Iván Capote (Pinar del Río, Cuba, 1973) graduated from the National Art School, Havana, in 1992. He currently lives and works in Havana.
His work focuses on a conceptual creation of linguistic tradition that, beyond discovering the interstices of language and its materiality, proposes to reflect on ontological, existential, political and social phenomena of the present. Words assume the double condition of meaning and structure, hence their visual constructions often give verbal language a three-dimensional character.
In 2017, his work was part of the group exhibition at the Cuban Pavilion of the 57th Venice Biennale.
Amongst his main solo shows, we mention: Verbum II, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana (2016); Verbum I, Galería Habana (2015); Morfemas, Galería Habana (2012); Sutil, Galería Habana (2009); Aforismos, Galería Habana (2006); Pensamientos paralelos, Galería Habana, Zurich, Switzerland, (2006); Drawings and Projects, Brownstone Foundation, Paris, France (2003); Armonía de contrarios, Galería Habana (2001); among others.
His work has been part of the following group exhibitions: Intersections, 13th Havana Biennial, Factoría Habana (2019); Black Mirror, Mario Mauroner Contemporary Art Gallery, Vienna, Austria (2018); Ciudades Invisibles, UNAICC, organized by Galleria Continua (2017); Cuba mi amor, Galleria Continua, Les Moulins, France (2017); Art x Cuba, Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen , Germany (2017); Overseas, Halle 14, Leipzig, Germany (2017); Adiós Utopía, Walker Center, Minneapolis, USA (2017); (In)Mobiliario, Galería La Cometa, Bogotá, Colombia (2016); Cuba Libre, Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany (2016); Off Ballance, Julie M. Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2015); Entre Trópicos, Caixa Cultural, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012); No es neutral, Daros-Latinamerica Collection, Tabakalera, CICC International Center for Contemporary Culture (2008); Surrounded by Water: Expressions of Freedom and Isolation in Contemporary Cuban Art, Boston University Art Gallery, USA (2008); Face to Face the Daros Collection, Part 1, Daros Exhibition, Zurich, Switzerland (2007); Certain Encounters: Daros-Latinamerica Collection, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2006); Doble Blanco, Galería Villa Manuela, Havana (2006); New Installations, Artists in Residence, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, USA (2004); Contemporary Cuba, Museum of Contemporary Art of Goiás, DUPP Gallery, Goiás, Brazil (2001); Hello Cuba, The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, DUPP Gallery, Tallahassee, USA (2001); among others.
1988–1992
Escuela Nacional de Arte, La Habana, Cuba
1985–1988
Escuela Vocacional de Arte, Pinar del Río, Cuba
2016
Verbum ( II ), Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, La Habana, Cuba
2015
Verbum ( I ), Galería Habana, Cuba
2012
Morfemas, Galería Habana, Cuba
Momentum, Exhibición Colateral XI Bienal de la Habana, El Nukleo + El Bunker estudio, La Habana, Cuba
2009
Sutil, Galería Habana, Cuba
2006
Aforismos, Galería Habana, Cuba
Pensamientos Paralelos, Havana Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2003
Dibujos y Proyectos, Brownstone Foundation, Paris, France
2001
Armonía de Contrarios, Galería Habana, Cuba
2019
3≠ 3, Collateral to the 13th Havana Biennal, Galleria Havana, Havana
Líneas discontinuas, Galería Habana, Havana
Intersections, XIII Bienal de La Habana, Factoría Habana, Havana, Cuba
2018
OLA CUBA, Gare Saint Sauveur, Lille, France
How Is the water?, Arte Continua, Havana
2017
Las Ciudades Invisibles, (with Galleria Continua), UNAICC Unión Nacional de Arquitectos e Ingenieros de la Construcción de Cuba, La Habana, Cuba.
Cuba mi amor, Galleria Continua, Les Moulins, France.
