Yornel J. Martínez Elías 1981
Lives in Havana, Cuba. Works in Havana, Cuba.
Represented by:
Marieke Severens Gallery
Yornel J. Martínez Elías (b.Manzanillo, Cuba, 1981) lives and works in Havana, Cuba. He studied Visual Arts at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana and amongst many residencies, he was also a resident at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht during 2022-2023.
In his work, he is looking for connections and erasing borders between artists and artistic expression. His work consists of drawings, installations, texts and interventions in public spaces. With his work, he likes to challenge the viewer to become aware of their own view of the world.
Is artist statement:
My work oprates in the interstice between the poetic and the conceptual, showing a marked interest in language. I try to generate poetic transformations that blur the boundaries between different media: installations, objects, calligrams, paintings and drawings.
Equally, I attach great importance to the exploration of new devices or models for exhibiting the works. Sometimes the projects become public interventions (Exergo, 2012 -intervention in several cinema marquees in La Havana, Cuba), other times they are shown in the form of publications (alternative magazine P-350, 2009), as interventions within specific museum collections (Desoriente, 2018 -intervention in the Asian art collection of the Museo de Artes Decorativas in La Havana, Cuba), or they relate to the existing museum archives (Formas de intervenir un archivo, 2016 -intervention in the archive of the Museo Nacional, La Havana, Cuba).
Overall, I conceive my artistic production from the coexistence of different works that complement and contaminate each other, developing in parallel short and long term projects, to the point in which the creative process reaches a significant place.
In his work, he is looking for connections and erasing borders between artists and artistic expression. His work consists of drawings, installations, texts and interventions in public spaces. With his work, he likes to challenge the viewer to become aware of their own view of the world.
Is artist statement:
My work oprates in the interstice between the poetic and the conceptual, showing a marked interest in language. I try to generate poetic transformations that blur the boundaries between different media: installations, objects, calligrams, paintings and drawings.
Equally, I attach great importance to the exploration of new devices or models for exhibiting the works. Sometimes the projects become public interventions (Exergo, 2012 -intervention in several cinema marquees in La Havana, Cuba), other times they are shown in the form of publications (alternative magazine P-350, 2009), as interventions within specific museum collections (Desoriente, 2018 -intervention in the Asian art collection of the Museo de Artes Decorativas in La Havana, Cuba), or they relate to the existing museum archives (Formas de intervenir un archivo, 2016 -intervention in the archive of the Museo Nacional, La Havana, Cuba).
Overall, I conceive my artistic production from the coexistence of different works that complement and contaminate each other, developing in parallel short and long term projects, to the point in which the creative process reaches a significant place.
Artworks
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Media
Highlights
Recommendations
Collections
Shows
Market position
CV
Artworks by Yornel J. Martínez Elías
Shows
In museum collection:
Museum Voorlinden
CV
Education:
-2022-2023. Jan Van Eyck Academie, Post Academie for Art, Design and Reflection, Maastricht, Netherlands.
-2002-2007.Graduated from the University of Visual Arts of the Instituto Superior de Arte, ISA, Havana.
-1998-2001. Graduated (in painting and drawing) from the Academia de Artes Plásticas José J. Tejada, Santiago de Cuba.
Solo exhibitions:
-2019. Confiésamelo, Galería 23 y 12, Havana, Cuba.
-2018.
Un día cualquiera del 2030, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana, Cuba.
Desoriente, intervention, Museo de Artes Decorativas, Havana, Cuba.
Abril es el mes más cruel, Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura, Havana, Cuba.
-2017.
Ibídem, Servando gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Statement, El Apartamento gallery, Havana, Cuba.
-2016.
Mi mano derecha no sabe lo que escribe mi mano izquierda, Nacional Library José Martí, Havana, Cuba.
-2015.
Solo Show, Swab, Barcelona
XII BIENAL DE LA HABANA Intervention in the library Fayad Jamís, Obispo 261, Havana.
-2014.
La estrella, Servando gallery, Havana, Cuba.
The pure land, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana, Cuba.
-2013.Caligramas, Villena de la Oficina del Historiador gallery, Obispo 59, Havana, Cuba.
-2012.Ajonjolí, Luz y Oficio gallery, Provincial Center of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba.
-2009. Inventario, F. Ludwig de Cuba, Havana.
-2004.La mañana triste de Kate Moss, Foundation Lezama Lima, Havana, Cuba.
-1999.Al loco de los Soles, Galería 1927, Cultural athenaeum, Santiago de Cuba.
