Gabriela Bettini (Madrid, 1977) explores the relationship between landscape, memory, and violence through a painting practice that questions how nature has been represented, narrated, and utilized throughout history. Her work investigates the ways in which colonialism, science, and extractivism have constructed images of the flora and fauna of Latin America and the Global South images that, under a veneer of neutrality, conceal processes of appropriation, silencing, and cultural erasure.
Drawing from archives, botanical illustrations, natural history museum dioramas, and documents related to colonial expeditions, Bettini reconstructs landscapes where the visible and the hidden coexist. The pictorial layers function as strata of memory: ecosystems that appear suspended in a frozen moment, yet reveal tensions between natural beauty and the historical violence that permeates it.
Her practice approaches painting as a space of resistance, where each image questions who has held the power to observe, classify, and represent the natural world. Bettini activates a critical ecology that connects past and present, pointing out how visual narratives of nature continue to be shaped by political, economic, and cultural structures.
She is particularly interested in the concept of ghost landscapes—places that retain the traces of extractivism, environmental exploitation, or human displacement—and how these territories continue to resonate in collective memory. Her works invite us to reconsider the landscape not as a neutral stage, but as a living archive of stories that still need to be reread.
Bettini thus constructs a body of work that is simultaneously research, memory, and warning: a reflection on the fragility of ecosystems and the ways in which the human gaze participates, consciously or unconsciously, in their transformation.
Her work is part of collections such as the Reina Sofia National Museum; the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MiTEco); Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection (Turin, Italy); Jumex Collection (Mexico City, Mexico); MAC - Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid (Spain); the CA2M museum (Madrid, Spain); the DKV Collection (Spain); BASMOCA (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia); Caja de Extremadura Banking Foundation and the Spanish Academy in Rome (Italy).
Education
2004
MA in Fine Art, University of East London, United Kingdom
2002
MA in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Arts, Faculty of Fine Art, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
2001
BA (Hons) Fine Art, Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
2001
BA (Hons) Fine Art, Faculty of Fine Art, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Solo shows (selected)
2022
Raíces Secundarias. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Topografía del Borrado. Sabrina Amrani, Madrid, Spain.
2019
Contact zone. Tasman Projects. Curators: Manuela Pedrón Nicolau and Jaime Gonzalez Cela. Madrid, Spain.
2018
Primavera silenciosa, Galería silvestre, Madrid, Spain.
2017
La memoria de los intentos, Galería silvestre, Tarragona, Spain.
2016
Paisajes de excepción, Galería silvestre, Madrid, Spain.
2015
Larga distancia, Galería silvestre, Tarragona, Spain.
2013
La casa roja, Mundo Nuevo gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2012
Acentos. Curator: Gabriel Miremont. Evita Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2011
Un tiempo casi cercano, Borges Cultural Centre, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2011
Algunas de aquellas historias, galería Asm28, Casa de América Latina, Lisbon, Portugal.
2008
Cuarto y mitad, galería Arte Veintiuno, Madrid, Spain.
2007
La vida no vivida. Curator: Daniel Besoytaorube. Auditorium Theatre, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
2007
La mirada rota, Fondation Argentine, Paris, France.
2006
Paisajes del Tránsito. Curator: Helena Cabello. Sala Av. América, Madrid, Spain.
Group shows (selected)
2025
Extractivismos. 13ª Bienal de Arte Leandre Cristòfol. Centro de Arte La Panera. Comisariado: María Íñigo y Christian Alonso, Spain
2024
Pan y Circo. Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto de Gijón (CCAI). Curated by Alicia Ventura. Gijón, Spain
2023
SIGNOS NA PAISAGEM (Bienal Sur). Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. San Paolo, Brasil.
2023
Signos na Paisagem. BIENALSUR. Centro Cultura Banco do Brasil. Comisariado por Diana Wechsler. Brasilia, Brazil.
2023
Indexar el paisaje. 150th Anniversary of the Spanish Academy in Rome. Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia, León, Spain.
2023
Roma, siempre, Roma: Infinitas Formas, Naves de Gamazo, Santander, ES
2023
EU Spanish Presidency Cultural Program. EU Parlament. Brussels, Belgium.
2023
Art contra la violència masclista. Tantes dones en una mateixa, La Nau Cultural Centre, Unviersidad of Valencia, ES
2023
HIJXS, Poéticas de la memoria. Argentine House in Paris. Pais. France.
2023
Coincidencias. Centro de Arte Alcobendas. Madrid, Spain.
2022
Pan y Circo. Sala Amós Salvador - Cultural Rioja. Logroño, Spain.
