Aluan Argüelles

Aluan Argüelles (Havana, 1982) is a contemporary Cuban artist who, despite his youth, has managed to develop a work of great artistic value and tropologic depth. Along with the lessons learned at the Superior Institute of Arts (ISA), his cognitive arsenal is enriched by studies at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm, which helped him to develop a critical and reflective attitude towards reality and art. The notions of center and periphery, the condition of island and the topic of the trip in its duality of meeting/farewell and beginning/end, have been some of the most recurrent issues of his artistic career. However, such lines of his discourse often constitute pretexts to reflect on topics of greater universality, often because they are committed to going beyond the perimeter of the individual to become allegories of ecumenical aspirations. For such purposes, this novel artist uses photography as the initial means for a pictorial work that returns to the viewer that first disarranged and ambiguous image. Aluan Argüelles is a devotee of painting, but that is not a reason for him to remain stranded in the schemes of that art form, since his procedures has also gone through the ways of sculpture, installation, performance and video.

 

EDUCATION

  • 2003 – 2008   Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana
  • 2007 – 2008   Royal University College of Fine Arts (KKH), Stockholm
  • 1998 – 2002   San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, Havana

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017

  • Caja negra, Artis 718 Gallery, Havana

2015

  • Cuarto de derrota, Espacio Abierto Gallery, Havana

2012

  • La voluntad de los huéspedes, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana

2011

  • Zoom, International Dynamic Museum of Contemporary Art (MIDAC), Italy
  • Aloud, Center for Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana

2010

  • Beach Birds, Servando Gallery, Havana

2009

  • Life Turns on a Dime, Francis Colburn Gallery, Vermont
  • Verano, Mariano Rodríguez Gallery, Havana

2008

  • Hacerse el sueco, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana
  • Telling Stories, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2016

  • El blanco más oscuro, Casa 8 Gallery, Havana

2015

  • Nota al pie, Espacio Abierto Gallery, Havana
  • Post it, Galiano Gallery, Havana
  • Presente continuo, Servando Gallery, Havana
  • Hipertermia, Alba House, Havana
  • Documenta, Collateral to the 12th Havana Biennial, Villena Hall, UNEAC, Havana
  • Universal (desambiguación), Zona Franca, Collateral to the 12th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
  • Zip, Artis 718 Gallery, Havana
  • Zip, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana
  • Éticos y estéticos, International Press Center, Havana

2014

  • Ahora12, Artis 718 Gallery, Havana
  • Legado, Factoría Habana, Havana
  • xl’2 [Por el dos], VI Salón de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo (SACC), Center for Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
  • Tres partes para un diálogo, Espacio Abierto Gallery, Havana

2013

  • Post it, Galiano Gallery, Havana
  • Travel, Goiania Art Museum, Goiania, Brazil
  • Capítulo II, State Center of Arts, Tecate, Baja California

2012

  • RGB, The Browse Gallery, Berlin
  • Creaciones compartidas, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, Cuban Pavilion, Havana
  • Colaterales 2012, 11th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
  • The Cuba Collection (Online exhibition), New York, http://www.artstar.com/exhibition/index/view/id/1354/

2011

  • Assorted in Philadelphia, WhereHouse Gallery, Philadelphia
  • Altas presiones, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana
  • No es la ausencia, Cuban Pavilion, Havana
  • Cuban Contemporary Art, Map Black Box Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
  • Universal Art, Municipal Institute of Art and Culture (IMAC), Tijuana

2010

  • El extremo de la bala: una década de arte cubano, Cuban Pavilion, Havana
  • Cuban Contemporary Art, Yayasan Seni Berdaftar Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
  • Sujeto omitido, Humboldt Cathedra, Havana University, Havana
  • Frieze Art Fair, London
  • Contrastes, Allegro Gallery, Panama City

2009

  • Home Xmas, Allegro Gallery, Panama City
  • The Word Show, Flynndog Cultural Center, Vermont
  • Ars Latina, International Cultural Association Terra dell’arte, Havana
  • Área de entrenamiento, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, San Isidro Hall, Havana
  • Simulacros, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Villena Hall, UNEAC, Havana

