Carlos Garaicoa, born in Havana (Cuba) in 1967, studied thermodynamics and later painting at the Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana (1989 - 1994). He currently lives and works between Havana and Madrid. Together with his wife he founded the Artista x Artista art residency project in Havana.

Garaicoa has developed a dialogue between art and urban space through which he investigates the social structure of our cities in terms of their architecture. He uses a multidisciplinary approach to address cultural and political issues, especially Cuban ones, through the study of architecture, urbanism and history. His main subject has always been the city of Havana. Playing with sculptures, drawings, videos and photographs around irony and hopelessness, Garaicoa has found in his installations, for which he often uses very diverse materials, a way to criticize modernist utopian architecture and the collapse of 20th century ideologies, delving into the concept of the city as a symbolic space.

Among his most important solo exhibitions are: Ascoltare il volo degli uccelli, Rocca Maggiore, Assisi, Italy (2024); GOQA, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa (2023); La Ville. Guide Espirituel et Mondaine, Brownstone Foundation, Paris, France (2022); Counterweight, Filomena Soares Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal (2022); Oratorio, Oratorio San Filippo Neri, Bologna, Italy (installation) (2022); We Dream on the Scratched Surface of a Glass, Wellbeing Summit Week, Bilbao, Spain (installation) (2022); Para transformar la palabra política en hechos, finally, Galería Guillermina Caicoya, Asturias, Spain (2021); Línea rota de horizonte, MadBlue Summit, Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Condeduque, Madrid, Spain. Roaming: DIDAC, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Goodman Gallery, London, UK (2021); Hidden Lines, Galleria Continua, San Gimignano, Italy (online); Carlos Garaicoa: Score, PEM Peadoby Essex Museum, Salem, USA (2021), SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah (2020); Lunds Konsthall and Skissernass Museum, Lund (2019); Parasol Unit Foundation, London (2018); Fondazione Merz, Turin (2017); MAAT, Lisbon (2017); Azkuna Zentroa, Bilbao (2017); Museum Villa Stuck, Munich (2016); Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo (2015); CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo, Móstoles, Madrid (2014); Fundación Botín, Santander (2014); NC-Arte and FLORA ars + natura, Bogotá (2014); Kunsthaus Baselland Muttenz, Basel(2012); Kunstverein Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany (2012); Contemporary Art Museum, Institute for Research in Art, Tampa (2007); H. F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (2011); Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), Amsterdam (2010); Centre d'Art la Panera, Lérida (2011); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Caja de Burgos (CAB), Burgos (2011); National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), Athens (2011); Inhotim Institute of Contemporary Art, Brumadinho (2012); Caixa Cultural, Rio de Janeiro (2008); Museo ICO (2012) and Matadero (2010), Madrid; IMMA, Dublin (2010); Palau de la Virreina, Barcelona (2006); Museum of Contemporary Art (M. O.C. A), Los Angeles (2005); Luis Ángel Arango Library, Bogotá (2000). He has participated in prestigious international events such as: Havana Biennials (1991, 1994, 1997, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015), Shanghai (2010), São Paulo (1998, 2004), Venice (2009, 2005), Johannesburg (1995), Liverpool (2006) and Moscow (2005), the Triennials of Auckland (2007), San Juan (2004), Yokohama (2001) and Echigo-Tsumari (2012); Documenta 11 (2003) and 14 (2017) and PhotoEspaña 12 (2012). He has recently received the PEM 2021 Award (Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA). In 2005 he received the XXXIX International Contemporary Art Prize - Prince Pierre de Monaco Foundation, and the Katherine S. Marmor Award in Los Angeles.