2022
History in Fragments. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
A casa é sua: migração e hos(ti)pitalidade fora do lugar. Paço Imperial. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2022
Movimiento y Dirección de Fuga. Aclimatación. CIC El Almacén. Curated by Dalla de la Rosa. Canary Islands, Spain.
2022
Aclimatación. El Almacén. Lanzarote, Spain.
2021
Nuevos Senderos del MAC: pulso e impulso de una colección. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Madrid, Spain.
2021
Mujeres por el arte Colección DKV. Beca DKV- Ayuntamiento de Valencia. Atarazanas del Grao, Valencia, Spain.
2021
Hijxs, poética de la Memoria. Biblioteca Nacional de Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2021
Otro orden. Derribando fronteras. Curated by Diana Wechsler. Fundación Francis Naranjo, Canary Islands, Spain.
2021
BUM BUM BA YE [Under Pressure]. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
El Crimen Perfecto. Centro de Artes Conde Duque. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Ver Versus Ver II. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Ver Versus Ver. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Lenta explosión de una semilla. OTR espacio de arte. Madrid, Spain.
2019
14ª Bienal Martínez Guerricabeitia. Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
2019
34º Premio BMW de Pintura. Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas. Madrid, Spain.
2019
Soñé que un museo ardía. Tasman Projects. Curated by Manuela Pedrón Nicolau and Jaime González Cela. Spain.
2019
Simbiosis, DKV & Granada University collections, Granada’s Royal Hospital Chapel Hall, Spain
2019
Así que pasen cinco años, Galería silvestre, Madrid, Spain
2018
Horizonte de sucesos. Curator: Dalia de la Rosa. OTR Espacio de Arte, Madrid, Spain
2018
Contra la piel. Curator: Semíramis González. TEA, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
2018
VI Premio de Artes Visuales Mardel, Museu del Carme de Valencia, Spain
2017
Habitar la Frontera, I International Architecture Biennial. Curator: Marlon de Azambuja. Palacio Miramar, San Sebastián, Spain
2017
Exilios, Memorias del Terrorismo de Estado, Centro Cultural de la Memoria Haroldo Conti, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017
Hecho en Roma. Curator: Manuel Blanco. Real Academia de San Fernando, Madrid, Spain
2017
Obra Abierta International Visual Arts Prize, Fundación Bancaria Caja de Extremadura, Centro Cultural Las Claras, Plasencia, Spain
2016
Nunca más el olvido. Miradas en torno a la dictadura Argentina. Curators: María de María Campos y Alberto del Castillo. Tlatelolco Cultural Centre, Mexico City, Mexico
2016
Processi 143, Spanish Royal Academy in Rome, Italy
2016
Bread and Roses!!, Sa Quartera Centre d’Art, Mallorca, Spain
2015
In Situ 2013-, Sa Quartera Centre d’Art, Mallorca, Spain
2015
Obra Abierta International Visual Arts Prize, Fundación Bancaria Caja de Extremadura, Centro Cultural Las Claras, Plasencia, Spain
2014
Hinterlandmark. Curator: Alex Brahim. Addaya Centre d’Art Contemporani, Mallorca, Spain.
2014
Obra Abierta International Visual Arts Prize, Fundación Bancaria Caja de Extremadura, Centro Cultural Las Claras, Plasencia, Spain
2013
Focus-Abengoa Painting Prize, Fundación Focus-Abengoa, Seville, Spain
2011
Anacronías. Curators: Jordana Blejmar and Natalia Fortuny. Fondation Argentine, París, France
2011
The noise of bubbles. Red Bull Music Academy, Matadero Madrid, Spain
2011
Jameel Prize: Art Contemporian D’inspiration Islamique, Art Absolument: Numéro Spécial
2010
Open house. Curator: Fernando Farina. Argentinean Embassy’s Official Residency, London, United Kingdom
2008
Domésticos ’08. Curator: Tania Pardo, Madrid, Spain
2006
El jardín, Madrid’s White Night Festival, Jardines del Descubrimiento, Spain
2006
30 años: Estéticas de la Memoria, Recoleta Cultural Centre, Buenos Aires
2006
AR INJUVE ’05. Curator: Alicia Murría. Sala Amadís, Madrid, Spain
2005
El Mal de Archivo, Jornadas de Artes Visuales, Canal de Isabel II, Madrid, Spain
2005
Certamen Jóvenes Creadores, Madrid Council, Spain
2003
XV Circuitos de Artes Plásticas y Fotografía. Curator: Alicia Murría. Sala Av. América, Madrid, Spain
2003
Certamen Jóvenes Creadores (Second Prize), Madrid Council, Spain
2002
Certamen Jóvenes Creadores (Second Prize), Madrid Council, Spain
2002
Premi Miquel Casablancas, Barcelona Council, Spain
Fairs
2025
ARCOlisboa. Sabrina Amrani. Lisbon, Portugal.
