Manuel Tejera on working small-scale and the need to abolish the art system

Manuel Tejera, who was born in 1996 in Torrelavega, Cantabria, is a performance artist, stage director, and designer now based in Madrid. His art combines body movement, text, and visuals, creating experiences that are both speculative and humorously absurd. His latest piece, INT.MUSEO (2026), tackles the ideas of extreme physical stiffness and emotional freeze, while examining the connection between viewers and a statue, as well as the concept of bodily vulnerability. Tejera credits libraries and moments of solitude as his main teachers, along with inspirations like Romeo Castellucci, Marina Abramović, and Dimitris Pappaioannou. He critiques the art world for stifling intuition and began his creative journey with cardboard video game sets, eventually merging dance, acrobatics, and acting into a cohesive practice. Tejera connects with various hashtags and dreams of crafting a piece influenced by Calderón de la Barca's La vida es sueño.