Yoan Capote

Yoan Capote (Pinar del Río, Cuba, 1977) is a contemporary Cuban artist who currently enjoys great national and international recognition. He was trained as sculptor, and of conceptualist vocation, and he has developed a vast and diverse work concerning creative procedures and thematic interests. From his studies at the Superior Institute of Arts (ISA) to present-day, Yoan Capote has proved his proficiency not only in sculpture, but also in painting, drawing, installation… often diluting the boundaries of these art forms in an attempt for transgressing the more conventional generic limits. Regarding topics, his creation has assumed a reflective and critical tone in the concern on human, social, historical and political phenomena, which often go beyond the national context to become highly universal topics. Having been distinguished with different awards and recognitions, the youngest of the Capote brothers has managed to delineate his discourse of great plastic richness and tropologic complexity.

 

EDUCATION

  • 1996 – 2001   Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana
  • 1991 – 1995   National School of Plastic Arts (ENA), Havana
  • 1988 – 1991   Provincial School of Art, Pinar del Río, Cuba

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017

  • Yoan Capote: Palangre, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

2015

  • Isla, Ben Brown Fine Arts Gallery, London
  • Yoan Capote: Collective Unconscious, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

2013

  • Emotional Objects, Ben Brown Fine Arts Gallery, London
  • The Other Nature of Things (Rerum Alter Natura), Long House Reserve, East Hampton, New York

2012

  • Fonemas y Morfemas II (With Iván Capote), Galería Habana, Havana
  • Momentum (With Iván Capote), Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, El Nukleo + El Bunker Studio, Havana

2011

  • In Tran-sit, 21c Museum, Louisville
  • Fonemas y Morfemas (With Iván Capote), Galería Habana, Havana

2010

  • Mental States, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

2008

  • Psicomorfosis, Galería Habana, Havana

2006

  • Pensamientos paralelos (With Iván Capote), Havana Gallery, Zurich

2004

  • Anímica, George Adams Gallery, New York
  • Between the Lines, Paul Sharpe Contemporary Art, New York
  • Preparations: Studies for Sculpture on Paper, Andre Zarre Gallery, New York

2003

  • Drawings and Projects (With Iván Capote), Brownstone Foundation, Paris

2001

  • El diseño de lo híbrido, Galería Habana, Havana

1999

  • ULM (Huéleme), Carmelo González Gallery, Havana

1998

  • Tracc Bakk Track, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2018

  • How Is the Water?, Arte Continua Gallery, Havana
  • Diamante en bruto, Arte Continua Gallery, Havana
  • Arte Cubano (Itinerant exhibition), Mid-America Arts Alliance and Center for Cuban Studies (NYC), USA

2017

  • Las cuidades invisibles, UNAICC, Havana
  • Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago, Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA), Long Beach, California
  • Art x Cuba. Contemporary Perspectives Since 1989, Ludwig Forum for International Art, Aachen
  • On the Horizon: Contemporary Cuban Art from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, Pérez Art Museum (PAMM), Miami
  • Wrong Side of History, Bullet Space (An Urban Artist Collaborative), New York
  • Adiós utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art, 1950-2015, Houston Fine Arts Museum, Houston
  • Baggage Claims, Ezra and Ceclie Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
  • Home Room: A Multimedia Group Exhibition, The School/Jack Shainman Gallery, Kinderhook, New York

2016

  • (In) mobiliario, Galería Habana, Havana
  • Complicated Beauty: Contemporary Cuban Art (Organized by the Tampa Museum of Art in collaboration with the Bronx Museum of the Arts), Tampa
  • Displacement: Symbols and Journey, Cornell Fine Arts Museum of Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
  • Cuba Libre, Ludwig Museum, Koblenz

2015

  • Contingent Beauty: Contemporary Art from Latin America, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
  • Ich bin eine Pflanze: Naturprozesse in der Kunst, Kunstmuseum Ravensburg, Ravensburg
  • Enhanced!, University of South Florida, Tampa
  • When Artist’s Speak Truth…, The 8th Floor, New York
  • Winter in America, The School, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
  • HB, Collateral to the 12th Havana Biennial, Pabexpo, Havana

