The Art Pledge
Portrait of Ariamna Contino

Ariamna Contino

Born in
1984
From
Havana, Cuba
Lives and works
Havana, Cuba
Represented by
El Apartamento

UN goals

Tags

This notion of insularity is a concept that determined my perception of reality. The ocean as an element that unites us and at the same time that separates us from the rest, is a surrounding body that takes you everywhere and at the same time is the limit of your horizon.

Biography

Paper is the starting point of most of Ariamna Contino oeuvre, both as physical and conceptual support. The intricate technique of papercutting mounted in countless layers also represents an overlapping of ideas, information or meaning. The delicacy of her compositions further amplifies the intentions of subversion, the cracking open of a seemingly coherent surface, making visible the multifacetedness of aesthetics and its social relevance.


In the last years Ariamna apprehended codes outside of the domain of culture and incorporated them into her work – handling statistics and data of socio politically relevant issues such as drug trafficking, migration, gun possession or homicide crimes. A parallel in Latin America can be traced to Peruvian artist Teresa Burga, a pioneering figure in conceptualism that also worked methodically with data and information systems throughout her career.


Henri Matisse established the long tradition of papercutting into modern art history, as for his late practice of cut-outs. While Matisse remains in the realm of the decorative, Ariamna developed this technique into subtle political messages.

Career highlights

Solo shows

Group shows

Collections

  • Pérez Art Museum, Miami, USA.: Jorge Pérez Collection
  • Havana, Cuba: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
  • Paris, France: Gilbert Brownstone Foundation
  • Miami, USA: Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection

Media

Selected artworks

Related artists