Unstilling life

Santiago Pinyol received a grant for the development of new work. Unstilling life explores the colonial history and contemporary presence of rose-ringed parakeets in the Netherlands. Through still-life installations inspired by 17th-century Dutch painting, I collaborate with parakeets to question ideas of invasion, agency, and belonging, blurring the lines between past and present, species and symbolism.

Santiago is an undisciplined artist working at the intersection of art and education. His collaborative and independent projects explore the edges between presenting and representing, often through artist-run projects and organizations. Translation plays a key role in his practice, not as a transparent act, but as a cultural gesture that reveals layered meanings. Pinyol’s work is rooted in language, dialogue, and everyday observations, and often unfolds outside the studio, in public space, informal schools, or moments of institutional friction. Whether through installations, interventions, or discursive settings, he seeks to provoke critical reflection and foster conversation.