Adrian Melis Cuba / Spain, b. 1985

Adrian Melis (1985. b. Havana, Cuba) is a multidisciplinary artist, based in Cuba and Europe. Between 2005 and 2010, Melis studied printmaking at the University of Arts in Havana. During this period, his artistic practice was shaped by the intensive program "Catedra of Behavioural Art" directed by Tania Bruguera. Having being exposed to two completely different socio-economic systems, Europe and Cuba, Melis observes how these two distinct societies generate and function, with all their inherent contradictions. Specifically, he looks at the different concepts of "labour" within both market systems and how ideologies interfere with it, which as a result affect not only the economy but also the social fabric and behaviours. His interest in the relation between Labour and Art is activated through disciplines and stimuli he gathers from: anthropological studies, politics, journalism, behavioural psychology, statistics and economics to give shape to his interpretation of a variety of concepts that include gainful unemployment, absurd bureaucratic and corrupt systems, political silences, the materialization of absence, inmaterial labour, creative destruction and obsessive repetition.

He has exhibited in several museums and institutions including, among others at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland; Museum of Modern Art of Warsaw, Poland; Wiels Brussels, Belgium; Centre Pompidou Paris, France; Pinchuk Art Center Kyiv, Ukraine; Pori Art Museum, Finland; De Appel Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Queens Museum NY, USA; Rotterdam Film Festival, The Netherlands; and the 10th Shanghai Biennale, China. Since 2010 he is represented by ADN Galeria where his solo exhibitions in 2012 and 2013, were awarded by the Association of Galleries Barcelona and the MACBA Museum with "Art Nou Award" and "GAC Award" respectively. He exhibited with ADN Galeria in several art fairs including ARCO Madrid, LOOP Barcelona, Art Brussels, Artissima, FIAC Officielle and VOLTA10.