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[Open Studio & Artist Talk - Alejandro Puentes Amézquita - Gladstone House Artist-in-Residence](/index%2Ephp/markdownify/node/2647) July 3, 2024 # Open Studio & Artist Talk - Alejandro Puentes Amézquita - Gladstone House Artist-in-Residence ![Cover](/sites/default/files/styles/1_5_1_large/public/2025-02/Alejandro%20%20Puentes%20Ame%CC%81zquita-5%20%281%29_0.png.webp?itok=bqmoTxJm) The **OCAD U International Programs & Collaborations Office**, in partnership with **Gladstone House**, is excited to welcome Colombian designer [**Alejandro Puentes Amézquita**](https://aledro.co/ "https://aledro.co/") for a month-long artist residency at Gladstone House. ###### ***Coming Up at Gladstone House:*** ###### **1.Open Studio** ###### **Saturday, July 20th – Sunday, July 21st from 10:00am - 7:00pm** During his residency at Gladstone House, Alejandro is developing "Biodesigned Readymades," a project inspired by Marcel Duchamp that transforms everyday items like chopsticks into intricate, nature-inspired systems. Visit his open studio to see how he reimagines biomimicry by crafting modular structures that mimic natural processes such as movement and growth. ###### **2.Artist Talk** ###### **Wednesday, July 24th - 6:00pm - 7:00pm** Join Alejandro for a compelling artist talk where he will discuss his "Biodesigned Readymades" project and share insights from his research. Learn how he leverages common objects to explore biomimicry and solve design challenges through nature-inspired solutions. Alejandro’s distinguished career, including his roles in major design projects and his background in architecture and interactive technology, ensures an engaging discussion on innovative and sustainable design. **Events will take place at** [**Gladstone House**](https://www.gladstonehouse.ca/) **1214 Queen St W, Toronto, ON** **Robinson Room** ###### **Project Description** During his residency, Alejandro will focus on developing "Biodesigned Readymades." Inspired by Marcel Duchamp's Readymades, this exhibition reimagines biomimicry by repurposing everyday objects to mimic natural processes. Showcasing innovative structures crafted from chopsticks and chopstick helpers, the exhibition features modular systems that emulate nature’s strategies, such as movement and growth. Visitors will witness how these simple, accessible materials are transformed into complex, nature-inspired systems. By manipulating chopsticks and their helpers, Alejandro aims to demonstrate the potential of everyday items to solve design challenges through biomimicry. "Biodesigned Readymades" celebrates the ingenuity of repurposing common objects, encouraging exploration and creativity. This exhibition reveals the profound potential of nature-inspired design solutions, inviting viewers to see everyday materials in a new, innovative light. ###### **About Alejandro Puentes Amézquita** Alejandro has a distinguished career in both academia and practice. He is a full time professor at Universidad del Rosario’s Faculty of Creative Studies where he explores new modes of interaction between people, materials, and technology. He also is the Principal of Buró 3, an architecture design studio. He led the Planning and Design Group of Bogota’s Secretary of Education, worked as a Physical Designer at Local Projects, served as adjunct Faculty at Universidad de los Andes’ School of Architecture and Design, and was a founding partner of 4H–an architecture and urban design firm. He has won first place in design competitions such as the Colombian Pavilion for Expo Shanghai, the CAFAM Water Park, and the Music Practice Building for Universidad de los Andes. He earned his Master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) and holds a BArch and a Minor in Economics from Universidad de los Andes. ![Headshot of Alejandro Puentes Amézquita](/sites/default/files/inline-images/img_6060-2.jpg) ## Other Recent News [### 2026-27 Call for Funding Proposals for Student Groups that Support Creative Entrepreneurship on Campus The RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) invites OCAD University student groups with a mandate to support entrepreneurship on campus to apply for funding for student-led initiatives that strengthen and expand the creative entrepreneurship ecosystem at OCAD U. This funding is intended to help student groups create opportunities for entrepreneurship skills development, community building, and revenue-generating activities for students and recent alumni, while reducing barriers to participation for equity-seeking individuals. November 6, 2026 ](/news/2026-27-call-funding-proposals-student-groups-support-creative-entrepreneurship-campus) [### 2027 Critical Distance Centre for Curators Projections Program Call for Artists OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) and Critical Distance Centre for Curators (CDCC) have partnered to co-create CDCC Projections Program Career Launcher. Four (4) to five (5) selected emerging artists will receive $690 to exhibit work in a single channel, projection-based screening program that will be displayed at the CDCC in March 2027. October 30, 2026 ](/news/2027-critical-distance-centre-curators-projections-program-call-artists) [### Call for Vendors: BAM! Holiday Art Market 2026 OCAD University's RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) is excited to partner again with Wychwood Barns to offer a curated group of OCAD U students and recent alumni the opportunity to share a vendor table at the BAM! Holiday Art Market. October 26, 2026 ](/news/call-vendors-bam-holiday-art-market-2026) Related Stories ## Related Stories [### Creative Ecologies: Art, Sustainability & Community Resilience in Nassau, Bahamas In May 2026, the International Programs & Collaboration Office is offering a co-curricular opportunity in Nassau, Bahamas. This program is tailored to students working in all mediums and creative disciplines and is designed to strengthen their professional practice through hands-on learning. February 17, 2026 ](/news/creative-ecologies-art-sustainability-community-resilience-nassau-bahamas) [### OCAD University announces 2026 Ateneo Art Award Resident Jel Suarez Filipino artist Jel Suarez has been selected as OCAD University’s 2026 Ateneo Art Award Resident, part of OCAD U’s partnership with the Ateneo Art Gallery at Ateneo de Manila University. The residency supports emerging artists whose practices reflect creativity, critical engagement and innovation. Building on the 2024 residency of Doktor Karayom, who presented No One’s At Home (Walang Tao Sa Bahay) in Toronto, proceeds from a limited-edition shirt designed by Karayom will help support Suarez’s upcoming residency and strengthen cultural exchange between OCAD University and the Ateneo Art Gallery. October 15, 2025 ](/news/ocad-university-announces-2026-ateneo-art-award-resident-jel-suarez) [### OCAD U at FUZE Caribbean Art Fair 2025 OCAD University students, alumni and faculty will present In Common Ink at FUZE Caribbean Art Fair 2025, held October 22–26 at Baha Mar in Nassau, The Bahamas. The project features collaborative risograph prints exploring shared histories and identity, created with visiting Bahamian artist John Cox. Limited-edition prints will be for sale. October 7, 2025 ](/news/ocad-u-fuze-caribbean-art-fair-2025)