Francis Acea

Francis Acea. Contemporary Artist. Born 1967, Havana, Cuba.

Biography

Francis Acea was born in Havana, Cuba, 1967. He graduated from the Havana Superior Institute of Design in 1991. Early works include photography, painting and art direction for art magazines. In 1995, he began a collaboration with three fellow designers called Ordo Amoris Cabinet, named after the Latin words for "order" and "love". From 1996 to 2003 however, Ordo Amoris Cabinet was only formed by Francis Acea and Diango Hernandez. Also known as OAC, they rapidly gained recognition exhibiting throughout Europe and North America. Ordo Amoris Cabinet ceased in 2003 and Francis Acea sought asylum in the US. While working in different medias such as painting, installation and photography, Francis Acea shows a keen interested in the collision between art and economics, namely the Art Market. His current works explore the notion of value in contemporary capitalism. In 2004, he created a media company publishing in print and online. As of 2009, Acea lives and works in Miami, Florida.

Solo exhibitions

  • 2008 – D.B.A Joe. Panamerican Art Projects1, Miami, FL. 2008.
  • 2007 – D.B.A nobody. Kunsthaus Miami2, Miami. 2007.
  • 2007 – D.B.A Francis Acea. Magnan Emrich Contemporary3, NY.
  • 2006 – Safety Box. PM Gallery. Miami, FL.
  • 2003 – Reality. Karpio+Facchini Gallery. Miami, FL
  • 2002 – Sweet Home. Espacio Aglutinador. Havana, Cuba
  • 2001 – Mousepads and Screensavers. ArtPace4, San Antonio, Tx
  • Summer Days. Frehrking Wiesehöfer Gallery, Köln, Germany
  • 2000 – A day like any other day. 7th Havana Biennale. 2000
  • Living la vida. Sinpalabras’ studio. Havana, Cuba. 2000
  • 1999 – This is a Provisional Fence. Keep Out. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts, Havana
  • 1998 – Antennas: Network transmission / Taxi Limosina. Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst5, Aachen / Kunsthaus Berlin, Germany. 1998
  • 1997 – Hiking Raffle. Banff Centre for the Arts6, Alberta, Canada
  • Reinforced Concrete. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba. 1997.
  • 1996 – Sugar-water and the Provisional Show. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba. Museo de Arte Contemporaneo y Diseno (MACD), San Jose, Costa Rica.
  • 1995 – Una de Cada Clase. Next generation show. Center of Art and Design. Havana. Cuba. 1995
  • 1991 –Cuatro acentos para una exhibicion. Casa del Joven Creador, Havana, Cuba.
  • 1990 – Nunca nadie muere. Posters. Ernest Hemingway Museum. Havana, Cuba.

Group exhibitions

  • 2009 – Primary Colors. Panamerican Art Projects7, Miami, FL. 2009.
  • 2009 – Gods and Rituals. Holster Projects8, London, UK. 2009
  • 2008 – AURUM, Gold in contemporary Art9, Centre PasquArt10, Biel Bienne, Switzerland. 2008
  • 2007 – [...] Time: An exhibition of Cuban artists from the 1980s to the present11. Exit Art12, Exit Art Underground. NY. 2007
  • 2006 – PULSE ART 13 Featured Artist Installation. Miami, FL, US. 2006
  • Moving Image. Alonso Art. Miami, FL, US. 2006
  • 2004 – Subject. Liverpool Biennale. Liverpool. GB. 2004
  • With eyes of stone and Water. Exhibition on tour.
  • Gallery 3,14. , Norway. 2004.
  • Ciurlionis National Art Museum, Lithuania, 2003.
  • 2002 – Helsinki City Art Museum (Tennis Palace), Helsinki, Finland. 2002
  • 2003 – Stretch. Power Plant Gallery, Toronto, Canada. 2003
  • 2002 – La Huella Multiple. International Engravers exhibition, Havana, Cuba. 2002.
  • FITAC. VIII Foro Internacional de Teoría de Arte Contemporáneo. 2002
  • Prophets of Boom. Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden. 2002
  • Suspended Animation. Karpio+Facchini Gallery, Miami, FL, US. 2002
  • Atravesados. Fundación Telefónica, Madrid, Spain. 2002
  • 2001 – I'm Cuba / Double Play. Tirana Biennale. Tirana, Albany. 2001
  • Short Stories. Fabbrica del Vappore Art Center, Milan, Italy. 2001
  • 2000 – La conjuncion de la nada. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba. 2000.
  • 1999 – Cuba presente!. Barbican Centre, London, UK. 1999
  • 1998 – Thinking Aloud. Hayward Gallery. Exhibition on tour.
  • Candem Art Centre, London, UK. 1999
  • Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, UK. 1998
  • Cornerhouse, Manchester, UK. 1998
  • Entropy at home. Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Germany. 1998
  • The campaign against living miserably. Royal College of Art, London, UK. 1998
  • 1997 – The Russian Mountain. Troisieme Manifestation Internationale Video et Art Electronique. Champ Libre, Montreal, Canada. 1997
  • 1995 – Una de cada clase. Next Generation Show. Art and Design Centre, Havana, Cuba. 1995
  • 1991 – Salon 150 Anniversary of Cuban Photography. IV Havana Biennial.
  • 1989 – Salon Construcción de la imagen fotográfica. III Bienal de La Habana, Fototeca de Cuba.
  • Revolution by Design. Art & Design College. London, UK.
  • First ''Salon de la Nueva Imagen Fotografica. Asociacion Hermanos Saiz. Havana, Cuba.