Art x Cuba, Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst , Aachen , Germany
Overseas, Halle 14, Leipzig, Germany
Adiós Utopía, Walker Center, Minneapolis, United States
Adiós Utopía, MFAH, Huston, United States
Tiempo de la Intuición, Cuban Pavillion en la 57° Bienal de Venezia, Italy
2016
(In)Mobiliario, Galería Habana, La Habana, Cuba
Línea Insular, Galería La Cometa, Bogotá, Colombia
Cuba Libre, Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, Germany
2015
Zona Franca, Exposición Colateral XII Bienal de La Habana, Fortaleza de La Cabaña, La Habana, Cuba
Crack, Exposición Colateral XII Bienal de La Habana, Galería Habana, Cuba
Off Ballance, Julie M. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2013
43 Salón (inter) Nacional de Artistas, Medellín, Colombia
2012
XI Bienal de La Habana, Pabellón Cuba, La Habana, Cuba
Entre Trópicos, Caixa Cultural, Río de Janeiro, Brasil
Caos, Galería Habana, La Habana, Cuba.
HB, Muestra de Arte Contemporáneo Cubano, PABEXPO, La Habana, Cub
2009
II Bienal de Arte Contemporáneo de Tesalónica, Greece
HB, Muestra de Arte Contemporáneo Cubano, PABEXPO, La Habana, Cuba
La Perra Subasta, Espacio Aglutinador, La Habana, Cuba
2008
No es neutral, Daros–Latinamerica Collection, Tabakalera, CICC Centro Internacional de Cultura Contemporánea, Donostia–San Sebastián, Spain
Identificase, Galería Habana, Cuba
State of Exchange, INIVA, London, United Kingdom
Surrounded by Water: Expressions of Freedom and Isolation in Contemporary Cuban Art, Boston University Art Gallery, Boston, EUA
2007
Face to Face The Daros Collections, Part 1, Daros Exhibitions, Zurich, Switzerland
Show off, Art Fair (with Gallery Habana), Paris, France
Balelatina contemporary art fair, (with Gallery Habana), Basilea, Switzerland
Cero, Salón Blanco del Convento San Francisco de Asís, La Habana, Cuba
2006
Art Forum Berlin 06, Art Fair (with Gallery Habana), Berlin, Germany
Show off, Art Fair (with Gallery Habana), Paris, France
Pacemaker: Contemporary Cuban Art, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Certain Encounters: Daros–Latinamerica Collection, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
Inner Cities, Centro de Artes Visuales “Luz y oficio”, La Habana, Cuba
Doble Blanco, Gallery Villa Manuela, La Habana, Cuba
2004
New Installations, Artists in Residence Cuba, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, United States
FIAC, Feria de Arte (con Galería Habana), Paris, France
Mayo Abstracto, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, La Habana, Cuba
2003
VIII Bienal de La Habana, exhibition in Fortaleza de La Cabaña, La Habana, Cuba
Sentido Común, Gallery Habana, Cuba.
2002
La Huella Múltiple, Havana Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
La Huella Múltiple, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, La Habana, Cuba
2001
III Salón de Arte Contemporáneo, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, La Habana, Cuba.
Cuba Contemporánea, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Goiás, Galería DUPP, Goiás, Brasil
Hello Cuba, The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, Gallery DUPP, Tallahassee, United States
2000
VII Bienal de La Habana, Gallery DUPP, work located on the Havana coastline, Fortaleza del Morro, La Habana, Cuba
La amistad, public intervention, Centro Comercial La Amistad, Gallery DUPP, Holguín, Cuba
Con un pensar abstraído, Gallery DUPP, Gallery Habana, La Habana, Cuba
1999
II Festival de Performance: El Pabellón del Vacío, Gallery DUPP, Cuba Pavillion, La Habana, Cuba.
Con un mirar abstraído, public intervention, Galería DUPP, La Rampa, La Habana, Cuba.
La Época, public intervention, Centro Comercial La Época, Gallery DUPP, La Habana, Cuba
2000
Premio UNESCO, Galery DUPP, VII Bienal de La Habana, La Habana, Cuba.
Premio de Curaduría, Gallery DUPP, Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plásticas, La Habana, Cuba
2012
Premio de Curaduría, Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plásticas, La Habana, Cuba
2004
Mattress Factory Residence, MF 2004–05 New Installations, Artists in Residence Cuba, Pittsburgh, EUA
2003
Noemi Prize and Brownstone Foundation Residency, Paris, France
2002
Mención, Premio de Curaduría, Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plásticas, La Habana, Cuba
Daros–Latinamerica Collection, Zurich, Switzerland.
Arizona State University Art Museum, Arizona, United States
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, La Habana, Cuba
Daros–Latinamerica Collection, Zúrich, Switzerland
Arizona State University Art Museum, Arizona, Usa
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, La Habana, Cuba