Denise De La Rue is a Mexican artist whose work addresses a dialogue between history, the world today and the future.
Her practice includes photography, installation in historical venues, art interventions, video and sculpture. She lives and works in Mexico City, Madrid and Los Angeles.
She was the first Latin American artist exhibited by Gagosian Gallery in 2008.
She was the first artist in history exhibited at the Palace of Liria in Madrid in collaboration in the Ducal House of Alba Foundation in 2024.
For previous projects she has collaborated with El Prado Museum, Reina Sofía Museum, the National Gallery, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Museum Picasso Barcelona and others. Additionally, she has collaborated with Spanish National Heritage, Spain Ministry of Culture, the Francis Bacon Estate, the Salvador Dalí Estate and Succession Picasso.
She was the first artist in history to be granted permission by Succession Picasso to use “Guernica” for a contemporary work of art, this video: “A Cry for Peace” was presented at the United Nations headquarters in New York, during the General Assembly 2014, this was the first time that an art project had been presented during the General Assembly in the history of the United Nations. The music for this art piece was composed by the twice Academy Award winner music composer Gustavo Santaolla.
For her project: “Goya Metamorphose” she collaborated with the Spanish National Heritage, Spanish Ministry of Arts and Culture and El Prado Museum to create a massive intervention in Francisco de Goya paintings.
She is the first artist that has been granted the opportunity to create an immersive intervention at the Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida in Madrid, part of Spanish National Heritage and the location for Goya’s most important frescoes, as well as the resting place for his remains.
This was the first time that the Chapel has hosted an exhibition in its two centuries of history.
As a peace activist she did a citywide intervention of billboards bearing peace statements by writers, philosophers and activists in Mexico City. This was the first time that the city hosted a single artist intervention of over a hundred billboards.
In philanthropic causes she has supported His Holiness Pope Francis Scholas Ocurrentes Foundation, Lotus House Women’s Shelter, Houston Ballet, the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral, Angel Food Foundation among others.