Awards

  • 01.3 ArtPace International Artist in Residency. San Antonio, Tx, US. 2001
  • Ludwig Stiftung für Kunst und Internationale Verständigung, Aachen, Germany. 1998
  • Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada. 1997

Books

  • Sullivan, Edward J. The Language of Objects in the Art of the Americas. Yale University Press. 2007.
  • Linda Pace, Jan Jarboe, Eleanor Heartney. Dreaming Red, Creating ArtPace. 2003
  • Atravesados, Deslizamientos de identidad y genero. Fundacion Telefonica, May 2003.
  • Prophets of Boom. Staaliche Kunsthalle Baden Baden. Baden Baden, Germany. 2002.

Catalogues

  • AURUM, Gold in contemporary Art, CentrePasquArt Biel Bienne, Switzerland. 2008
  • Short Stories. Commune di Milano, Milan, Italy. 2001.
  • Havana Biennale. Catalogue. 2000.
  • Trabajando pa'l ingles. Barbican Center, London, UK. 1999.
  • This is a provisional Fence. Keep Out. Across Havana in a Limosina. Havana, Cuba. 1999.
  • Thinking Aloud. Hayward Gallery Publishing London, UK. 1999.
  • The campaign against living miserably. Royal College of Art, London, UK. 1998.
  • The love order. Ludwig Forum fur Internationale Kunst. Aachen, Germany. 1998.
  • Reinforced Concrete. Havana, Cuba. 1997.
  • Utopian Territories. New Art from Cuba. Catalogue. Vancouver, BC, Canada. 1997.

Press Reading

  • Irina Leyva. Art Nexus. "Francis Acea". p. 168. N0. 67. Vol 6. Miami FL. 2007.
  • Dinorah Perez-Rementeria. Arte al Dia Internacional. p.105. No 121. Miami, US. 2007.
  • Alejandra Villasmil. Arte al Dia Internacional. p.117. No 119. Miami, US. 2007.
  • Olivier Cayron. Art Scenes Magazine. p. 64-65. No 18. Paris, France. 2006.
  • Marisol Martell. Art Nexus. "Merrill Lynch Arteamericas". p. 114. N0. 61. Vol 5. Miami FL. 2006.
  • Carlos M. Luis. El Nuevo Herald. "Francis Acea y la realidad cotidiana". January 25. Miami, FL. 2004
  • Lilian Fontana. " The New Wynwood Art District Circuit". Arte al Dia News. p. 9. Miami, FL. 2004
  • Miguel Muniz. Milenio. Diario de Monterrey. "Gabinete Ordo Amoris". Interview. p.46. Monterrey. MX. April 6, 2002.
  • Cuauhtemoc Medina. "El Ojo Breve. Una isla cada vez mas isla." Reforma Newspaper, 3 de Enero. p. 4c. Mx. DF. 2001
  • Quinones, Paul. Short Stories: La Fabrica del Vapore, Milano, Flash Art. 2001.
  • Walter Robinson. "Havana, Art Capital". Artnet Magazine. 2000.
  • Hilda Rodriguez. "Espacios para una comunicacion deseada". Revista Arte Cubano, No.3, pag 13. isbn 1024 8439. La Habana. Cuba. 2000
  • Ibem. Frencis Fernandez. pag 67.
  • Antonio Eligio (Tonel). Por la Habana en Limosina. Revista La Gaceta de Cuba, No.6, pag 22. isbn 0864 1706. La Habana. Cuba. 1999
  • Grant, Simon. Imagination at full stretch. Evening Standard, May 12, London, 1999.
  • Ian Hunt. Review. Thinking Aloud. Art Monthly Magazine. No.2. UK. 1999
  • Greess, Gabriela. “Überlebenskunst”, Süddeutsche Zeitung (July) Germany. 1998
  • Naomi Blum. Naomi Blum visited Thinking Aloud with Art Monthly critic Patricia Bickers. Art Monthly Magazine. UK. 1998
  • Nelson Moya and Luis F. Quiroz. Interview. Revista Fanal (MADC), No.14, pag. 24. issn 1408 1321. San Jose, Costa Rica. 1996.
  • Molina, Juan Antonio.“Ordo Amoris. Hacia un diseño pragmatico”, La Gaceta de Cuba, No. 4. 1996.
  • Alberdi, Virginia, “The Next Generation”, Arte Cubano No. 2. 1995.