About
Federico Protto
My artistic practice unfolds across the realms of performance, sound, installation, and research. Within my works, diverse practices such as choreography, music, fashion, sculpture, and text converge and intertwine with my personal South American heritage. This gives rise to a unique and dynamic style of installations.
At the heart of my creative exploration lies an interest with sharing narratives surrounding migration and the colonial, and our individual and collective movements through the world(s). My practice weaves together myths, ancestral notions, and fiction, creating a tapestry that spans a hybrid network of materialities, practices, and collaborators. My aim is to contribute to innovative and im/material forms and tools that foster cross-continental kinship.
For instance, my performance work ‘Dress-Rehearsals’ (2022) serves as a proto-esoteric gathering, blending elements of performance, workshop, ritual, and installation. This piece addresses questions of heritage collectively, activating texts, songs, dances, languages, costumes, objects, paintings, and audio-visual works through impulse, and spontaneity.
My multidisciplinary approach, e.g. in my current artistic research trajectory ‘MAPA’ embraces methods that diverge from the conventions of the global north. It draws motivation from ethnological, ecological, queer, and subcultural thought and approaches, resulting in a body of work that defies traditional boundaries.
I’ve collaborated closely with dedicated partners like Stefan Cantante, Anna Lugmeier, Myriam Van Imschoot, and Lisa Deml. My work has resonated internationally, engaging with institutions such as DeSingel and MOMU Fashion Museum in Antwerp (BE), Red Dawns Festival in Ljubljana (LSV), Centro Cultural de España in Montevideo (UY), Volksroom in Brussels (BE), Hošek Contemporary Gallery in Berlin (DE), ModaLisboa in Lisbon (PT), Weltmuseum Wien in Vienna (AT), wpZimmer in Antwerp (BE), and kunstencentrum BUDA in Kortrijk (BE).
I participated in the artistic research post-graduate program a.pass in Brussels and completed a master’s degree in fashion design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, as well as Iceland University of the Arts in Reykjavik.
Currently, I am immersed in a long-term sound-art and performance project, ‘COUR,’ with Myriam Van Imschoot at Laboratories d’Aubervilliers, Paris-Region, and collaboratively working with various artists on the artistic research project titled ‘MAPA’ in Brussels and Montevideo.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, based in Brussels, Belgium.
2025 |
Aprender Ser Ese Ser – lecture performance – au Jus // ‘Stille Post’ group show // ‘rendez-vous’ Art Week Brussels // WIELS art book fair 2025 (all Brussels BE) |
|---|---|
2024 |
EL VERDADERO NOMBRE COLIBRI – solo exhibition of sculptural works – Espacio Miramar, Piriapolis (UY) |
2023 |
MAPA: fragmentos – (work in progress) – Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo (UY) // The Green Corridor with Jimena Perez Salerno, Saint-Gilles (BE) |
2022 |
Dress-Rehearsals – performance at ‘Reclaim! the power of community’ festival at nadaProductions/nadaLokal, Vienna (AT) // at ‘re:source’ a.pass end presentation, Cultural Center De Kriekelaar, Brussels (BE) |
2019 |
Federico Luz Live – performances at Kunsthaus Essen, Essen (DE) // Apotheke – kollaboratorium für grenzgänger aller arten, Berlin (DE) // Kolorado Festival, Nagykovácsi (HU) // Take Festival for Independent Fashion and Arts, Vienna (AT) |
2024 |
To Bloom ( ) Florecimiento – installative immersive performance by Amanda Piña – costume design – DeSingel, Antwerp (BE) |
|---|---|
2023 |
EXOTICA – by Amanda Piña – costume design – Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels (BE) |
2022 |
School of Mountains and Water – by Amanda Piña, TanzQuartier Wien- costume design, performance, Vienna (AT) |
2021 |
MATRIA! by Rocio Marano, HZT Berlin – costume design, Berlin (DE) |
2020 |
Libelle by May Zarhy – costume & stage design, HochX, Munich (DE |
2019 |
MUSES (2019) – fashion collection – ModaLisboa, Lisbon Fashion Week, Lisbon (PT) |
2025 |
Aprender Ser Ese Ser – artist book edition of 10 – published by les editions du pot, Brussels (BE) |
|---|---|
2024 |
COUR – experimental sound art and performance project with and for children // artist book publication with Myriam Van Imschoot – Les Laboratories d’Aubervilliers (FR) |
2022 |
KITE with Myriam Van Imschoot – artistic research on sound with and for children, Netwerk Aalst, Aalst // arts center BUDA, Kortrijk (BE) |
2021 |
we shall be monsters a vocabulary of monstrous empathy, with Lisa deml – workshop facilitation, dotdtodt Open Air Kurzfilmfestival, Vienna (AT) |
2019 |
arachne Almanac of the Fashion Department of the University of Applied Arts Vienna – print publication, concept and creative direction, published at Birkhäuser, Vienna (AT) |
2026 |
Instituto Tropical, Zacualpan de Amilpas (MEX) |
|---|---|
2025 |
Halle für Kunst Lüneburg (DE) |
2024 |
AdLib Attic, Brussels (BE) |
2023 |
Centro Cultural de España, Montevideo (UY) |
2022 |
ON_OF_SPACE – International Art Centre De Singel, Antwerp (BE) |
2026 |
ARTICHOK Travel Fund – BIJ – Wallonie-Bruxelles |
|---|---|
2025 |
Emerging Artis Research Grant – Flemish Government |
2019 |
Best International Designer – ModaLisboa, SangueNovo, Lisbon Fashion Week, Lisbon (PT) |
2017 |
AFA support collection – Austrian State Grant via Austrian Fashion Association (AT) 2017-2019 |
2022 |
Post-Graduate artistic research – a.pass, advanced performance and scenography studies, Brussels (BE) |
|---|---|
2017 |
Masters fashion design – University of Applied Arts, Vienna, prof. Hussein Chalayan/ Bernhard Willhelm, Vienna (AT) |
associated colleagues and spaces:
Lisa Deml
Stefan Cantante
Anna Lugmeier
Aleksandra Borys
Myriam Van Imschoot
Marieke Werner
Nathaniel Moore
Image by Michael Jordan, 2026
About
