‘In her cosmology, without certainties or declarations, the space occupied by a subject and an object is deployable, exponential, and as a consequence, its temporality: multiple – hence, through her work, we find a thought in movement, abstract and sometimes a little deranged.’ — Javier Rivero

Artist and filmmaker based in Mexico City.

Her work revolves around a quest to locate and isolate concepts that are built around tangible elements. By discovering these elements, Laborde regenerates an image and positions it in new formations, creating new virtual spaces and with them propositions for change. At first glance, her work carries aesthetic and pleasure claims; however, it is performative in its presentation – soaked with temporality – and conceptual in its purpose.

Laborde finalized, 2022, her first feature: The Backbone of Loss; attended Post production residency Atelier 105 with her experimental documentary of Havana, Fiñe. As a result she is now distributed and archived by Light Cone. Earlier that year, El duelo de una espina dorsal, a solo exhibition curated by José Esparza Chong Cuy as a PEANA Gallery Off-site, MX. In 2021 her first film retrospective with DocumentaMadrid, artist-in-residence for the Tamayo Museum with her educational project -ito/-ita, residence at LIFT (Link of Independent Filmmakers in Toronto, CA). From 2018-2022 resident director for the Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen – Conditional Cinema program, for whom she created her film, Ficciones, presented at the New York Film Festival (NYFF) and the BFI. Her collaboration Notas y notas y notas… with Jenny Berger Myhre was commissioned and presented at Borealis Festival for Experimental Music in 2019. While her film En la era was screened at Bright Futures of IFFR, and Azúcar y saliva y vapor at FICUNAM and FidMarseille. Her thesis, AS WITHOUT SO WITHIN is part of the catalogue: Ism, Ism, Ism / Ismo, Ismo, Ismo: Experimental Cinema in Latin America and was selected in more than 20 film festivals: MoMa + FSLC, the 20th Sesc_ Videobrasil Contemporary Art Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival, awarded GRAND PRIX at 25fps Zagreb and JURY AWARD at 24th CUFF.

Manuela de Laborde holds an Intermedia Art BA-hons from Edinburgh College of Art and an MFA in Film and Video from CalArts.