2014

  • Nuit Blanche, Toronto
  • Cuban America: An Empire State of Mind, Lehman College Art Gallery, The Bronx
  • Mise en Scène, The School, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
  • Beyond the Classical: Imagining the Ideal Across Time, National Academy Museum, New York

2013

  • Cuban Forever, Pizzuti Collection, Columbus

2012

  • Adjoining Islands: The Cuban Pavilion in Manhattan, SRDR Enterprises, New York
  • Entre trópicos, Caixa Cultural, Rio de Janeiro
  • HB, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, Pabexpo, Havana
  • Caos, Galería Habana, Havana
  • Construir, desconstruir y destruir, Carlos Garaicoa Studio, Madrid
  • Círculos, Elba Benítez Gallery, Madrid

2011

  • 54th Venice Biennial, Cuban Pavilion, San Servolo Island, Venice
  • L’Insoutenable légèreté de l’être, Yvon Lambert Gallery, New York
  • Cuba Now, 21c Museum, Louisville

2010

  • Stressisimo, Galería Habana, Havana
  • Cuba Avant-Garde: Contemporary Cuban Art from Farber Collection, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Miami
  • Portugal Arte 10, 1st Portugal Biennial, Lisbon
  • Without Mask (The von Christierson Collection), Johanesgurg Art Gallery (JAG), Johanesgurg
  • En otra dimensión, Galería Habana, Havana
  • Los impolíticos, Palazzo delle Arti Napoli (NAP), Naples
  • Polaridades complementarias, New Orleans Art Museum, New Orleans
  • Panamericana, Kurimanzutto, Mexico D. F.

2009

  • Las Américas Latinas. Las fatigas del querer, Oberdan Space, Milan
  • 2nd Thessaloniki Biennial of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Confluences: Inside Cuban Contemporary Art, National Hispano American Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • 10th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
  • HB. Muestra de arte contemporáneo cubano, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Pabexpo, Havana
  • ARCO’09, Galería Habana, Madrid
  • ART PULSE, Galería Habana, New York

2008

  • Erótica, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
  • State of Exchange, International Institute of Visual Art (INIVA), London
  • Contemporary Cuban Art, New Jersey
  • Surrounded by Water: Expressions of Freedom and Isolation in Contemporary Cuban Art, Boston University Art Gallery, Boston

2007

  • Killing Time, Exit Art, New York
  • Inside/Outside, George Adams Gallery, New York
  • Waiting List: Time and Transition in Contemporary Cuban Art, City Art Museum of Ljubljana (MGML), Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Cero, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Havana

2006

  • Case Studies: Art in a Valise, Katonah Museum of Art, New York
  • Contemporary Cuban Drawing, Paul Sharpe Contemporary Art Gallery, New York
  • Pacemaker: Contemporary Cuban Art, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto
  • Obsessions, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto
  • Group Show, George Adams Gallery, New York
  • Inner Cities, Luz y Oficios Gallery, Havana
  • Doble blanco, Villa Manuela Gallery, Havana
  • In the Nature of Things, George Adams Gallery, New York

2005

  • Body Language, George Adams Gallery, New York
  • Wunderkammer I, Nina Menocal Gallery, Mexico D. F.

2004

  • Cuba from the Inside Looking Out I, Wayne State University, Detroit
  • New Installations. Artists in Residence: Cuba, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh
  • Benchmark, Longhouse Reserve, East Hampton, New York
  • Just On Time, Galería Habana, Havana
  • The Future is Now, Paul Sharpe Contemporary Art, New York
  • Collector’s Show, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock
  • Bush-Wack!, George Adams Gallery, New York

2003

  • 8th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de La Cabaña, Havana
  • Ciudad múltiple (International exhibition in public spaces), Panama City
  • Sentido común, Galería Habana, Havana

2002

  • International Show, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
  • La huella múltiple, Havana Gallery, Zurich
  • La huella múltiple, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
  • ISA Graduated, Havana Gallery, Zurich

2000

  • 100 años de arte en Pinar del Río, Pinar del Río Art Museum (MAPRI), Pinar del Río, Cuba
  • 7th Havana Biennial (DUPP Gallery), Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
  • Zoom, Andrés Bello Gallery, Bogotá
  • Con un pensar abstraído (DUPP Gallery), Galería Habana, Havana

1999

  • A ras de tierra, Architects College, Havana
  • Los desvelos del cíclope, Espacio Abierto Gallery, Havana
  • El pabellón del vacío (DUPP Gallery), II Performance Festival Ana Mendieta, Cuba Pavilion, Havana
  • Con un pensar abstraído (DUPP Gallery, public intervention), La Rampa, Havana
  • La Época (DUPP Gallery, public intervention), Commercial Center La Época, Havana
  • VII Salón de arte erótico, Mariano Rodríguez Gallery, Havana
  • The Performatical Condition, Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana

1998

  • II Salón de Arte Contemporáneo Cubano (SACC), Fototeca de Cuba, Havana
  • 2da Bienal de Escultura, Teodoro Ramos Blanco Gallery, Havana
  • I Festival de Performance Ana Mendieta, UNEAC Gallery, Havana
  • Pizza Pizza, Postimposibility, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana; Fine Arts University, Paris
  • Building Cultural Bridges, Cornell University, Wisconsin; Atlantic University, Iowa; William Patterson University, USA

1997

  • Antes de la lluvia, Collateral to the 6th Havana Biennial, ISA Gallery, Havana

1996

  • Se mandaron pa’ home, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana

1995

  • El molino rojo, Casa del Joven Creador, Havana

1994

  • ENA una vez, Collateral to the 5th Havana Biennial, Gallery of The National School of Plastic Arts (ENA), Havana

 

OTHER WORKS

  • 2001 – 2003   Professor, Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana

 

AWARDS

2006

  • John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, New York
  • Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, New York

2004

  • Invited Artist, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska
  • Mattress Factory Residence, New Installations. Artists in Residence: Cuba, Pittsburgh
  • Fellowship, Cuban Artists Fund, New York

2003

  • Brownstone Foundation Residency, Paris

2002

  • Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont
  • Residency, American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, New York
  • Mention (Curatorship Prize), National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana

2000

  • UNESCO Award (DUPP Gallery), 7th Havana Biennial, Havana
  • Curatorship Prize (DUPP Gallery), National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana

1998

  • Fellowship, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana
  • First Prize, 2nd Sculpture Biennial, Teodoro Ramos Blanco Gallery, Havana

 

COLLECTIONS

  • Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Winter Park
  • Beelden aan Zee Museum, The Hague
  • Carole and Alex Rosenberg Collection, New York
  • Avistamientos Collection, Havana
  • Pérez Art Museum, Miami
  • Meana Larrucea Collection, Bilbao
  • Karen and Robert Duncan Collection, Lincoln
  • Marc and Kathy LeBaron Collection, Lincoln
  • Chris von Christierson Collection, South Africa
  • Pizzuti Collection, Columbus
  • 21c Museum, Louisville
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
  • North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
  • Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe
  • Daros Latinamerica Collection, Zurich
  • Kadist Art Foundation, Paris and San Francisco
  • Schonewald Fine Arts, Dusseldorf
  • Farber Collection, Miami
  • Andreas Winkler Collection, Zurich
  • Erwin and Ethylyn Hidalgo Collection, Hong Kong
  • National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana
  • Ella Fontanals Cisneros Collection, Miami
  • Steven Cohen Collection, Greenwich
  • Armando Amorim Soares Collection, Portugal

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Padrón, Luis Enrique. Palangre, Bread, Wine and Salt: About the Immanence of the Sea and the Terribilità of an Island.  http://www.cubartecontemporaneo.com/review/palangre-bread-wine-salt-immanence-sea-terribilita-island/, 2017.

