Flavio garciandía
Caibarién, Cuba, 1954
Flavio Garciandía is one of the most relevant figures of Postconceptual Art in the Caribbean. He is considered a key figure in the vibrant Cuban art scene of the late seventies and eighties. In addition to his importance as a professor at the Instituto Superior del Arte, his participation in the founding of the Havana Biennial stands out. He defines his work as New Tropical Abstraction, thus playing with the meteorological term Tropical Depre- sion, a type of thunderstorm very characteristic of the Caribbean. The starting point of his imaginary is the research on kitsch and other expressions of popular culture in Latin America. His painting, lucid, sophisticated, erudite, is a very detailed analysis of the history of modern art; of popular strategies of resistance to the normative discourse in the field of the politics of representation; of contemporary social utopias. His taste for appropriation, irony, paradox, humor, carnivalization of style, tautology and self-referentiality make his imaginary inescapable when it comes to enunciating the keys to postmodern art in Latin America.
curriculum
studies
Higher Institute of Art, Havana, Cuba.
1969-1973
National School of Art, Havana, Cuba.
personal exhibitions
Flavio Garciandía y Flavio Garciandía exhiben juntos (otra vez)El Apartamento, Madrid, Spain.
2022
The best and worst of Flavio GarciandíaMai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland.
2019
10 years (2009 - 2019)Mai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland.
2018
Another Time / Another ThingEl Apartamento, Havana, Cuba.
2016
Flavio GarciandíaMai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland.
2014
I would like to be Wifredo LAMWilfredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana, Cuba.
2013
On PaintingCAAM, Los Balcones, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
2012
NO MAN IS A BRUSHCouturier Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
2010
I WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT (but I forgot...), Villa Manuela Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
2009
N'a que ver. Morelos Center for the Arts, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
2006
Rise or Decline of Cuban ArtNational Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
2004
I insulted John Baldessari in... HavanaCouturier Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
I insulted Clement Greenberg in Havana.KBK Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico.
2003
Flavio GarciandíaLuis Adelantado Gallery, Valencia, Spain.
2002
Flavio Garciandía, PaintingsGeorgia State University, School of Art/ Design Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
2001
I insulted Brice Marden in Havana. New paintings by Flavio GarciandíaRamis Barquet Gallery, New York, USA.
2000
Did Not Have the Right to ColorHabana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Clifford Still picking mangoes in my backyardMuseum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
1999
Flavio Garciandía, Habana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1997
Flavio GarciandíaRachel Harris Gallery, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
Flavio Garciandía, Who's Afraid of Barnett NewmanRamis Barquet Gallery, San Pedro Garza García, Monterrey, Mexico.
Flavio Garciandía - Abstraction (tropical)), La Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1995
Flavio Garciandía - A visit to the Museum of Tropical ArtRamis Barquet Gallery, San Pedro Garza García, Monterrey, Mexico.
1994
Flavio GarciandíaNational Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1992
Flavio GarciandíaGalerie El Patio, Bremen, Germany.
1989
Flavio Garciandía - Tropicalia IThe Central Space, Faroe Road Studios, London, UK.
1986
Venice BiennaleCorderie dell' Arsenale, Venice, Italy.
1983
Flavio GarciandíaProvincial Museum of Villa Clara, Santa Clara, Cuba.
1982
Flavio Garciandía - Vereda Tropical, Galería Habana, Havana, Cuba.
1981
Flavio GarciandíaJosé Martí Cultural Center, Mexico City, Mexico.
1979
Flavio Garciandía - PaintingCasa de la Cultura de Plaza, Havana, Cuba.
1976,
Flavio Garciandía, PAINTINGS. Gallery L, Havana, Cuba.
1973
Flavio GarciandíaGallery L, Havana, Cuba.
1972
Cubanacán 70, From the students of plastic artsArt Center, Havana, Cuba.
collective exhibitions
Group ExhibitionMai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland.
2019
ABUC - Eleven Cuban artistsMai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland.
2017
On the Horizon: Contemporary Cuban Art from the Jorge M. Pérez CollectionPérez Art Museum, Miami, USA.
Art x Cuba - Contemporary Perspectives since 1989Forum Ludwig, Aachen, Germany.
Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deception in Cuban Art Since 1950Walker Art Center, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, USA (traveling exhibition presented by Fundación Cisneros Fontanals para Las Artes, CIFO Europe)
2013
On PaintingCAAM, Los Balcones, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
2012
IB6621 - Raúl Cordero, Flavio Garciandía, Michel Pérez PolloMai 36 Galerie Zurich, Switzerland.
2009
Revolution I, Center for the Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba.
2008 Cuba.
Art and History from 1868 to Today, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada.
2006,
Cuban ArtCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2005
Latin American Exploration. The Expression of Identity in Latin American Art.Brea Gallery, Los Angeles, USA.
