Joshua Merchan Rodriguez
"I think, for me, it's important to have not only a political approach or a materialistic approach but also a poetic way of presenting the histories. The poetry, I think, is very important. I feel sometimes that my pieces can be a poem… a material poem.”
— EXCERPT FROM INTERVIEW (23.01.25)
Joshua Merchan Rodriguez is an artist who tells stories through materials rather than words. Research is at the heart of his practice—each piece unfolds a narrative, and together, his works weave a larger, evolving story. He is drawn to historical, political, and poetic "knots"—complex entanglements of people, objects, and ideas—unraveling them through sculpture, installation, and material exploration.
His recent work has examined the commodification of the Coca leaf, the exploitation of whales for oil, and the entropic cycle of matter and energy. He approaches these subjects with a mix of material, political, and poetic sensitivity, often repurposing existing objects to reveal hidden histories.
Born in Colombia and now based in Paris, Rodriguez’s work is shaped by his experience of multiple temporalities and geographies. He sees mobility as essential to his practice, continually seeking new places, collaborations, and ways of thinking.
