Juan Downey (May 11, 1940 - June 9, 1993) was a pioneer video artist. He was born in Santiago, Chile. His father David Downey V. was a distinguished architect in Chile and following in his father's footsteps Juan Downey studied and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile.

From a young age, he immersed himself in studying different forms of art, including painting, dance and writing. In 1961, to further his studies and develop his artistic practice, Downey traveled to Europe. He spent a few months in Barcelona and Madrid, followed by Paris where he lived for a period of three years during which he studied printmaking at Stanley William Hayter's legendary Atelier 17. Du...