1. Vik Muniz's work has been met with both commercial success and critical acclaim, and has been exhibited worldwide.
16 Facts About Vik Muniz
1. 2.
Vik Muniz was born in 1961 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as the only child of Maria Celeste, a telephone operator, and Vincente Muniz, a restaurant waiter.
3.
Vik Muniz won and was awarded a partial scholarship to an art studio.
4.
At the age of 18, Vik Muniz got his first job working in the advertising industry in Brazil, redesigning billboards for higher readability.
5.
Vik Muniz was paid by the shooter to not press charges and used the money to travel to the USA, Chicago, in 1983.
6.
In Chicago, Vik Muniz worked at a local supermarket cleaning the parking lot while he attended night school to study English.
7.
Later, Vik Muniz attended culinary and carpentry classes where he learned most of his English.
8.
Vik Muniz took his first trip to New York in 1984 and moved there just two months after that.
9.
Vik Muniz's friend lent him a studio where he started his career as a sculptor.
10.
Vik Muniz was 28 when he had his first solo exhibit in 1989.
11.
Vik Muniz's work prompts reflection on the reliability of our memories regarding images and events, inviting us to question their veracity.
12.
Beyond his artistic exploration, Vik Muniz is committed to the belief that art can be a catalyst for positive change in the world and should not remain exclusive to elitist circles.
13.
In 2006, Vik Muniz created the series Pictures of Junk - monumental photographic images appropriating the renowned works by the old masters united by the common theme of ancient mythology, which are made from trash.
14.
Vik Muniz donated the profits from his Pictures of Garbage series, close to $50,000 of which came from the sale of Marat at an auction in the UK, to the workers collective Associacao dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho.
15.
In 2010, Vik Muniz was featured in the documentary film Waste Land.
16.
Vik Muniz met with representatives of various groups: members of the largest football clubs, social activists and distinguished scientists.