2025
Art SG. Sabrina Amrani. Singapore.
2024
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2023
Abu Dhabi Art. Sabrina Amrani. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2023
Art Dubai. Sabrina Amrani. Dubai, UAE.
2023
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
Art Düsseldorf. Sabrina Amrani. Düsseldorf, Germany.
2022
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2022
ZONA MACO. Sabrina Amrani. Mexico City, Mexico.
2021
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2020
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2019
viennacontemporary. Sabrina Amrani. Vienna, Austria.
2019
Arte Santander, Galería silvestre, Spain
2018
Arco’18, Fundación Bancaria Caja de Extremadura, Madrid, Spain
Residencies
2024
Quarterly residencies for environmental projects at the Matadero Artist Residency Center. Madrid, Spain.
2023
Nautilus, Lanzarote, ES
2018
Managing Displacement from Geography, CC España Santiago, CL
2017
Les Clíniques d’Es Baluard, Mallorca, Spain
2013
Addaya Centre d’Art Contemporani, Mallorca, Spain
2010
URRA Resident Artists. Curator: Melina Berkenwald, Delinfinito Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bibliography
2024
Una revisión crítica del modelo de progreso occidental: el Ecofeminismo y la propuesta pictórica de Gabriela Bettini, Sheila Rodríguez Cañestro, AUSART - Revista para la Investigación en Arte, Vol.13, Numb. 2.
2022
Raíces Secundarias. Gabriela Bettini, Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain
2019
Los monocultivos de la mente, Susana Blas - Bienal Martínez Guerricabeitia.
2017
Longoni, Ana; Natalia Fortuny,Photography in Argentina: Contradiction and Continuity, Idurre Alonso and Judith Keller, Editors, Getty Publications. The J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, , p. 276-280
2017
Maguire, Geoffrey,The Politics of Postmemory. Violence and Victimhood in ContemporaryArgentine Culture, Palgrave Macmillan Memory Studies, , Cambridge, p. 1-31 y 183-240
2014
Fortuny, Natalia,Memorias fotográficas. Imagen y dictadura en la fotografía argentina contemporánea, La Luminosa, Buenos Aires, , 137 p.
2011
García, Luís,Políticas de la memoria y de la imagen. Ensayos sobre una actualidad político- cultural, TEHA, Colección Teoría 23, Santiago de Chile, , 148 p.
2008
Blejmar, Jordana, “Anacronismos”,El río sin orillas. Revista de Filosofía, Cultura y Política, n.2, Buenos Aires, , p. 200-211
Awards
2023
Visual Arts Creation Grant, Madrid Autonomous Region, ES
2020
Derivada. Fundación Banco Santander. Madrid, Spain.
2019
DKV Prize, Spain
2017
1º Prize Obra Abierta International Visual Arts Prize Caja de Extremadura, Spain
2017
Visual Arts Creation Grant, Madrid Autonomous Region, Spain
2015
MAEC-AECID Grant for the Spanish Royal Academy in Rome, Painting category, Italy
2007
Art Creation Prize, Madrid Autonomous Region, Spain
2005
INJUVE Award, Spanish Ministry of Culture, Spain
2003
“La Caixa” Foundation and British Council Grant for Postgraduate studies in United Kingdom, Barcelona, Spain
Public collections
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Spain)
Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (Spain)
Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Collection (Italy)
Jumex Collection (Mexico)
CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Spain.
DKV Collection, Spain.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Madrid, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Spain.
Basmoca Museum, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Fundación Bancaria Caja de Extremadura, Hervás, Cáceres Spain
Spanish Royal Academy in Rome, Ministry of Cooperation and Foreign Affairs, Roma, Italy
Other professional experiences
2024
IV Conference on Collecting (Latin American Art), MNCARS, ES
2022
ATLAS, Painting as decolonial narrator. Conversation with Agustín Pérez Rubio, Sandra Gamarra and Ma Virginia Jaua
2019
El arte + actual. Visiones y trayectorias: artistas en diálogo, round table coordinated by Rosina Gómez-Baeza, President of the Obra Abierta jury and Lucía Ybarra, Director of YGB Art ARCOmadrid
2018
Renovación y transgresión de la pintura española a propósito de la obra de Ángela de la Cruz. With Carlos León, Guillermo Mora and Ana H. del Amo. Coordinated by Fernando Castro Flórez. Foro Colecciona, Estampa, Spain
2011
Invented memories. Postmemory Research Seminar. CSIC Research. Project “Philosophy after the Holocaust”, Madrid, Spain
2010
The Threshold of Memory, Performances of Memory in the Arts. International Conference, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands