Diana Fonseca

Diana Fonseca
Diana Fonseca

Havana, Cuba, 1978

Diana Fonseca is an artist devoted to the dismantling, almost obsessive, of the simple things and everyday events that surround her. Perhaps because of this, or due to the lyrical propensity of her work, she captures varied images of reality and interconnects them from discourses that speak of contemporary life and its visual saturation; of emptiness and banality.

Graduated from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in 2005, Diana is one of the most interesting and gestural contemporary Cuban artists. She has had numerous solo exhibitions in Cuba and abroad. Among her most interesting solo projects are "Cara a cara", a two-person show with Jacques Villeglé at the Brownstone Foundation, Paris, France; "Diana Fonseca", at the Sean Kelly Gallery in New York, United States; "Viaje a la semilla", a joint show with Aimée García at Factoría Habana; and "Extraña verdad", at El Apartamento, both in Havana, Cuba. His work has also been included in group exhibitions such as "Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy, and Materiality", at Cranbrook Art Museum in Michigan, USA; "Illness has a Colour", collateral to the XIII Havana Biennial and held at Estudio 50; "The Cuban Matrix" (Torrence Art Museum, Los Angeles, USA), "Wild Noise" (Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, USA), "Fireflies in the Night" (Stravos Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Athens, Greece), and "Transhumance, Beyond Cuban Horizons" (CAB Art Center, Brussels, Belgium). His participation in prestigious art fairs is also noteworthy: ArtBo, The Armory Show, Untitled Art Fair, ARCO Madrid, Expo Chicago and LISTE Art Fair Basel.
 
In 2015 she was awarded the EFG Bank & ArtNexus Acquisition Award, Bogota, Colombia. She has also been awarded the Cast Research residency, Melbourne, Australia (2016) and JustMad in Asturias, Spain (2017).
Diana Fonseca

curriculum

studies

2005   
Higher Institute of Art (ISA), Havana.    
2000
Academy of Fine Arts of San Alejandro, Havana.  

personal exhibitions

2023
My world as an object, Max Estrella, Madrid, Spain..
2019
Face to face (Two-person show with Jacques Villeglé), Brownstone Foundation. Paris, France.
2018
Buena Vista. Contemporary Art in CubaFondation Clément. Le François, Martinique.
LISTE - Art Fair Basel 2018 (Two-person project with Reynier Leyva Novo) (With El Apartamento, Havana, Cuba). Basel, Switzerland.
Journey to the seed (Two-person show with Aimée García), Factoría Habana. Havana, Cuba.
2017

Personal presentation at The Armory Show 2017 (With El Apartamento, Havana, Cuba). New York, United States.
2016

Strange truth, The Apartment. Havana, Cuba.
Diana Fonseca, Sean Kelly Gallery. New York, USA.
2015
The reason for the unrealVilla Manuela Gallery. Havana, Cuba.
2012      
Made in my mind, Center for the Development of Plastic Arts, Havana, Cuba.   
2005     
GardenGraduation from the Instituto Superior de Arte, Ludwig Foundation, Havana, Cuba.
2000     
Against the lightGraduation from the Academy of Fine Arts, San Alejandro, Havana, Cuba.  

