Rafael Peñalver
Installation Art, Painting, PROYECTOR Professional, Videoarte
Madrid, España

He works as a painter, video artist, and creator of video installations, photomontages, collages, and conceptual art.

Born in Madrid, he began his artistic career in Cuenca in 1965. In this city, following the inauguration of the Spanish Abstract Art Museum at the Casas Colgadas, he befriended Fernando Zóbel, Rafael Canogar, Monpó, Gerardo Rueda, Antonio Saura, Paz Muro, among others. His first exhibition took place in 1967 at the Cuenca Cultural Center, under the auspices of Fernando Zóbel, with a processual art installation.

Between 1968 and 1971, he presented Landscapes from Abstraction at Galería Alta in Cuenca.
In 1972, he was invited to the Conceptual Art and Concrete Poetry meeting in Ivrea (Italy). That same year, the first Spanish association of visual artists with a strong advocacy role was founded, and he became part of its board of directors.

In 1973, he exhibited abstract paintings at Galería Internacional in Madrid.
In 1974, he created an ephemeral installation covering floors and walls at Galería Atienza, Madrid.
In 1975, he presented a situational ephemeral scenic installation at Galería Vandrés.
In 1976, he was invited as a painter to the Oviedo Biennial.
In 1978, he exhibited a conceptual installation at the Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art (MEAC).
In 1980, he was appointed Director of Exhibitions for Madrid City Council.

He was a guest artist at the Cáceres Biennial, showing abstract paintings, and was selected by curator Luis González Robles to participate in the Paris Biennial.

In 1981, he exhibited Abstract Landscapes at Galería Miguel Ángel.
In 1984, he received a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and exhibited with Galería Imagen Gráfica at ARCO.
In 1985, he participated with the Uruguayan gallery El Portal at ARCO and later exhibited collectively at Galería Fernando Vijande. His planned solo exhibition was canceled due to the death of Fernando Vijande in 1986.

From 1986 onwards, he was represented by the French gallery Artheme International, exhibiting at its venues in Bordeaux, Palma de Mallorca, and Avignon between 1986 and 1990.
In 1987, he joined Galería Término in Madrid, holding a solo show.
In 1988, he exhibited the series El Paisaje at La Casa de Velázquez, Madrid.

In 1990, he presented the series Windows of Time at Galería Luis Adelantado in Valencia and exhibited Landscapes at Pedraza Town Hall.
In 1991 and 1992, he was represented by Galería Fuentenebro–Díaz Cañavate in Madrid, also participating with them in the Tokyo Art Fair.
From 1993 to 1997, he was represented by Galería Muralto in Madrid.

Between 1999 and 2007, he exhibited regularly at Galería Rayuela in Madrid.
From 2009 to 2012, he worked with Galería Rox Teixeira in Madrid.
Between 2011 and 2014, he presented various video art projects at Cruce, Madrid, and the Digital Salon in New York.

In 2015, he joined Galería El Foro in Madrid. That same year, the Centro de Artes de Vanguardia La Neomudéjar dedicated a major retrospective to his video art, spanning the years 1971–2015.
In 2017, La Neomudéjar presented an anthological exhibition of his pictorial work up to 2015, followed in 2019 by an exhibition of his most recent paintings.

In 2020, he exhibited at Galería Carmen Terrero in Zaragoza, becoming one of its represented artists, and also at Galería OrekaArt in Soraluce (Gipuzkoa).
Currently, he exhibits at Galería Aldama Fabre in Bilbao, in a group exhibition curated by Museo La Neomudéjar–Zapadores, titled Beyond the Frivolity of the Eighties.