Mark Salvatus is an intermedia artist at the forefront of critical discourse on the subject of urbanization and the socio-economic underpinnings that are made manifest in densely-populated areas. The urban landscape serves as both repository and stage for Salvatus’ works that deal with familiar objects, chance encounters, and everyday politics.

Significantly influenced by the Internet, advertising, and pop culture, his oeuvre spans a varied range of media, from a series of defaced city maps ("Codes", 2007- today), sculptural installations ("Model Unit", 2012), to multi-channel video work ("Notes from the New World", 2015). Salvatus also conducts public participatory interventions, i.e. "Wrapped: Traces" – a continuing artistic project that has been conducted in several cities that he has visited since 2007, engaging and collaborating with random bystanders by asking them to trace the outlines of objects or personal belongings on a communal wall.

The artist’s persistent preoccupation on urban culture is most evident in his video works such as "Model City Series" (2012-today), "Current Affair$" (2014), "Mountains" (2015), "We Used to Roam the World" (2015), and "Sketch" (2015), through which Salvatus conveys his clever commentary on the incongruities that plague Metro Manila, the Philippine capital region deemed to be the land of opportunities.

In 2006, Salvatus cofounded "Pilipinas Street Plan", a Manila-based network of individuals focused in saturating metropolitan interstitial spaces with ephemeral activity, e.g. street art and happenings. Furthermore, in 2012 he cofounded "98B COLLABoratory", an artist-run, multidisciplinary site and convergence zone for creative sharing, discussion, and collaboration.

Mark Salvatus (b. 1980) currently lives and works in Manila, Philippines. He graduated cum laude at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design Manila with a degree in Advertising Arts. He had solo shows at the Vargas Museum (Manila/PH), Ateneo Art Gallery (Manila/PH), Cultural Center of the Philippines (Manila/PH), La Trobe University Visual Art Center, (Melbourne/AU) and Goyang Art Studio (KR). His works have been presented in various international exhibitions including Video Spotlight: Philippines, Asia Society (NYC/USA, 2015); Neither Back nor Forward: Acting in the Present, Jakarta Biennale (Jakarta/ID, 2015); Survival Kit, (Umea/SW, 2014); Prologue: Honolulu Biennial (2014); Censorship, Move on Asia, Alternative Space Loop (Seoul/KR, 2014); Hotel Inmigrantes, parallel event Manifesta 9 (Hasselt/BE, 2012); 4th Guangzhou Triennale, Guandong Museum of Art (Guangzhou/CN, 2011); 3rd Singapore Biennale, Singapore Art Museum (SG, 2011); Koganecho Bazaar (Yokohama/JP, 2011); X IV Jakarta Biennale, Galeri Nasional (Jakarta/ID, 2011), La Trobe Univeristy Museum of Art | LUMA (Melbourne/AU, 2011), Next Wave Festival (Melbourne/AU, 2010); Asia Panic (Gwangju/KR, 2009).

Mark Salvatus is a recipient of the 13 Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (2012); Sovereign-Schoeni Art Prize, Hong Kong (2012) and Ateneo Art Awards (2010). He was also a part of the Philippine Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2016 in Venice/IT and is representing the Philippine Pavilion in the upcoming Venice Art Biennale this 2024.

link to ARTIST'S WEBSITE

Biography

1980 born in Manila (Philippines)

lives and works in Manila (Philippines)

Exhibitions, projects
(2001-2024, selection)

2024
Solo presentation, Philippine Pavilion, Venice Art Biennale curated by Carlos Quijon Jr. (upcoming)
Relaxation is a State of Mind, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Makati (PH)

2023
Living Togetherness, Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition, Hong-gah Museum, Taipei (TW)
The Oceans and the Interpreters, Britto Art Trust, Dhaka (BD)
Crossing Ecotones - Mountains Seen；No Mountain Being, Our Museum, National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA)(TW)
Notes for Tomorrow, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz, NY (US) Humber Galleries, Humber College, Toronto (CA) Curated by Independent Curators International (ICI)

2022
Phantasmapolis X Manila Select Works from the 2021 Asian Art Biennale, MET Museum, Manila (PH)
The Oceans and the Interpreters, Honggah Museum, Taipei (TW)
Notes for Tomorrow, Independent Curators International (ICI) traveling exhibition, Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery with Tendai Mutambu, Auckland (NZ), The Cube Project Space, Taipei (TW), The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (US)
68th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (DE)
Genealogy of Ghosts and How to Live with Them, Kaliuarang, Jogjakarta (ID)
Projector X, S.E.A. Focus 2022 a project of STPI with Drawing Room Contemporary Art (SG)

2021
Phantasmapolis, Asian Art Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taitung (TW)
Whose Stories?, Kamloops Art Gallery, British Columbia, Canada
Watch and Chill, National Museum of Modern and Contemorary Art, Seoul (KR)
Watch and Chill, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila (PH)
A Life Beyond Boundaries (the geography of belonging), JWD ART SPACE, Bangkok (TH)
Notes for Tomorrow, Independent Curators International (ICI), Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery at Haverford College, Pennsylvania (US), Contemporary Calgary, Alberta (CA), Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing (CN), Pera Museum, Istanbul (TR)
We are going to have to live outside, Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center (PH)

2020
Between the Sun and the Moon, 2nd Lahore Biennale, Lahore (PK)
Transient Museum of a Thousand Conversations, ISCP, New York (US)
Ubon Agenda, Ubon (TH)
Site-Specific Art in Post LCC Era, Kyoto Art Center (JP)
Cue from Life Itself, Metropolitan Museum of Manila (PH)
Mask-Faced Media, Rubicon Cinema, Akron, Ohaio (US)
Entry into a Creature. From Social Sculpture to Platform Capitalism, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (DE)
The Oceans and the Interpreters: The Deep City, Honggah Museum, Taipei, (TW)

2019
HANTU-HANTU SERIBU PERCAKAPAN (Ghosts of a Thousand Conversations) 900mdpl (ID)
Leaving the Echo Chamber, Sharjah Biennial 14 (UAE)
Motions of This Kind, Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London (UK)
Unfolding Fabric of Our Life, Mill6CHAT, (HK)
Balloon Days, UENOYES, Tokyo (JP)
City of Bawal, 1335 Mabini Gallery, Manila (PH)

2018
Salvage Projects, 1335 Mabini, Makati (PH)
Transpersonal, Instructions, Vargas Museum, Manila (PH)
Island Hopping project – Body of Asia, Vargas Museum, Manila (PH)
Now Here Once Again, Yeosu International Art Festival, Yeosu (KR)
Hothouse, Philippine Contemporary Art Network Pavilion, Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju (KR)
A Tripoli Agreement, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah (UAE)
One Extended Present - Strangely Split, De Appel, Amsterdam (NL)
How Little You Know About Me, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (KR),
The sun teaches us that history is not everything, Osage Art Foundation(HK)
Open City, Manila Biennale, Intramuros, Manila (PH)

2017
Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City Homecoming Exhibition, 
Metropolitan Museum of Manila (PH)
Silver Sehnsucht, Silver Building, London (UK)
Walang Kikilos, NCCA Gallery, Intramuros (PH)
Scope: Pingpong, Space Ppong, Seo-gu, Gwangju (KR)
Move on Asia 2017, Mobilized Representation, Alternative Space LOOP, Seoul (KR)
Sunshower: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980's to Now, The National Art Center, Mori Art Museum,  Tokyo (JP)
Kamias Triennale, Quezon City (PH)
Mobilized Representation, Alternative Space Loop, Seoul, (KR)
Mutable Truths - Perspectives on Philippine Contemporary Art Practice, La Trobe Art Institute (AU)
Field Trip, Gallery Edwin, Jakarta (ID)

2016
Meet Me Halfway, 1335MABINI, Manila (PH) (solo)
Blue Bird in the Labyrinth: A walk from Japanese Modern Art to Asian Contemporary Art Scene, Galerie Nichido, Taipei (TW)
15th International Architecture Exhibition, Philippine Pavilion: Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City, Palazzo Mora, Venice (IT)
Will Nature Make a Man of Me Yet?, Pi Artworks London (UK)
Sonsbeek 2016: transACTION, Dutch Art Institute, Arnhem (NL)

2015
16th Jakarta Biennale 2015:Maju Kena, Mundur Kena (Neither forward nor back): Learning in The Present, curated by Charles Esche, Jakarta (RI)
Video Spotlight: Philippines, Asia Society Museum, New York/NY (USA)
Follow Your Eyes, 1335MABINI, Manila (PH) (solo) 
Dress Me Featherless, Northern Center for Contemporary Art, curated by Fiona Gavino, Darwin (AU)
South by Southeast, Osage Foundation, curated by Patrick Flores and Verona Mihulet (HK)
REROUTE: Resituating Site-Specific Works, Vargas Museum, curated by Dayang Yraola, Manila (PH)
The Other Home, Made in NY Media Center, curated by Viktoria Ilyushkina, New York (US)
The Way out is through, Arts Horizon Leroy Neiman Art Center, curated by Kenneth Paranda, New York (US)

2014
World Cup, Artery Art Space, Manila (PH) (solo)
Latitudes, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila (PH) (solo)
Maybe in another Universe, Museum Barengasse, curated by Kenneth Paranada, Zurich (CH) (solo)
Several Souvenirs, 1335MABINI, Manila (PH) (solo)
Chain of Fire, Prologue Exhibition, Honolulu Biennial, curated by Koan Jeff Baysa and Isabella E. Hughes,Honolulu, Hawaii (US)
TRANS(IE)NT, Project Glocal, curated by Dayang Yraola, Escolta, Manila (PH)
Survival Kit Art Festival, curated by Virkligheten, Umea (SE)
Cyberfest, International Cyber Arts Festival, Luda Gallery, St. Petersburg, curated by Victoria IIyushkina (RU)
Generator, 6th Cairo Video Festival, Geriza Art Center, Cairo, curated by Mena El Shazly (EG)
Drawn to Scale, curated by Patrick Flores, Vargas Museum, Manila (PH)
New Natives, Light Bombs Contemporary, Hong Kong, (CN)
Censorship, Move on Asia, curated by Daewon Hwang, Alternative Space Loop, Seoul (KR)
Triumph of Philippine Art, curated by M Teresa Rodriguez, Ayala Museum, Manila (PH)
Triumph of Philippine Art, curated by M Teresa Rodriguez, Fisher Museum, University of Southern California (PH)
The Disappearance, curated by Planting Rice, Center for Contemporary Art, Gillman Baracks, (SG)
Powers that Be, Drawing Room, Gillman Barracks (SG)
Community and Territory, 5th Yeosu International Art Festival, Chonnam Art Center, Chonnam, curated by Sun-jung Kim (KR)

2013
Censorship, Move on Asia, Alternative Space Loop, Seoul (KR)
Media/Art Kitchen, Remote CNTRL, collaboration with Stephanie Syjuco, 98B COLLABoratory, Manila (PH)
Triumph of Philippine Art, George Segal Gallery, Montclair University, New Jersey (US)
Ateneo Art Awards: 10 Year Retrospective, Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila (PH)
Art Basel, Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Hong Kong (CN)
A Futuristic City of the Past, Changwon Asian Art Festival, Sungsan Art Hall, Changwon (KR)
TRIP, Roppongi Art Night, Mori Art Museum, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo (JP)
The Philippine Contemporary: A Proposed History, Metropolitan Museum of Manila (PH)
I Want More, Bamboo Culture Studio, Taipei (TW)
Constellations, Blanc Gallery, Quezon City (PH)
Masterpieces, Ayala Museum, Manila (PH)
DomestiCITY, J’s Studio, Manila (PH)

2012
Territories, Ateneo Art Gallery, Quezon City (PH) (solo)
Dezipcoding, Singapore Art Museum 8Q (SG)
Cosmopolitan Stranger, Hotel Inmigrantes, parallel event Manifesta 9, Hasselt (BE)
Others, The Picasso, Makati (PH)
Populus, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Gillman Barracks (SG)
13 Artist Award exhibition, Cultural Center of the Philippines (PH)
Modes of Impact: Video Acquisitions from Ateneo Art Gallery, Quezon City (PH)
Cityzening, Vargas Museum, Quezon City (PH)
Short Memory, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Gillman Barracks (SG)
POST: Outlining Perspectives, Metropolitan Museum of Manila (PH)
Habit Forming, Art Informal, Manila (PH)
Great Ghastly, Art Informal, Manila (PH)
Bliss Market, Quezon City (PH)

2011
Other View, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Manila (PH) (solo)
C_RAFTS, Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines (PH) (solo)
Secret Garden, La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre | VAC, Bendigo, Victoria (AU) (solo)
Open House, 3rd Singapore Biennale, Singapore Art Museum (SG)
Back to the Basics - The Museum Per Se, 4th Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou (CN)
Maximum City: Survive or Escape, Jakarta Biennale XIV, Galeri Nasional, Jakarta (ID)
Stories of Dreams and Realities, Rossi & Rossi in collaboration with The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, London (UK)
Vernacular Cultures & Contemporary Art in Australia, India and the Philippines, LUMA |La Trobe University Museum of Art, Melbourne (AU)
Open Studio, Art OMI, New York (US)
Nothing to Declare, Blanc Compound, Manila (PH)

2010
Attached, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Manila (PH) (solo)
Extensions: Zero-In, Lopez Museum, Manila (PH)
What is Gunsan to Tell?, Gunsan Art Studio, Gunsan (SK)
Boat and Bridge_Net, Space Beam, Incheon (SK)
Shattering States, Ateneo Art Awards, Ateneo Art Gallery & Shangri-la Plaza, Manila (PH)
Structural Integrity, Next Wave Festival, Arts House, Meat Market, Melbourne, (AU)
VOLTA6, Dreispitzhalle, Basel, Switzerland (CH)
The Vargas Collection, Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Quezon City (PH)
Signos, Art Center, Megamall, Mandaluyong (PH)
Faith and Reason, Manila Contemporary (PH)
Paper Panic, 20Square Slab, Makati (PH)
Smokescreen, Tin-aw Gallery, Makati (PH)

2009
Court Yard, Pablo Gallery, Fort, Taguig (PH) (solo)
Asia Panic, Gwangju Biennale Hall, Gwangju (SK)
Verso Manila, Verso Arte Contemporanea & The Drawing Room Turin (IT)
Spirit of Asia, Gallery Nine, Gwangju (SK)
Tutok: SoEna, Manila Contemporary Gallery, Manila (PH)
Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever, Valentine Willie Fine Art (SG)
X-Change, Centre Culturel et de Coopération Linguistique, Surabaya, (ID)
Current, Sungdu-an 5, National Art Gallery, National Museum, Manila (PH)
Daloy: 40 years, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila (PH)
Open Day, different sites, Shatana, Jordan*
Connecting Urban Spaces, Green Papaya Art Projects, Quezon City (PH)
Cartographical Lure, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur (MY)
TeXT, 5th International Artist's Book Triennial, Vilnius (LT)
EXCEPT, Sala Silentium of Vicolo Bolognetti, Bolgna (IT)

2008
Good Morning Sickness, Nospace Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand (PH) (solo)
Domestico ‘08, El Papel Del Artista, Calatrava, Madird (ES)
Road:Rode, At The Vanishing Point (ATVP) Contemporary Art, Sydney (AU)
In Transition, National Centres of Contemporary Art, Ekaterinburg and Moscow (RU)
Here We Are, CologneOFF, Cologne, (DE)
2nd Bagasbas Beach International Eco Arts Festival, Daet, Camarines Norte (PH)
Action Parties # 2, See Scape Art Hub / Wunderspaze, Chiang Mai (TH)
Boxed 3, Cubicle Art Gallery, Pasig City (PH)
Tutok KKK, Blanc art space, Makati and Mandaluyong (PH)
Tutok Kargado, Ateneo Art Gallery (PH)
Roll Up, Grigore Mora Art Gallery, Bucharest (RO)
Festival Air International, Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia, Bandung (ID)
Urban Jealousy, 1st International Roaming Biennial of Tehran (IR)
Tutok, National Art Gallery, Manila (PH)
6th Uiwang International Placard Arts Festival, Uiwang (SK) 

2007
Embolicat, Ajuntament del Bruc Regidoria de Cultura, Barcelona (ES) (solo)
Wrapped, Goyang Art Studio Gallery, Seoul, (KR) (solo)
4th Neo-Angono Public Arts Festival, Angono, Rizal (PH)
Kasaysayang, Alab Art Space, Manila (PH)
Chonbuk International Sculpture Exhibition, Chonbuk Art Gallery (SK)
Open Studio 3, Goyang Art Studio, Seoul (SK)
Ansan International Art Expo, Dan Won Museum, Ansan (SK)
Boxed 2, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila (PH)
Tutok Perspektiba, Beato Angelico Gallery University of Santo Tomas;
Faculty Center, University of the Philippines, Quezon City & Arnheim Gallery, St. Scholastica College, Manila (PH)
Langib, Beato Angelico Gallery UST, Manila (PH)

2006
Jumbled Sequence Connection, Cubicle Gallery, Pasig City (PH) (solo)
Eyes Wide Open, Pablo Gallery, Cubao Xpo, Quezon City (PH) (solo)
Dos por Dos, Boston Gallery, Quezon City (PH)
Boxed, Big Sky Mind Gallery, New Manila, Quezon City (PH)
Pab Hauz, Pablo Gallery, Cubao X (PH)

2005
Wallpaper*, works on paper,Big Sky Mind Gallery, New Manila, Quezon City
Rebolusyon:Ilusyon, Cubicle Gallery, Pasig City(PH)
Salvation, Corridor Gallery, College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines
Re-representation, Beato Angelico Gallery, UST, Manila (PH)
Brushes with Words and Chords II, UST Museum, Manila (PH)
Visions, GSIS Museum, Pasay City (PH)

2004
International Exchange Exhibition for Design & Craft, Saga Prefecture Museum,Saga City (JP)
Ped Xing, UST Museum, Manila (PH)

2003
Philip Morris - Philippine Art Awards Exhibit, Metropolitan Museum of Manila (PH)

2002
Printmakers Association of the Philippines, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Letras Y Figuras, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Pasay City (PH)

2001
ASEAN Universities Arts Festival, University Cultural Center, National University of Singapore
Eye on the World, (Nokia Art Awards) RCBC Plaza, Makati City (PH)