VIK MUNIZ
born 1961, São Paulo, Brazil
Vik Muniz is recognized for his photographs of reimagined, largely art historical imagery, which he creates out of a wide variety of materials—from chocolate and sugar to junk and toys. Muniz has exhibited in prestigious institutions worldwide, including recent presentations at Instituto Ricardo Brennand, Recife, Brazil (2025); the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, Connecticut (2024); Museo Universidad de Navarra, Spain (2023); and Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain (2023). His work is included in the collections of major international museums such as: the Art Institute of Chicago, Illionis; The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, among many others.
Muniz is involved in social projects that use art-making as a force for change. In 2010 his work with a group of catadores—pickers of recyclable materials—was the subject of the Academy Award nominated documentary film Waste Land. In recognition of his contributions to education and social development, Muniz was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2011. More recently, he opened Escola Vidigal, offering preschool and afterschool programs in art, design and technology to children 4 to 8 years old at the favela Vidigal in Rio de Janeiro.
Muniz currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, and Rio de Janeiro.
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