Biografia
Sergio Caballero is the co-director and art director of Sónar, Barcelona's International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art. His creative energy spans various fields, including electronic music composition, cinema, visual arts, and conceptual art, prominently showcased through Sónar’s bold and impactful advertising campaigns.
Sónar, a festival dedicated to advanced music and new media art, has been held in Barcelona for over 20 years and has expanded to other cities worldwide since 2002. Alongside Enric Palau and Ricard Robles, Sergio Caballero co-founded the festival and oversees its visual identity.
Together with Marcel.lí Antúnez and Pau Nubiola, Sergio founded the artistic collective "Los Rinos" (1985-1992), initially focused on graffiti culture. Their work later evolved to include painting actions, video performances, concerts, and wall installations. One notable piece, Rinodigestió (1987), featured interconnected wooden and glass boxes containing decomposing organic matter. In 2018, Sónar marked its 25th anniversary with the exhibition "Ni Flyers, ni posters: 25 años de imagen Sónar," an immersive retrospective of the festival’s visual history at the Centre d'Art Tecla Sala in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.
Alongside Enric Palau, he co-created the group "Jumo," closely tied to Barcelona’s 1990s electronic music scene. From their studio, "Jumolándia," they collaborated with artists and groups such as Víctor Nubla, La Fura dels Baus, Zush, and Peanut Pie. Since 2004, Caballero has worked with composer Pedro Alcalde, creating musical pieces for the Compañía Nacional de Danza under choreographer Nacho Duato. They are currently preparing their second orchestral work, set for release in 2013.
In visual arts, Caballero has held several solo exhibitions, including "Sergio Caballero Famoso en el Mundo Entero" and "El Clamor de la Humanidad me Oprime por su Tumulto me Veo Privado del Sueño" at Fundación "La Caixa." His shows are marked by boldness and a desire to challenge conventions. His latest exhibition, "Abstracción en el establo" (2010) at the Mutt gallery in Barcelona, revisited academic abstract expressionism, sharing authorship of the works with a Dutch purebred horse.
His debut feature film, "Finisterrae," reflects his unique style, blending his inspirations, obsessions, and humor. It won the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), the "Ars Independent" award in Katowice, Poland, and was screened at over 60 festivals worldwide. In 2014, he released his second feature, "La Distancia," which premiered at IFFR alongside his short film "Ancha es Castilla/N'importe quoi," part of that year’s Sónar festival visuals. In 2019, his short film "Je te tiens," starring renowned Spanish actress Ángela Molina, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs).
