Elena Asins studied first at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and then at the University of Stuttgart (Germany), the New School for Social Research at Columbia (New York) and the Computing Centre of the Complutense University (Madrid). She began her career in the 1960s.
From the outset her interest in logic, semiotics, geometry, music and mathematics was plain to see. Indeed, in 1967 she took part in the Arte objetivo [Objectie Art] exhibition in Madrid, which featured abstract works rooted in Constructivism.
Her work —which includes painting, sculpture, concrete poetry, computer graphics, installations, drawing and intangible work— pioneered the use of computing and technology for artistic purposes in Spain. She explored this path with colleagues from the same generation such as Eusebio Sempere, José María Yturralde and Soledad Sevilla at a Seminar on the Analysis and Automatic Generation of Plastic Forms at the Computing Centre of the Complutense University in Madrid (1969). Producing works based on algorithms, she sought to create an autonomous world, a scenario based on mathematics and logic that used repetition and variation as a tool and the cube as a measure. Her work is impeccable and elegant, and has been linked to conceptual art and concrete art. In it, all decoration, including colour, is eliminated to give a perfect form devoid of any inkling of recognisable symbolism.
She won first prize at the Zeitschrift für Kunst und Medien in Karlsruhe (Germany, 1988), the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 2006 and the National Award for Plastic Arts in 2011.
Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions such as the Espacio Gallery (Madrid, 1962), the Edurne Gallery (Madrid, 1968), the Galerie Am Berg (Stuttgart, Germany, 1970), the Carteia Gallery (Algeciras, Cadiz, 1978), the National Library (Madrid, 1979), the Institute of Architects in Zaragoza (1979), the Juana de Aizpuru Gallery (Seville, 1980), the Cultural Centre in San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid, 1982), the Galerie Kammer (Hamburg, Germany, 1990), the Theo Gallery (Madrid, 1991, 1994 and 1996), the Sala C.A.I. Luzan (Zaragoza, 1996), the Altxerri Gallery (Donostia/San Sebastián, 2000) and the Freijo Gallery (Madrid, 2015). Her retrospective at the Reina Sofía Museum was a major event (Madrid, 2011).
Elena Asins studied first at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and then at the University of Stuttgart (Germany), the New School for Social Research at Columbia (New York) and the Computing Centre of the Complutense University (Madrid). She began her career in the 1960s.
From the outset her interest in logic, semiotics, geometry, music and mathematics was plain to see. Indeed, in 1967 she took part in the Arte objetivo [Objectie Art] exhibition in Madrid, which featured abstract works rooted in Constructivism.
Her work —which includes painting, sculpture, concrete poetry, computer graphics, installations, drawing and intangible work— pioneered the use of computing and technology for artistic purposes in Spain. She explored this path with colleagues from the same generation such as Eusebio Sempere, José María Yturralde and Soledad Sevilla at a Seminar on the Analysis and Automatic Generation of Plastic Forms at the Computing Centre of the Complutense University in Madrid (1969). Producing works based on algorithms, she sought to create an autonomous world, a scenario based on mathematics and logic that used repetition and variation as a tool and the cube as a measure. Her work is impeccable and elegant, and has been linked to conceptual art and concrete art. In it, all decoration, including colour, is eliminated to give a perfect form devoid of any inkling of recognisable symbolism.
She won first prize at the Zeitschrift für Kunst und Medien in Karlsruhe (Germany, 1988), the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 2006 and the National Award for Plastic Arts in 2011.
Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions such as the Espacio Gallery (Madrid, 1962), the Edurne Gallery (Madrid, 1968), the Galerie Am Berg (Stuttgart, Germany, 1970), the Carteia Gallery (Algeciras, Cadiz, 1978), the National Library (Madrid, 1979), the Institute of Architects in Zaragoza (1979), the Juana de Aizpuru Gallery (Seville, 1980), the Cultural Centre in San Lorenzo del Escorial (Madrid, 1982), the Galerie Kammer (Hamburg, Germany, 1990), the Theo Gallery (Madrid, 1991, 1994 and 1996), the Sala C.A.I. Luzan (Zaragoza, 1996), the Altxerri Gallery (Donostia/San Sebastián, 2000) and the Freijo Gallery (Madrid, 2015). Her retrospective at the Reina Sofía Museum was a major event (Madrid, 2011).