Group exhibitions (a selection):
2021. La Breche, Continua gallery, Paris, France. 2019. Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo ARCO Madrid (El Apartamento, Havana, Cuba), IFEMA, Madrid, Spain. The Beginning and the End, Gdanska Galeria. Poland. LISTE Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland. La posibilidad infinita. Pensar la Nación. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. XIII CollateralBiennal in Havana. 2018. Delta, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherland. Ola Cuba, Lille3000, Lille, France. El viaje más largo, Centro de Artes, Xicheng, Beijing, China. El fin del gran relato, Oficina de Proyectos Culturales, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 2017. Un ensayo de colaboración. 7th Salón de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo, CDAV,Havana. Cuba mi amor, Continua gallery, Paris, France. Paper Works, artist’s book fair, Museo Tamayo, Mexico. Imaginarios del libro Arte, Museo casa del libro, San Juan, Puerto Rico. ARCO Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo, Sección curada. (El Apartamento,Havana, Cuba). Madrid, Spain. Colección de archivo, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, La Habana. 2016. Rainbow Caravan, Aichi trienal, Nagoya, Japan. Nido sin árbol, organizedby Continua gallery, College of architects, Havana, Cuba.TRANSHUMANCE. CAB ART Center, Brussels. Roots of influence, curatedby Tobias Ostrander in PAMM, Miami. ConTextoPalabra, escritura y narración en el arte contemporáneo, Museo de la Universidad de Antioquia y Sala S, Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional de Medellín, Colombia.Instinto Básico. Instituto Cervantes, Roma, Italy. YO HE VISTO EN LA NOCHE OSCURA (UNA PELEA CUBANA...)studio Carlos Garaicoa, Madrid, Spain. Collateral ARCO fair. Line up,La Acacia gallery, Havana. Intersecciones,The Hoffman Gallery. Portland USA 2015. XII BIENAL DE LA HABANAIntervention in the library Fayad Jamís, Obispo 261, Havana. Karaoke, EL APARTAMENTO, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana. ARTIST X ARTIST,studio Carlos Garaicoa, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana.Sin Oficio ni Beneficio, MODERNA gallery, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana. El juguete rabioso, Fucina des artistas Havana, Cuba. Éticos y estéticos: miradas al arte joven cubano, International press center, Havana, Cuba.2014.NUMERAR, NOMBRAR, PENSAR (El método científico) studio Carlos Garaicoa, Madrid, Spain. Collateral ARCO fair. Encomienda, Beach culture house, Havana, Cuba. X el 2. 6to Salón de Arte cubano contemporáneo, CDAV, Havana, Cuba. 2013.Artya a la vista Tres Cantos cultural cente, Town hall Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain. Escapando con el paisaje, Luz y Oficio gallery, Centro provincial de Artes Plásticas, X Collateral Biennal, Havana. Una exposición sin espectadores,Infanta and San Lázaro space, X Collateral Biennal, Havana. 2011 .Ya se leer, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba. Artya a la vista Foundation Pons, Madrid, Spain. 2010.Bomba, Centro de arte contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba. El extremo de la bala, Pabellón Cuba, Havana. 2009.Glamour de occidente, Casa de México, X Collateral Biennal, Havana, Cuba. Hogar provisional, Galería Habana, Cuba. Fuerte es el Morro, who I ‘am, Aglutinador space, Havana, Cuba. 2008. Referencias territoriales, Harbor pier, Havana, Cuba. 2007. Plastilina, Culturalcenter of Spain, Havana, Cuba.
Public collections:
Col. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Cuba. Col. Jumex, Ciudad México, México.Col. Bronx Museum, New York, USA. Col. Perez Art Museum (PAMM), Miami. Col. Fine Art Center, Colorado. Col. Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, Países Bajos. Col. Ella Cisneros Fontanals.
Residencies, workshops:
-2018 The Center for Arts, Design and Social Research, Villa Pianciani, Spoleto, Italy.
-2017 -2018 Davidoff Arts Residency, a collaboration between Atelier Mondial and the Academia de Arte y Diseño FHNW (International Exchange Studio Program), Basel, Switzerland.
-2017 Residency at the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation and the Cuban Art Fund, New York City.
-2016 Residency at the Royal Academy of Spain, Roma, in collaboration with A. x A, Roma, Italy.
-2012 Antonia Eiriz grant for young artists.
Other:
- Founder of P-350, an alternative publishing project
-Founder of Ediciones asterisco, independent and self-managed publishing house
-2022-2023. Jan Van Eyck Academie, Post Academie for Art, Design and Reflection, Maastricht, Netherlands.
-2002-2007.Graduated from the University of Visual Arts of the Instituto Superior de Arte, ISA, Havana.
-1998-2001. Graduated (in painting and drawing) from the Academia de Artes Plásticas José J. Tejada, Santiago de Cuba.
Solo exhibitions:
-2019. Confiésamelo, Galería 23 y 12, Havana, Cuba.
-2018.
Un día cualquiera del 2030, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana, Cuba.
Desoriente, intervention, Museo de Artes Decorativas, Havana, Cuba.
Abril es el mes más cruel, Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura, Havana, Cuba.
-2017.
Ibídem, Servando gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Statement, El Apartamento gallery, Havana, Cuba.
-2016.
Mi mano derecha no sabe lo que escribe mi mano izquierda, Nacional Library José Martí, Havana, Cuba.
-2015.
Solo Show, Swab, Barcelona
XII BIENAL DE LA HABANA Intervention in the library Fayad Jamís, Obispo 261, Havana.
-2014.
La estrella, Servando gallery, Havana, Cuba.
The pure land, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana, Cuba.
-2013.Caligramas, Villena de la Oficina del Historiador gallery, Obispo 59, Havana, Cuba.
-2012.Ajonjolí, Luz y Oficio gallery, Provincial Center of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba.
-2009. Inventario, F. Ludwig de Cuba, Havana.
-2004.La mañana triste de Kate Moss, Foundation Lezama Lima, Havana, Cuba.
-1999.Al loco de los Soles, Galería 1927, Cultural athenaeum, Santiago de Cuba.
Group exhibitions (a selection):
2021. La Breche, Continua gallery, Paris, France. 2019. Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo ARCO Madrid (El Apartamento, Havana, Cuba), IFEMA, Madrid, Spain. The Beginning and the End, Gdanska Galeria. Poland. LISTE Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland. La posibilidad infinita. Pensar la Nación. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. XIII CollateralBiennal in Havana. 2018. Delta, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherland. Ola Cuba, Lille3000, Lille, France. El viaje más largo, Centro de Artes, Xicheng, Beijing, China. El fin del gran relato, Oficina de Proyectos Culturales, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 2017. Un ensayo de colaboración. 7th Salón de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo, CDAV,Havana. Cuba mi amor, Continua gallery, Paris, France. Paper Works, artist’s book fair, Museo Tamayo, Mexico. Imaginarios del libro Arte, Museo casa del libro, San Juan, Puerto Rico. ARCO Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo, Sección curada. (El Apartamento,Havana, Cuba). Madrid, Spain. Colección de archivo, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, La Habana. 2016. Rainbow Caravan, Aichi trienal, Nagoya, Japan. Nido sin árbol, organizedby Continua gallery, College of architects, Havana, Cuba.TRANSHUMANCE. CAB ART Center, Brussels. Roots of influence, curatedby Tobias Ostrander in PAMM, Miami. ConTextoPalabra, escritura y narración en el arte contemporáneo, Museo de la Universidad de Antioquia y Sala S, Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional de Medellín, Colombia.Instinto Básico. Instituto Cervantes, Roma, Italy. YO HE VISTO EN LA NOCHE OSCURA (UNA PELEA CUBANA...)studio Carlos Garaicoa, Madrid, Spain. Collateral ARCO fair. Line up,La Acacia gallery, Havana. Intersecciones,The Hoffman Gallery. Portland USA 2015. XII BIENAL DE LA HABANAIntervention in the library Fayad Jamís, Obispo 261, Havana. Karaoke, EL APARTAMENTO, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana. ARTIST X ARTIST,studio Carlos Garaicoa, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana.Sin Oficio ni Beneficio, MODERNA gallery, XII Collateral Biennal, Havana. El juguete rabioso, Fucina des artistas Havana, Cuba. Éticos y estéticos: miradas al arte joven cubano, International press center, Havana, Cuba.2014.NUMERAR, NOMBRAR, PENSAR (El método científico) studio Carlos Garaicoa, Madrid, Spain. Collateral ARCO fair. Encomienda, Beach culture house, Havana, Cuba. X el 2. 6to Salón de Arte cubano contemporáneo, CDAV, Havana, Cuba. 2013.Artya a la vista Tres Cantos cultural cente, Town hall Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain. Escapando con el paisaje, Luz y Oficio gallery, Centro provincial de Artes Plásticas, X Collateral Biennal, Havana. Una exposición sin espectadores,Infanta and San Lázaro space, X Collateral Biennal, Havana. 2011 .Ya se leer, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba. Artya a la vista Foundation Pons, Madrid, Spain. 2010.Bomba, Centro de arte contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba. El extremo de la bala, Pabellón Cuba, Havana. 2009.Glamour de occidente, Casa de México, X Collateral Biennal, Havana, Cuba. Hogar provisional, Galería Habana, Cuba. Fuerte es el Morro, who I ‘am, Aglutinador space, Havana, Cuba. 2008. Referencias territoriales, Harbor pier, Havana, Cuba. 2007. Plastilina, Culturalcenter of Spain, Havana, Cuba.
Public collections:
Col. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Cuba. Col. Jumex, Ciudad México, México.Col. Bronx Museum, New York, USA. Col. Perez Art Museum (PAMM), Miami. Col. Fine Art Center, Colorado. Col. Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, Países Bajos. Col. Ella Cisneros Fontanals.
Residencies, workshops:
-2018 The Center for Arts, Design and Social Research, Villa Pianciani, Spoleto, Italy.
-2017 -2018 Davidoff Arts Residency, a collaboration between Atelier Mondial and the Academia de Arte y Diseño FHNW (International Exchange Studio Program), Basel, Switzerland.
-2017 Residency at the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation and the Cuban Art Fund, New York City.
-2016 Residency at the Royal Academy of Spain, Roma, in collaboration with A. x A, Roma, Italy.
-2012 Antonia Eiriz grant for young artists.
Other:
- Founder of P-350, an alternative publishing project
-Founder of Ediciones asterisco, independent and self-managed publishing house
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