain

2007 – GX Gallery. London UK

2005 –GX Gallery. Painting. London, Uk

2004 -Great Expectations Gallery. Painting. London, UK

2004 -WILD DUCK AT HOME. Interactive Installation. Collab. with 

           artist Meg Power.   Brighton Festival,Arts Council  funded

2003 -Great Expectations Gallery. Painting. London UK

         -54º North Festival. Painting. Hull Art Festival. HULL-UK

1994 -Photography & Dance. Teatro Principal de Zaragoza.  

           Spain

1993 -International Dance Festival. Photography. Valladolid.   

           Spain

1992 -Pablo  Gargallo Art Gallery. Painting.  Zaragoza - Spain

1991 -La Caixa de Tarragona Art Gallery. Photography.

           Tarragona. Spain


GROUP SHOWS (selected)

2008 – Artots Space. Hertogenbosch, Holland

2006  –Identidad.es  Cervantes Institute-London. Site specific

            exhibition S.A.L.

           -Hunters and Gatherers. Gallery at Willesden Green.

             London

          -Forest of Drawings. Big Draw at Kew Gardens, London UK.

2006 -  ESQUILOS LEJANOS (Curator*) Museo de Historia, 

            Zaragoza.

2005 -  S-A-L presentation party and exhibition. Cockpit Art

            Studios, London UK

          - GQ-QG International Conference. Virtual paintings group

           show. Santa Barbara, California USA

         - SIGNALS III Crystal Palace Artists group show

         - Towers and Icons. Artists Harbour Gallery, Portsmouth  UK

2004 – SIGNALS II Crystal Palace Artists group show

         – Emergency Exhibition. Antenna Studios, Crystal Palace, London

2003 -The Best of 2002 Bettie Morton Gallery. London UK 

2002 – Bettie Morton Gallery. London Uk

2001 -Summer Exhibition Oriel Myrddin. Carmarthen Wales UK

         -Torbay International Festival Torquay Devon UK

          -Chichester Open Art Exhibition. Chichester Sussex UK

1997 -Drawing Contest Isabel de Portugal Zaragoza Spain

1995 "THE SEDUCED CAMERA" Four Spanish  Dance

           Photographers at the European Union Press      

           Building, Strassbourg

         -Drawing contest Isabel de Portugal  Zaragoza - Spain

1993 -Photography Contest Isabel de  Portugal. Zaragoza . Spain

1992 -Photography Contest Isabel de Portugal, Zaragoza, Spain

1991 -Photography Contest Villa de Tauste

1986 -Villa de Tauste Painting contest. Tauste – Spain

1985 -Young Expression. Painting and Drawing. Zaragoza - Spain

         - Isabel de Portugal contest. Painting. Zaragoza Spain

1984 -Certamen "El Corte Inglés" Painting  Zaragoza - Spain

         -Young Expression. Painting and  Drawing . Zaragoza - 

           Spain

Carlos Cortes has worked successfully since the 80’s in the fields of performing and visual arts. His work has been exhibited, published and performed in several European countries and the USA

His current practice is focused in the relationship between human groups, their activities and the space they inhabit, the objects they use and the traces they leave.

He uses found objects as starting point for most of his paintings, 3D objects and installations

Movement, interactivity and visual elements are important in his performances. His practice is also defined by an interest in  audience participation, and the relationship between architecture, landscape and site-specific issues.

STUDIES

•MA THEATRE DESIGN

      Wimbledon School of Art. 1997-99 London. UK


•BALLET AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE

             Academia de Danza Mº de Avila 1982-85 Zaragoza-Spain

             Luis Fuentes' Escuela de Danza 1985-87 Madrid-Spain


•SPANISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

      Universidad de Zaragoza 1982-85  Zaragoza-Spain

Professional Experience

Teaching/Education work


Lectures and/or workshops at Nothbrook College, Hayward Gallery (London), October Gallery (London), Gallery-Caernarfon and Oriel Mostyn Gallery LLandudno.

Various workshops and art projects in youth clubs, primary schools, children hospital, nurseries and young offender institutions.

Awards

2009 - Big Draw 'Drawing Inspiration Award' 09 For his participation in the Big Draw @ Kew gardens
2007 - Big Draw 'Drawing Inspiration Award' 07 For his participation in the Big Draw @ Kew gardens
2001 - 1st Prize (Painting/students) Chichester Open Art Exhibition
1997 - Awarded a grant to study Theatre Design in London by the Cultural Department of Regional Government, Zaragoza
1994 - Photography - Honourable Mention, International Contest Bienal de Arquitectura de Zaragoza
1991 - Photography - 2nd Prize, Aragon Young Photographers

Commissions

2011 –Drawing machines for  TURNER CONTEMPORARY, Margate, UK. Interactive installation commission for opening season.

  1. - TRI-ART, FIRSTSITE, Colchester UK Interactive installation commission  


2007- A Forest of Drawings, installation in The Big Draw @ Kew Gardens, London
2007 -Madrid Dance Maraton (Performance)
2007 -Strange Creatures Festival. Den Bosch, Holland
2005 - "Drawn to Dance". Dance performance at the Hayward Gallery


Collections
Public: Zaragoza Council
Private collections in Europe, USA and New Zealand