Catalan artist Albert Porta, who adopted pseudonyms such as Zush and Evru, dies at 79.

Albert Porta (that was his real name) was born in Barcelona in 1946. He adopted the nickname Zush from 1968 until 2001 when he renamed himself Evru . Self-taught, he defined himself as ArtCienMist , that is, artist, scientist and mystic. He drew from a very young age, but his contact with the art world came through René Metras, a French gallery owner, in 1962, who encouraged him to continue creating. He established contacts and worked with artists such as Jordi Galí and Silvia Gubern, among others, with whom he would later form the Grup del Maduixer. It was in 1964 that his work was first shown to the public in the collective exhibition 'Presences of Our Time' at the René Metras Gallery.

The year 1968 was established as a transcendental point in his artistic journey, as he decided to create Evrugo Mental State , an invented state with its own language, flag, currency and anthem, accompanied by its own communication code, and to change his name to Zush. During this period, his work stood out for its psychedelic aesthetic created through phosphorescent pigments and a great formal anarchy , understanding his works as the construction of a personal mythology, something applicable to much of his creation. Thanks to various scholarships, he studied Holography Applied to Art at MIT in Boston , something that is reflected in his works from the mid-80s onwards, integrating technology. Highlights include exhibitions in renowned spaces such as Documenta in Kassel in 1977, the Guggenheim in New York in 1980, and the Pompidou in Paris in 1989.

In 2001, during her retrospective organized by Macba , Zush changed her name to Evru. It was at this time that the concept of ArtCienMist emerged, defining her new artistic persona. Her long career has led to major museums dedicating retrospectives to her, such as the one presented in 2007 at various museums in China, such as the Today Art Museum in Beijing and the MoMA Duo Lun in Shanghai.

In addition to having exhibited in numerous important museums, he has also received various awards, such as the National Engraving Award in 1997, the Laus Award in 1999, the City of Barcelona Award in 2000, and the ACCA Art Critics Award in 2003. The Fundació Suñol dedicated a solo exhibition to him in 2024.