collective exhibitions

2024
Kaléidoscopes - Cuba: Regards ContemporainsGalleria Continua, Les Moulins, France.
2023
Women in TuscanyArt of the Treasure Hunt, Florence, Italy.
2022
In the Mind's Eye: Landscapes of CubaPatricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, Florida International University, Miami, USA.
You Know Who You Are: Recent Acquisitions of Cuban Art from the Jorge M. Pérez Collection, El Espacio 23, Miami, USA.
2021
La PromenadeVallois, Paris, France.
2019
Proust's Madeleine: Everyday AnthropocentrismMax Estrella Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy, and MaterialityCranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA.
Prophecies for the Second Machine AgeKadist Video Library, San Francisco, USA.
Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary ArtMoscow, Russia.
HBAlicia Alonso Theater (collateral event to the XIII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
Illness has a color, Estudio 50 (collateral event to the XIII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
El circuito del arte cubanoEl Apartamento (collateral event to the XIII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
2018,
Edifice, Complex, Visionary, Structure, Sean Kelly Gallery, New York, USA.
2017
AtalayaEl Apartamento - Taller Gorría Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
The Cuban Matrix, Torrence Art Museum, Los Angeles, USA.
Wild NoiseBronx Museum of the Arts, New York, USA.
2016
Un.bound NarrativeCAM Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, USA.
Fireflies in the NightStravos Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), Athens, Greece.
The mother of all artsWifredo Lam Art Center, Havana, Cuba.
Transhumance, Beyond Cuban HorizonsCAB Art Center, Brussels, Belgium.
2015
By the Book, Sean Kelly Gallery, New York, USA.
High Risk ProjectJohn Lennon Park (collateral event to the XII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
No trades or benefitsLa Moderna Gallery (collateral event to the XII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
Six Six Contemporary Art(collateral event to the XII Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
2014,
Dilated Biography, Contemporary Cuban Narratives, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA.
2012
Heretics of the voidHabana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
2011
Influences Inside, Contemporary Cuban ArtNational Hispanic Cultural Center, New Mexico, USA.
Sprai. Kubanische KunstHochhaus Hansa, Dortmund, Germany.
Friendly PakeovenE105 Studio Art Land.21, Bonn, Germany.
2010
Parables of the WaterHanson Street Project Space, Wasps Artists' Studios, Glasgow, Scotland.
2008
V Salon of Contemporary Cuban ArtCenter for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana, Cuba.
GlobalizedInternational Culture Festival of Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia.
WomenHabana Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland.
State of Exchange, INIVA, London, England.
EnduranceVIVID, Birmingham, England.
Arboleda, the body is body, Jesús Gallardo International Contemporary Art Festival, Guanajuato, Mexico.
2006
Digital Art ExhibitionPablo de la Torriente Brau Center, Havana, Cuba.
Enjoy, 3rd editionJardines de La Tropical Cultural Center (collateral event to the IX Havana Biennial), Havana, Cuba.
HjertebankNational Museum of Art, Design and Architecture, Oslo, Norway.
Trans itProvincial Center of Plastic Arts and Design Luz y Oficios, Havana, Cuba.
2005
Osnabrück, European Media Art FestivalBerlin, Germany.
2004
At our own riskLuis de Soto Gallery, Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Havana, Havana, Cuba.
New YoProvincial Center of Plastic Arts and Design Luz y Oficios, Havana, Cuba.
2002
Arrive and put(collateral event to the III Contemporary Cuban Art Salon), Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), Havana, Cuba.

awards and scholarships

2019
Gilbert Brownstone Foundation Residency, Paris, France.
2017
JustMad Residence, Asturias, Spain.
2016
Cast Research, Melbourne, Australia.
2015
Acquisition Award EFG Bank & ArtNexus, Bogotá, Colombia.
2008
Batiscafo Residence, Triangle Art Trus, Hivos Foundation, United Kingdom.
2004
1st Prize, Festival Imago 2004, Factultad de Comunicación Audiovisual, Instituto Superior de Arte ISA, Havana, Cuba.

collections

María Cristina Masaveu FoundationMadrid, Spain.
KADIST FoundationSan Francisco, USA.
Jean Boghosian FoundationBrussels, Belgium.
CAB Art Center Brussels, Belgium.
Galila Barzilai CollectionBrussels, Belgium.
Isabel and Agustín Coppel CollectionMexico City, Mexico.
EFG Bank & ArtNexusBogotá, Colombia.
Rolf Hoffman CollectionOslo, Norway.
Bronx Museum of the ArtsNew York, USA.
Duncan Collection, Nebraska, USA.
Museum of Contemporary Art of North CarolinaNorth Carolina, USA.
Ella Cisneros CollectionMiami, USA.
Margulies Collection, Miami, USA.
The Francis H. Williams CollectionWellesley, USA.
Davis Museum, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA.
Jorge Pérez's (Art Museum from Miami founder) private collection, Miami, USA.
Gilbert Brownstone Foundation, Paris, France.

works

Diana Fonseca
The freedom of impermanence, 2017
Books intervened / Variable dimensions
Ed. of 3

Diana Fonseca
Untitled, from the series Degradation, 2023
Fragments of exterior painting on wood
100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 in)

Diana Fonseca
Drawing, 2017
Mixed on cardboard
55 x 40 cm

Diana Fonseca
The freedom of impermanence, 2017
Books intervened / Variable dimensions
Ed. of 3

Diana Fonseca
Untitled, from the series Degradation, 2023
Fragments of exterior painting on wood
100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 in)

Diana Fonseca
Drawing, 2017
Mixed on cardboard
55 x 40 cm

Diana Fonseca
Drawing, 2017
Mixed on cardboard
40 x 55 cm

Diana Fonseca
Desert, 2015
NTSC, color 08:03 min
Ed. 2/5 + 2 P/A Video still
Diana Fonseca
Absence, 2015
NTSC, color 05:17 min
Edition of 5 + 2 P/A
Acquisition Award EFG Bank & ArtNexus. Bogota, Colombia

Diana Fonseca
Drawing, 2017
Mixed on cardboard
40 x 55 cm

Diana Fonseca
Desert, 2015
NTSC, color 08:03 min
Ed. 2/5 + 2 P/A Video still
Diana Fonseca
Absence, 2015
NTSC, color 05:17 min
Edition of 5 + 2 P/A
Acquisition Award EFG Bank & ArtNexus. Bogota, Colombia