Javier Riera is a Spanish visual artist whose work centers on geometric light projections cast directly onto vegetation and landscapes. He uses photography as a medium of documentation and dissemination, capturing real interventions without digital manipulation. His approach offers a sensory and meditative experience, closely aligned with the principles of Land Art.
Riera explores the relationship between geometry and nature, creating a poetic dialogue that invites viewers to reflect on their perception of the landscape. His work aspires to expand awareness, opening windows to hidden dimensions and qualities within the natural world. He understands geometry as a primordial language, preceding matter and capable of establishing subtle and revelatory resonances with the landscape.
Born in Avilés, Asturias, Riera studied Fine Arts in Salamanca and completed his training at the Talleres de Arte Actual of the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid. Initially working as a painter, his artistic focus shifted in 2008 when, during his solo exhibition at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, he presented for the first time his photographic works featuring light projections on nature.
Key Exhibitions
Riera’s institutional exhibitions include:
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Noche Áurea, Museo Reina Sofía (2008)
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Secuencias, Museo Barjola (2010)
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Sincronicidad, DA2, Salamanca (2014)
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Luz Vulnerada, Centro Niemeyer (2015)
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Sector Primario, MUSAC, León (group show, 2015)
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Luz natural. Un vacío siempre distinto, CAB, Burgos (2018)
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Bonaval, CGAC, Santiago de Compostela (2018)
Public Art and Installations
Riera has also created notable site-specific installations in public spaces, such as:
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Alameda llum (2012), where eleven installations were on view for two months in Jardines del Turia, Valencia
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Gráficos Paramétricos (2017), an intervention in the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid as part of Luna de Octubre, which attracted over 6,000 visitors
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Installations in Annecy, France (2018/2019), Karlovo Náměstí Park in Prague (2016), Jardines de Bonaval (CGAC, 2018), and Jardines de la Florida in Vitoria-Gasteiz as part of UMBRA (2019)
Collections
His work is part of numerous important collections, including:
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Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
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Fundación Cajamadrid
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Fundación Princesa de Asturias
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Colección Banco de España
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DA2 Domus Artium
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Nueva Colección Pilar Citoler
Teaching and Research
Javier Riera is also active in education, teaching in the PhotoEspaña Master’s Program and at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid.
Through his innovative use of light and space, Javier Riera creates experiences that are as contemplative as they are transformative, revealing the unseen structures and rhythms within the natural world.