Ani Villanueva

The daughter of Venezuelan painter Mary Brandt, Ani was constantly surrounded and influenced by art of all kinds, including music, drama, and dance. During the 1970s, Ani travelled in order to further her education, attending the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, the University of Essex in England, and the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris, studying psychology, political science, and Taoism respectively.[1]

Villanueva's work, often consisting of multiple mediums, was greatly influenced by the artistic education she received during her upbringing. Villanueva's influences and collaborations went beyond Latin American artistic trends and styles. For example, Iguana, her collaboration with Carlos Villanueva and two British artists, incorporates elements from two distinctly different art styles and methodologies.

Medium(s) used: Video, color, sound; Runtime: approximately 22 minutes

One of Villanueva's initial public works, Cuadro móvil or "Moving Picture", was a collaboration with her mother, Mary Brandt, and performed in Villanueva's hometown of Caracas at the Sala Mendoza. A painting ominously moves through various parts of an art gallery, crawling through various display rooms and caressing paintings while a foreboding melody discordantly plays in the background. This work contains horror elements, such as the disturbing, humanoid painting and unsettling background music. Many of Brandt's paintings spread through the gallery rooms are abstract collages of color.

Boa (1986)

Medium(s) used: Video, color, sound; Runtime: approximately 18 minutes In this performance, Villanueva slithered around while painted in a serpentine print to the sounds and backdrop of a rainforest. A projection of a boa constrictor eventually descends on Villanueva, thus giving the audience the impression that she has become one with the indigenous flora and fauna. This performance is one of the few that Villanueva displayed internationally, at the Astoria Theater in London.

In 1985, Villanueva and director Diego Barboza won the prize for non-objective art at the Salón Arturo Michelena for their collaboration, De la escuela de Atenas a la nueva escuela de Caracas (From the school of Athens to the new school of Caracas).

This performance was named after mid-to-late 17th century female philosopher and scholar Juana Inés de la Cruz and was performed at the Miami Art Museum. In this performance, Villanueva dresses and acts as the aforementioned de la Cruz.

Casos de Cosas, literally translated into English as "cases of things", is an assemblage that incorporates six pack rings for soda cans held together by zip ties. This piece was part of her focus on marine and coral ecosystems, as well as an incorporation of her training in mixed media art.

In 2005, Villanueva won first prize at the 8th Bienal Nacional de Escultura Francisco Narvaez (or the 8th Francisco Narvaez National Sculpture Biennial), an event in which artists submit sculptures or other installations for competition.