Three generations: Jesús Soto, Magdalena Fernández, Flavio GarciandíaDurban Segnini Gallery, Miami, USA.
2003
The Three Wise Mongos: Flavio Garciandía / Lázaro Saavedra / José Toirac, Galería Habana, Havana, Cuba.
2002
Marta María Pérez Bravo / Flavio GarciandíaTEOR/éTica San José, Costa Rica.
2001
Manolo Rivero CollectionMuseo Arte Contemporáneo Ateneo de Yucatan, Merida, Mexico.
1999
Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
1998
The Contemporary Cuban Art SalonCenter for the Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1996
Cuba 20th Century. Modernity and SyncretismCentro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
1993
Art from Latin America, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia.
1992
Von dort aus: Kuba, Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany.
1991
Ostkunst-WestkunstLudwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany.
1990
Aktuelle Kunst aus KubaStädtische Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Contemporary Art from HavanaMuseum of Contemporary Art of Seville, Seville, Spain.
1988
Signs of Transition: 80's Art from CubaMuseum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, New York, USA.
Made in Havana. Contemporary Art from CubaArt Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Museum of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australian and Center for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia.
1987
New art from CubaMuseo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, USA.
1986, Künstler aus KubaGalerie Junge Künstler, Berlin, Germany.
1985
New Art from CubaMassachusetts College of Art, Boston, USA.
1984
Kunst aus KubaForum für Kulturaustausch, Stuttgart, Germany.
Cuban paintingHermitage Museum, Leningrad, Russia.
1983
7 Contemporary Cuban artistss, Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art, Madrid, Spain.
1982,
5 KubanerSällskapet Maneten, Gothenburg, Germany.
1981,
5 Artisti Cubani, Instituto Italo-latinoamerikanico, Rome, Italy.
First Look: 10 Young Artists from Today's CubaWestbeth Gallery, New York, USA.
1980
Inter.-Grafik '80Ausstellungszentrum am Fernsehturm, Berlin, Germany.
Women through artNational Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1979
Bu/Flavio/OrbeínSantiago de Cuba Gallery, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
Young Cuban Painting, Neue Berliner Galerie, Berlin, Germany.
1978
4th International Biennale of Painting KosiceThe East Slovak Gallery, Kosice, Slovakia.
1977
Permanent Youth Salon, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
National Drawing Salon 1977, Art Gallery, Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
1976
Cubansk Natidskunst (Contemporary Cuban Art), Kunstnernes Hus, Stockholm.
1974
Cubansk Nutidskunst (Cuban contemporary art)Odd-Fellow Palaeet, Copenhagen or Dreissig siegreiche Jahre. Internationale Kunstausstellung, Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany.
1973
III National Youth Plastic Arts Salon, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Collections (Selection)
Perez Art Museum (PAM), Miami, USA.
National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Historical Museum, Santa Clara, Cuba.
Museum of Modern Art, Lodz, Poland.
La Tertulia Museum, Cali, Columbia.
Porintaidemuseum, Pori, Finland.
Ludwig Forum, Aachen, Germany.
Bank of America, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Law Firm of Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CA, USA.
Sharon Heights Country Club, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Pacific Bell Telephone, San Francisco, CA, USA.
works
Neither North Nor South, Neither East Nor West, 2021
Acrylic on canvas
189 x 280 cm (74.4 x 110.2 in)
Flavio Garciandía
Untitled, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
50 x 40 cm (19.7 x 15.7 in)
Untitled, 2019
Acrylic on canvas
40 x 30 cm (15.7 x 11.8 in)
Flavio Garciandía
Malevich and Ryman return to Havana, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
185 x 237 cm (72.8 x 107.5 in)
Flavio Garciandía
Untitled, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
123 x 89 cm (48.4 x 35 in)
From the series Ad Reinhardt in Havana, No.18, 2003-2004 Acrylic on canvas
118 x 118 cm (46.5 x 46.5 in)
Flavio Garciandía
Untitled, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
100 x 70 cm (39.4 x 27.6 in)
Flavio Garciandía
From the series Ad Reinhardt in Havana, No.15, 2023
Diptych/Acrylic on canvas
189 x 280 cm (74.4 x 110.2 in) ea.
189 x 560 cm (74.4 x 220.5 in) total
Untitled, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
40 x 30 cm (15.7 x 11.8 in)
Untitled, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
230 x 190 cm (90.5 x 74.8 in)
The day before, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
187 x 278 cm (73.6 x 109.4 in)
No place, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
190 x 333 cm (74.8 x 131.1 in)
video
Through the insistence on the forms of submerged urban culture, decorative perversion and the distortion of cultural identities in the "global village", Flavio draws attention to the importance of popular absurdity as an exercise of resistance to the dominant discourses.
Luis Sicre