Padrón, Luis Enrique. Variaciones del pensar; elucubraciones eventuales, sin más.  http://www.cubartecontemporaneo.com/es/review/variaciones-del-pensar-elucubraciones-eventuales-sin-mas/, 2016.

Knafo, Danielle. “In the Beginning Was the Word: Yoan Capote.” Yoan Capote. Milan: Skira Editore S.p.A., 2016.

Picard, Charmaine. “The Weight of the Island.” Yoan Capote. Milan: Skira Editore S.p.A., 2016.

González-Mora, Magda. “The Power of Dissent.” Yoan Capote. Milan: Skira Editore S.p.A., 2016.

Armas, Clemente. “La ovación del silencio.” Fonemas y Morfemas. Catalogue. Havana: 2013.

Fernández, Hamlet. “Consanguinidad entre Fonemas y Morfemas.” ­­­­­­­­­La Gaceta No. 2 (Havana: June, 2012): 62-63.

Fernández Torres, Jorge. “El desequilibrio de las iluminaciones.” Cuba Mon Amour. Catalogue. Italy: 2011, 23-26.

Blanco, Caridad. “Materia y espíritu: diferencias entre la poesía visual de Iván y Yoan Capote.” ArtNexus No. 81 (Bogotá, 2011): 36-42.

Trombadori, Duccio. “Iluminaciones.” 54 Bienal de Venecia. Catalogue. Venice: 2001, 342.

Herrera Ysla, Nelson. “Psicológico, físico y sensorial.” Artecubano No. 2 (Havana, 2011): 62-47.

Dawson, Jessica. “Peggy Cooper Cafritz Irked by Black Art Platitudes at Katzen.” Washington Post (Washington D. C., 2010).

Crow, Kelly. “Cuba Now.” Wall Street Journal (New York, 2009).

Matamoros, Corina. “Yoan Capote. Razones de las sentidos.” Arte por Excelencia No. 2 (Havana, 2009).

Salgado, Gabriela. “Secretos, 2009.” 2nd Thessaloniki Biennial of Contemporary Art. Catalogue. Greece: 2009.

Blanco, Caridad. ArtNexus No. 72 (Bogotá, 2009): 108-109.

Villalonga, Yuneikis. “Looking with Different Eyes.” State of Exchange: Artists from Cuba. Catalogue. London: International Institute of Visual Art (INIVA), 2008, 55.

Mosquera, Gerardo. “Historia y contexto.” State of Exchange: Artists from Cuba. Catalogue. London: International Institute of Visual Art (INIVA), 2008, 22-26.

Crow, Kelly. “The Cuban Art Revolution.” Wall Street Journal (New York, 2008): 1.

Glueck, Grace. “Case Studies: Art in a Valise at Katonah Museum of Art.” The New York Times No. 18 (New York, 2006): 32.

Heartney, Eleanor. “Yoan Capote at Georges Adams Gallery.” Art in America No. 5 (July, 2005).

Vázquez, Darys. “La constante mutación de los objetos.” Artecubano No. 4 (Havana, 2005): 42-47.

Triff, Soren. “El arte abre la puerta a la libertad.” The Miami Herald No. 4 (Miami, 2005): 28.

Garret, Craig. “Multiple City.” ArtNexus No. 49 (Bogotá, 2003): 92-04.

Cembalest, Robin. “Where Rube Goldberg Meets Kafka.” ArtNews (New York, 2001): 151.

Bomnin, Amalina. “Iván y Yoan Capote at Galería Habana.” Beaux Arts No. 44 (Bogotá, 2001): 77.

Grecia Portela, Julia. “Capote + Capote.” Noticias de Artecubano No. 7 (Havana, 2001): 3.

Bousteau, Fabrice. “Cuba la Belle Américaine.” Beaux Arts No. 200 (Paris, 2000): 151.