2008

  • Toma 9, Center for Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
  • Documental Film Painting Project, Mellanrummet Gallery, Stockholm

2007

  • Make Space for the New, Project Studio 2 Fregsgatan, Stockholm
  • Puerta trasera (Student residence), Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana

2006

  • I Encuentro de arte público, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
  • IX en la carpintería, Collateral to the 9th Havana Biennial, Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana

 

AWARDS

2015

  • Rita Longa Fellowship, Hermanos Saíz (AHS) Foundation, Caguayo Foundation, Havana

2014

  • Juan Francisco Elso Fellowship, Hermanos Saíz (AHS) Foundation, National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana

2012

  • El Reino de Este Mundo Fellowship, Hermanos Saíz (AHS) Foundation, Havana
  • Honorable mention, It’s LIQUID International Contest First Edition 2012, Italy

2011

  • Artist in Residence, International Dynamic Museum of Contemporary Art (MIDAC), Italy

2009

  • Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont

2008

  • Special Student Art Program, Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm

2007

  • Scholarship Award Student Exchange Program Linnaeus Palme, Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm

2000

  • International Award of Art Deco Poster Design, ADSNY, New York

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gámez, Carlos. Tras encontrar la basura debajo de la alfombra. http://esquife.jimdo.com/agenda-texto-tras-encontar-la-basura-debajo-de-la-alfombra/, November 2015.

Álvarez, Evelyn. Cuba: mar de suspense. http://artoncuba.com/blog-es/cuba-mar-de-suspense/, November 2015.

Fernández Seoane, Antonio. “Cuarto de derrota.” Havana: Meridiano Cultural C.M.B.F., November 2015.

Núñez Leyva, Yanelys. El cuarto de derrota de Aluan Argüelles. http://www.havanatimes.org/sp/?p=110384, November 2015.

Herrera Ysla, Nelson. “Arte contemporáneo hecho en Cuba.” Zona Franca. Exposiciones colaterales. 12 Bienal de la Habana. Catalogue. Havana: Artecubano Editions and Collage Habana Editions, 2015, 52.

Rubenstein, Anthony and ARTempoCuba team. “Cutting Edge Art in Havana.” Philadelphia: ATLA Group. LTD, July 2015, 82.

Nuñez Leyva, Yanelys. Algunas impresiones sobre la expo Universal (Desambiguación). http://www.havanatimes.org/sp/?p=107500, July 2015.

González, Antonio E. Universal (Desambiguación): La diferencia como rasgo común. http://www.lajiribilla.cu/articulo/10518/universal-desambiguacion-la-diferencia-como-rasgo-comun, July 2015.

Acosta López, Gretel. Espero no repetirme repitiéndome. http://www.cnap.cult.cu/actualidad/espero-no-repetirme-repitiendome, November 2014.

Calvo, Onedys. El cielo en las narraciones de Aluan Arguelles. http://www.habanaradio.cu/culturales/el-cielo-en-las-narraciones-de-aluan-arguelles/, October 2014.

García Valecillo, Zaida. “Registro de la memoria.” Artefacto No. 12 (Caracas, March 2014): 44.

Collective Nahar. “A pesar del mar.” Artefacto No. 11 (Caracas, December 2013): 4-5.

Collective Nahar. “The Cuban Visual Arts.” Art Oncuba No. 01 (Miami, December 2013-February 2014).

Fernández, Hamlet. Con plena voluntad de ejecutantes.  http://www.cubartecontemporaneo.com/es/review/con-plena-voluntad-de-ejecutantes-hamlet-fernandez/, May 2012.

Álvarez, Andrés and Anaeli Ibarra. “Un panorama del arte cubano en la Oncena Bienal de La Habana.” Arte por Excelencias No. 14 (Havana, 2012): 78-80.

Milizzia, Humberto. “Aluan Argüelles al MIDAC.” ZOOM, (Italy, 2011).

Moreira, Shirley. “Más allá de imágenes fragmentadas.” Artecubano No. 6 (Havana, 2011): 15.

Castanedo, Laura. “En la Habana.” tijuaNEO No. 38 (Tijuana, 2010): 50.

Lindholm, Jane. VT Edition: Artist Aluan Argüelles. http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/86174/, October 2009.