BIO
Rai Escalé is a Catalan painter and visual artist known for his provocative works. Born in Barcelona in 1964, his work has been featured in many Catalan publications (La Vanguardia, Benzina, Lateral, Quimera, etc.), and his paintings have been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States. His work is characterized by the exploration of themes related to identity, visual perception, and cultural norms.
In addition to his solo work, Escalé has collaborated extensively with Slovak artist Miloš Kopták on the Miroir Noir project, which delves into the intersections of contemporary painting and art history. They began working together in 2007 and have since created dozens of series of works that challenge viewers to perceive art in surprising and innovative ways. The project has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe and is part of some of the most important collections in central Europe.
Escalé is also deeply committed to the popularization of the visual arts in Catalonia, as can be seen in his involvement as a curator at the legendary Eat Meat gallery in Barcelona from 2009 to 2014, and more recently in his work with the A.I.G.U.A. project, which is a non-profit organization that promotes contemporary art and culture in the Gaià river basin and the Camp de Tarragona since 2021.
Studies
At Barcelona’s St. Jordi School of Fine Arts, specializing in Painting and Etching (1982-1989). Not very successful student.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Rai Escalé '(2024) Blanc i Negre @ Sala C. Sindreu, L'Ametlla del Vallès, CAT.
2024 Miroir Noir 'Panorama' @ AIGUA, Bràfim, CAT.
2022 Rai Escalé, ‘Cecilismus’, Les Bernardes, Salt, CAT
2022 Rai Escalé, (solo show within) 'Distortions', Studio Weil, Andraitx, Mallorca, SPA
2022 Rai Escalé ‘Cap i Pota’ (duo show w. Katy V Phipps). Castell de La Nou de Gaià, CAT
2022 Miroir Noir + Rai Escalé + Miloš Kopták 'Cecilizmus', čin čin Gal´eria, Bratislava, SVK
2020 Miroir Noir, MRB, Turčianska galéria v Martine, Martin SVK.
2019 Rai Escalé, 'Museum', Santa Teca Castell d'Escornalbou CAT
2018 Rai Escalé, 'Totes', Victòria, Gironella, CAT.
2018 Miroir Noir, 'MRB', Galéria M. A. Bazovsky, Trenčín, SVK.
2017 Rai Escalé, ‘Cecilismus’, Biennale Populaire d'Arts Visuels', Viviers les Montagnes, Tarn, FR.
2017 Miroir Noir 'Nocturno', Dub Gallery, Perlhimov, CZR
2016 Miroir Noir ‘Cecilismus’, Hell Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2016 Rai Escalé ‘Some Possible Giocondas’, Konvent, Berga, CAT.
2016 Miroir Noir ‘Cecilismus’, Konvent Cal Rosal, Berga, CAT.
2015 Miroir Noir 'Paralelné Svety', Galéria Mesto Bratislavy, Bratislava, SVK.
2015 Miroir Noir ‘Potacek’, Regionalné Muzeum v Mikulov, CZR.
2014 Miroir Noir ‘Propter Nuptias’, Eat Meat Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2013 Miroir Noir ‘Propter Nuptias’, Blokker Gallery, Madrid, SPA.
2013 Miroir Noir ‘Propter Nuptias’, Rochuskapelle, Landshut, GER.
2013 Rai Escalé ‘Group Show’, Eat Meat, Barcelona, CAT.
2012 Miroir Noir, ‘Dve telá, jedna dusa’, Východoslovenska Galéria, Kosice, SVK.
2011 Miroir Noir, ‘Bateau Ivre’, Eat Meat, Barcelona, CAT.
2011 Rai Escalé, El Vermell, Manresa, CAT.
2011 Miroir Noir, Konvent.0 Fest , Cal Rosal, Berga, CAT.
2010 Rai Escalé, ‘Sang Freda’, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2010 Miroir Noir, Galeria Kolomana Sokola, Liptovsky Mikulas, SVK
2010 Miroir Noir, FruFru Gallery, Bratislava, SVK.
2009 Rai Escalé, ‘Carnivale of souls’, Artformz Alternative, Miami, USA.
2008 Rai Escalé, ‘El Ojo Cerebro’, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2006 Rai Escalé, ‘El Ojo Carnívoro’, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
Group Shows
2024 Obertura, @Galga, Palau-Saverdera, CAT
2024 Le printemps en Avant Retard, @La pièce Blanche, Paris, FRA
2023 Extra-Perles, La Violeta, Altafulla, CAT
2022 '262.500 cm de pintura', Artenllà, Barcelona, CAT
2022 'Pantone Cartoixà', group show, Castell de La Nou de Gaià, CAT
2022 'La Extraña Fiesta' Jabi Machado homage @ Galeria Esther Montoriol, Barcelona, CAT
2021 Miroir Noir, Rai Escalé, Miloš Kopták and others in 'L'après-Retard' Group Show from Avant-Retard @La pièce Blanche, Paris, FRA.
