A N T O N I O O ´ C O N N E L L

Antonio O’Connell (Mexico City,1974) is an installation artist and architect based in Mexico City. He studied architecture at the Universidad Marista and a master in fine arts at UNAM University, Mexico. He first worked as an independent architect but his inclination towards experimental architecture led him to incursion in the realm of contemporary art. In his work he questions the sense of “making” architecture and what this means, as well as its conceptual processes by exploring the boundaries between art and architecture in a rapidly transforming age, where the boarders of disciplines are seemingly elided. His reflections concern the contrasting characteristics of architecture between pragmatic function and its ontological function, being the last what relates architecture to art. He confronts these two realms of conception by trying to reflect the reality of a contrasting world where imagination is a luxury for some but a necessity for others. His work embodies through ephemeral structures the viral aspect of a decaying capitalist system, with an ironic view of the vernacular form of construction of the developing countries like in his country of origin and the spectacular iconic architecture of the developed ones. He then questions the role architecture/art plays in closing the gap between the developed and the underdeveloped societies, being this gap a conceptual space that needs to be designed by all -not only architects or artists- in a world that is actually not united by technology and the immediate access to information, but by our quickly deteriorating environment.

BILLBOARD STRUCTURES A VIRAL PHENOMENON IN THE CITY GRAPHITE ON PAPER, 21.5 X 28 cm

THE VIRUS SYMPTOM PREVIOUS MODEL BALSA WOOD, CARDBOARD, PAPER, MODEL STEEL CABLE, 54 X 49 X 29 cm

THE VIRUS SYMPTOM CASA DEL LAGO, CHAPULTEPEC, MEXICO CITY WOOD INSTALLATION

WALKING THROUGH THE PATH OF LIGHT SAN IGNACIO ALLEY, DOWN TOWN MEXICO CITY RECYCLED MATERIAL, FLOOD LIGHTS

GUATEMEX SUCHIATE RIVER, FRONTIER MÉXICO/GUATEMALA WOOD, STEEL BARRELS, LAPTOP WITH INTERNET CONNECTION 500 X 330 X 550 cm

METAPHOR OF A VIRUS UNIVERSUM MUSEUM, UNAM, MEXICO CITY WOOD INSTALLATION

TREES IN QUARANTINE PARQUE MÉXICO, CONDESA, MEXICO CITY WOOD INSTALLATION, VARIABLE DIMENSIONS

VIRUS MONTERREY TEC, STATE OF MEXICO WOOD INSTALLATION, 650 X 550 X 400 cm

ENVIRONMENT IN DECONSTRUCTION SCULPTURAL FELLOWSHIP GERMANY/MEXICO, MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN, MEXICO WOOD INSTALLATION, 550 X 600 X 500 cms

INOCULATION EX TERESA ARTE ACTUAL MUSEUM, MEXICO CITY DIVERSE RECYCLED MATERIAL

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL INTERVENTION TO THE CABEZA DE JUÁREZ MONUMENT, IZTAPALAPA, MEXICO CITY STEEL SCAFFOLDING, RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION WOOD 70 X 12 X 7 m

FOR MY RACE I WILL TALK ABOUT THE DEATH OF THE SPIRIT… (of art, of architecture, of God…) BLASA WOOD, CARDBOARD, PAPER, FIRE, ENGRAVED CHISEL, STAINED CANVAS FROM THE 21/02/09 FIRE IN THE NATIONAL AUDITORIUM MEXICO CITY 100 x 80 x 52 cm

WISE VIRTUE TO RECOGNIZE TIME... RENATO LEDUC STREET, TLALPAN, MEXICO CITY STEEL, CONCRETE, FIBERGLASS, 900 X 390 X

JAZZERCISE MUSEO UNIVERSITARIO DE ARTE CONTEMPORANEO, UNAM, MEXICO CITY ASSEMBLAGE, BOOTHS, RECYCLED MATERIAL FROM PREVIUOS EXHIBITIONS, FOUR PIANOS, 1200 X 500 X 400 cm

HIDDEN GARDEN O-ARTOTECA GALLERY, MILAN, ITALY ASSEMBLAGE, OBJECTS AND FURNITURE FROM A HOME AND AN OFFICE 550 x 500 x 400 cm

EDUCATION 2003 Master of fine Arts Academia de San Carlos/UNAM University, Mexico City Bachelor in Architecture Centro Universitario México/ Universidad Marista, Mexico City Diploma in Interior Design Centro Universitario México/Universidad Marista, Mexico City International Workshop Arquitectura, Crítica y Proyecto Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña with architect Enric Miralles, Barcelona, