Claudia Bernal

I deeply believe in the role artists must play in processes of social and political transformation; this conviction has led me to address social issues that resonate personally with me in my work. The true site of art—more so than institutions—should be society itself, and art should be action rather than mere objects. My interdisciplinary artistic practice lies at the intersection of visual arts, performance art, and literature. In my recent work, I explore themes such as migration, exile, female identity, social and political violence, memory, marginality, isolation, and inner fragility and strength. My artistic output encompasses installations, performances, prints, videos, and soundscapes. The materials I use in my installations are diverse, ranging from natural elements—such as stones, water, and feathers—to video and audio tracks and digital prints. I am also interested in the relationships that emerge between the artworks themselves, as well as between the audience and the exhibition space.

Claudia Bernal is an interdisciplinary artist whose work sits at the crossroads of visual arts, performance art, and literature. She is currently a doctoral student in Art Studies and Practices at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). After earning a degree in Philology and Languages ​​from the National University of Colombia (1989), Bernal immigrated to Quebec in 1991 and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts (Creative Practice) at UQÀM in 1999. She also holds a Master’s degree in Theatre from UQÀM, during which she deepened her research into performative installation. Concepts such as movement, migration, space, and identity are recurring themes in her work. Bernal has held both group and solo exhibitions in museums, artist-run centres, galleries, and public spaces in Tokyo, Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Paris, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Spain, among other locations. Her works are held in the collections of the National Bank of Canada, the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Cirque du Soleil, and the City of Montreal. Bernal has received grants from the FRQSC, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the UQAM Foundation. Claudia Bernal lives and works in Montreal.