Juan Obando

Challenging media and truth 📺 In ‘They/Them’ (2023), Juan Obando reflects on the complexity of global information networks and depictions of democracy. Through a deepfake that animates Adobe stock clips with a narrative of self-critical awareness, the work reflects on the increasing use of stock footage in documentaries and national news programs. By using a deepfake to tell the truth, ‘They/Them’ asks: do we make the media or does the media make us? The video is currently on view as part of ‘Makeshift Memorials, Small Revolutions’ at KADIST San Francisco. 🎞️ Juan Obando, They/Them (2023) | Courtesy the artist, KADIST collection @juandavidobando #KADISTcollection #artcollection #videoart #AIart

It Can't Happen Here, 2026 Custom-printed skateboard decks, custom-engraved wooden rack, used trucks and wheels. “It Can’t Happen Here” takes its title from Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 book of the same title. The novel explores the rise of authoritarianism within liberal democracies. It highlights opportunism among elites and the complicity of ordinary citizens, emphasizing how modern societies erode, not through force, but through the gradual surrender of civic freedoms. In April 2020, local authorities ordered that the Venice Beach Skate Park be filled with sand to deter people from disregarding “social distancing” coronavirus-related restrictions and gathering at the iconic spot. Skateboarding, as much as natural history, is defined by adaptation. When the ocean went flat, surfers in mid-20th-century California fastened roller skate wheels to wooden boards so they could “ride” the streets. Since then, Skateboarders have extended that adaptive impulse to urban landscapes never meant for them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this adaptation shifted to circumventing authoritarian measures on socialization and, eventually, in Venice Beach, to removing the sand from the skatepark through collective action. Perhaps because of this, the image of the Bulldozers filling the park with sand is less an affront to skateboarding and more a reminder of how governments display power and of the dynamics of public compliance as features of neoliberal culture. When safety is negotiated in place of fear and isolated consumption is offered as a stand-in for communal recreation, embracing social atomization for “our own good” feels like an easy choice. Presented at “Form Follows Spot”, curated by @vince.skelly as part of @slowimpactaz Big thanks to @nintando for the invitation and to @coachdannysk8 , @cowtownskate , @ndsk8photography , and @lafondita , for the kind “donations.”

Boomerang, 2025 Pared construida en ladrillo y pintura en aerosol sobre base metálica 84 x 79 x 17 cm Presentada en la exposición “Alfabeto” en @espaciokb The Chicken Of Men En la pelicula The Children Of Men (2007) Alfonso Cuarón describe un futuro distópico y cercano de infertilidad humana, una catástrofe en cámara lenta ocurriendo en 2027. En 2009, Mark Fisher hace una lectura del filme en su libro “Capitalismo Realista” en términos de la transición hacia la posmodernidad: “Es evidente que debemos leer metafóricamente el tema de la infertilidad, como el desplazamiento de una angustia de otro tipo. Me propongo afirmar que esta angustia en realidad exige ser leída en terminos culturales y que la pregunta que el film nos hace es: ¿cuanto tiempo puede subsistir una cultura sin el aporte de lo nuevo? ¿Que ocurre cuando los jóvenes ya no son capaces de producir sorpresas?” La discusión acerca del pollo Frisby como figura fascista y/o símbolo nacional delata una visión protoapocalíptica, con visos de una infertilidad imaginativa, propia de una sociedad condenada a la figura memética, a la dictadura de los símbolos. Mientras las grandes mentes de una generación se encierran en el bucle de las constantes “crisis de opinión”, estos productos gráficos, hijos del fértil capitalismo, retozan en su nihilismo y se enriquecen de su propio protagonismo y antagonismo —siempre jóvenes y cada vez más frescos en un mundo de viejos niños en perpetua resistencia. Fotografía por @pstscrpt.co @niconsuegra #siemprepollitos🐥

What’s all the talk about? 🗯️ @extra_city dives into the power of language with the new group exhibit 𝘐𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, opening October 25! Through sculptures, drawings, installations and videos, 8 artists explore how we understand each other, how language and signs evolve and what to do when words fail us. The backdrop? The ever-impressive former Dominican church, located at about 5 minutes from the Antwerp Central Station. Even the setting speaks for itself … Art by @ahilanbhuvanendraratnamohan , @odedekort , @juandavidobando , @yoshuaokon.studio , @utaeisenreich , @sandrine_morgante , @nokukhanyalanga & Lore Smolders © Demo, Juan Obando & Yoshua Okon, still | © Gommages - vroom, Lore Smolders #extracity #itgoeswithoutsaying #visitantwerp #serenai

Este mes en el ciclo de videoarte latinoamericano de Artishock x KADIST presentamos 'They/Them' (2023), una obra de Juan Obando, artista que vive y trabaja entre Colombia y Estados Unidos desde 2010 🎬 ⁠ ⁠ La pieza integra la colección de KADIST y cuenta con la curaduría de Alejandra Villasmil, editora de Artishock. Cada mes damos acceso a un nuevo video en nuestras redes, que después se suma al catálogo de KADIST TV, una plataforma digital con cientos de obras de arte contemporáneo curadas por artistas y curadores internacionales.⁠ ⁠ 📺 Mira el video completo en KADIST TV y descubre más sobre esta iniciativa que busca amplificar las voces del videoarte latinoamericano.⁠ ⁠ → Regístrate en KADIST.org para verlo completo.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ —⁠ ⁠ The Artishock x KADIST Latin American video art series continues this month with 'They/Them' (2023) by Juan Obando, an artist working between Colombia and the United States since 2010 🎬 ⁠ ⁠ The work is part of the KADIST collection and was curated by Alejandra Villasmil, editor of Artishock. Each month we share a new video on our accounts, later made available on KADIST TV, an online platform with hundreds of contemporary art works curated by artists and curators worldwide.⁠ ⁠ 📺 Watch the full video on KADIST TV and find out more about this initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of Latin American video art.⁠ ⁠ → Register at KADIST.org to view the full version.⁠ ⁠ —⁠ ⁠ 🎬 Juan Obando, They/Them (2023), video stills and excerpts | Courtesy the artist, KADIST collection⁠ ⁠ #Artishock #KADISTtv #KADISTcollection #LatinAmericanArt #JuanObando⁠

Bien Star, 2019 Laser print on thermoformed acrilyc 52 in. round “Bien Star” is a sculptural lightbox in molded polystyrene, composed of four selfie emojis arranged in the form of a cross. It traces the parallels between authoritarian structures of the past and today’s self-regulated regimes of surveillance, self-exploitation, and the illusion of freedom. The title resonates with the Sanskrit root of “Swastika”, meaning “well-being,” a term whose original connotations of prosperity contrast with its later ideological distortions. This etymological echo finds new relevance in the present, where major tech conglomerates promote “Digital Well-being” initiatives. These programs, framed as tools for health and balance, often encourage deeper immersion in the very platforms they claim to moderate —ranging from meditation apps and productivity trackers to detailed reports on location and screen time. In this context, the piece highlights how conditions of self-absorption and isolation are recast as exemplary virtues within a broader ecosystem of consumption, surveillance, and control. It situates “well-being” within the paradoxes of a technocentric culture that conflates freedom with constant simulacra. “Bien Star” was first exhibited at @espacioodeonbog for the solo exhibition “Pro Revolution” in 2019 Photography by Nicolás Consuegra

Este video fue presentado por primera vez en la exposición “Arte Diplomático” de la @galerialasedades , en pro de la liberación de nuestros íconos nacionales de su captura ideológica. Evade el discurso, pollito Frisby, y continúa tu camino del sabor. Inmune al himno, inmune al algoritmo.

Guarda la fecha: Viernes 19 de septiembre, 2025 JUAN OBANDO “Alfabeto” 7pm Sala Expo @espaciokb “Porque nadie sabe para quién ya no trabaja” Les esperamos

Fast Times, 2023 Lacquered wood, stainless steel, acrylic, aluminum plate and custom stickers. First presented as part of “Fake New”, a 2023 solo show at @generalexpenses “Fast Times” addresses social polarization in the United States as a growing business and a major cultural export. Its slogans, tactics, and factions have become entrenched in the global imagination as a projection of soft imperial power. The piece also points to the phenomena of Elite Overproduction as a central factor in current political instability, presenting deep-running popular discontent as a set of ever-changing luxury beliefs. #manufacturingdiscontent #manufacturingdissent #cybertruck

Can a deepfake tell a deeper truth? 🔊 We look forward to welcoming you tomorrow at the Centre Pompidou (@centrepompidou ) for ‘The future isn’t what it used to be – A new generation of texts and images’: an afternoon of discussions and screenings dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on contemporary art and artists. The event will include ‘They/Them’, a powerful video in which Colombian artist Juan Obando (@juandavidobando ) uses Adobe Stock clips as well as voice-cloning technology to produce a first-person narrative. 👁️ See you from 3 pm! The event is free to attend, with no need to book in advance. Detailed program in bio. —⁠ Un deepfake peut-il révéler une vérité plus profonde ? ⚡️ Nous avons le plaisir de vous accueillir demain au Centre Pompidou (@centrepompidou ) pour ‘L’avenir n’est plus ce qu’il était – Textes et images, nouvelle génération’ : un après-midi de discussions et de projections consacré à l’impact de l’intelligence artificielle sur l’art et les artistes contemporains. L’événement inclura ‘They/Them’, une vidéo puissante dans laquelle l’artiste colombien Juan Obando (@juandavidobando ) utilise différents clips Adobe Stock ainsi qu’une technologie de clonage de voix pour produire un récit à la première personne. 💥 Rendez-vous à partir de 15h ! La participation à l’événement est gratuite, sans réservation. Le programme détaillé est en bio. —⁠ @matdryhurst @holly_herndon @nouf.py @carlos_amorales_ @eric_baudelaire @sofiacrespo @mashinkahakopian @horuian @agnieszka.kurant @listamarcella @delpesco @michaeljconnor 📷 Juan Obando, They/Them, 2023 | Courtesy of the artist, KADIST collection | @generalexpenses #moviment #aiart #videoart #artandtech #screening #conference #centrepompidou #KADISTParis

We are experiencing a fundamental untrustworthiness of all signs, a crisis of faith in faith, specifically in the possibility of meaning. Our new images will tend to exacerbate this trend, pulling us deeper into a trench. They have been untrustworthy for a long while, but we have not yet glimpsed the depths of the epistemic mess we are approaching. The more we try to subtract meaning from these constructions, the more tangible our loss of power will be as we are replaced with simulacra. When belief isn't necessary, then it becomes a luxury.

*NEW BOSTON JUST DROPPED* Progress demands whatever structures are already on site have to be destroyed. Preferably condemned as outdated and hopelessly backwards. Insufferable. This is why revolutionary energy is so important and so useful to the builders of new systems. It is key to the acts of condemnation that make the whole enterprise possible. This energy and neoliberalism are not opposed. They are in fact two parts of the same system, working in unison. The site can only be developed after the bulldozers have done their work, levelling the ground. Remember, once upon a time this land did not exist. —————————— JULY 18 - AUGUST 18, 2022 Boston Dock Square Presented by @now_and_there