Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa

Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007 and currently lives in Flores, Guatemala. His video works, installations, and performances address issues related to his Guatemalan identity, such as the country's civil war and ensuing diaspora, or the survival of ancient practices in contemporary mass culture. Ramirez-Figueroa often uses perishable materials (bananas, fireworks) that transform over the course of his videos or performances. This heightens the viewer's awareness of the present moment even as the content alludes to the past, reflecting the artist's understanding of his own relation to history.