2019 Miroir Noir, 'Podoby slobody' (Faces of Freedom), Nitrianska galéria, Nitra SVK
2019 Miroir Noir, Statek Robinsona (Robinson's boat), Museum of Architecture, Wrocław, POL
2018 Miroir Noir, 'Hello my dear', HeliumCowboy Artspace, Hamburg, GER.
2018 Miroir Noir, 'More than 30...' , Zoya Museum, Modra, SVK.
2018 Rai Escalé, Konvent, 'No-ningú' group show, Berga CAT.
2017 Rai Escalé, Horny Gallery en Sevilla, Epacio Caótica, Sevilla, SPA.
2017 Rai Escalé + Miroir Noir, 15th Anniversary groupshow', Heliumcowboy Artspace, Hamburg, GER.
2016 Miroir Noir, 'Pamäť - Prelud - Predstava', Galerie Kritiků, Prague, CZR.
2015 Miroir Noir, Berliner Liste Art Fair /with Dub Gallery/ Berlin, GER.
2015 Miroir Noir, Kölner Liste Art Fair /with Dub Gallery/ Köln, GER.
2013 Rai Escalé, ’Viva con agua', Millenator Gallery, Hamburg, GER.
2013 Miroir Noir, '2x4 Group show', Nitrianská Galleria/ Nitra, SVK.
2013 Miroir Noir, 'Hlavy' (from the collection of Ivan Melichercík), Roman Fecik Gallery, Bratislava, SVK.
2013 Miroir Noir, 'Rôznakí 2', Oravská Galéria, Dolny Kubin, SVK.
2012 Rai Escalé, 'The Annuntiation', Fabra i Coats Art Factory opening fest, Barcelona, CAT.
2012 Miroir Noir, ‘Oltáre súčasnosti - Súčasné oltáre’, Turčianska Galéria, Martin, SVK.
2011 Miroir Noir, 'SymPat Show' /Limes Galéria, Patince/Komarno, SVK.
2011 Miroir Noir, 'Octomeron', FruFru Gallery, Bratislava, SVK.
2011 Rai Escalé, ‘I am Abnormal 2’, Abnormals Gallery, Poznan, POL.
2011 Rai Escalé, ‘Body Snatchers’, La Cova de les Cultures, Bcn, CAT.
2011 Rai Escalé, ‘Art Barter Madrid 2011’, C Arte C, Madrid, SPA.
2011 Rai Escalé, ‘Lucid Dreams’, Noel-Baza Arts, San Diego, CA, USA.
2011 Miroir Noir, 'Dom Hrôzy', Blaff Festival, Bratislava, SVK.
2011 Rai Escalé, ‘Libido’, Eat Meat, Barcelona, CAT.
2010 Rai Escalé, ‘All In!’, GHP Gallerie /with Igupop/ Toulouse, FRA.
2010 Rai Escalé, ‘Kamelogana’, DerBlaueKontainer, Oldenburg, GER.
2010 Rai Escalé, Miroir Noir, ’Tots Sants', Eat Meat, Barcelona, CAT.
2009 Rai Escalé, SCOPE Fair New York , New York, USA.
2009 Rai Escalé,'I am Abnormal', Abnormals Gallery, Berlin, GER.
2009 Rai Escalé,'Money Makes Art', Artformz Alternative, Miami, USA.
2009 Rai Escalé, SCOPE Fair Miami /with Igupop/ Miami , USA.
2008 Rai Escalé, ‘Mona Lisa’, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin, GER.
2008 Rai Escalé,’Den of Iniquity’, The Rogue’s Gallery, Belfast, NIR.
2008 Rai Escalé, ‘5th ann. group show’, Heliumcowboy Artspace, Hamburg , GER.
2008 Rai Escalé, SCOPE Fair London, /with Igupop/ London, ENG.
2008 Rai Escalé, BAC'08 Int. Festival of Cont. Art @ CCCB, Bcn, CAT.
2008 Rai Escalé, SCOPE Fair Miami /with Igupop/ Miami , USA.
2007 Rai Escalé, SWAB Art Fair /with Igupop/ Barcelona , CAT.
2007 Rai Escalé, Galerie Heliumcowboy Artspace, Hamburg, GER.
2007 Rai Escalé, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2007 Rai Escalé, SCOPE Miami /with Igupop/ Miami, USA.
2006 Rai Escalé, ‘We make money not art’, Barcelona-Valencia, CAT-SPA.
Residencies
2016 w. Miroir Noir, Konvent, Berga, CAT.
2015 w. Miroir Noir, Rancho Bellavista, Guerrero, MEX.
2011 w. Miroir Noir, Konvent.0, Berga, CAT.
2011 w. Miroir Noir, Sympat, Patince, SVK.
2010 w. Miroir Noir, Multipoint Symposium, Nitra, SVK.
2009 Fountainhead Residency, Miami , USA.
2005 La Rectoria, St Pere de Vilamajor, CAT.
Publications and Catalogues
2022 Rai Escalé 'Cecilisme', exhibition catalog, Les Bernardes.
2022 Rai Escalé @ Distortions, Group Show, Studio Weil.
2018 Miroir Noir 'MRB' Catalogue, 64 pags., GMAB, SVK.
2018 Rai Escalé and Miroir Noir, 'The Naked Artbook', 128 pags., Infomag Group Comunication, SPA.
2015 Miroir Noir ´Paralelné Svety’ exhibition Catalogue, 45 pgs. Miroir Noir ed., SVK.
2013 Miroir Noir 'Propter Nuptias', Hardcover Book, 48 pgs. Miroir Noir ed., SVK.
2012 Miroir Noir, ‘Zberatel’ alebo zmluva s diabolom’, I.Melichercik, Artform, SVK.
2012 Miroir Noir 2007-2012, Miroir Noir editions, SVK.
2011 BCN Crea (300 catalan artists), Icub, Barcelona, CAT.
2011 ‘Libido’, exh. cat., Eat Meat, Barcelona, CAT.
2010 Sang Freda, exh. cat., Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2010 Miroir Noir, Gal.Kolomana Sokola, exh. cat., Liptovsky Mikulas, SVK.
2009 SCOPE New York, exh. catl, New York, USA.
2008 El ojo cerebro (The brain eye) exhibition catalogue, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2008 BAC'08, Int. Fest. of Contemporary Art, exh. cat., Barcelona, CAT.
2008 SCOPE Miami, exh. catalogue, Miami, USA.
2007 SWAB catalogue, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.
2006 El ojo carnívoro (The Carnivorous Eye) exhibition catalogue, Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, CAT.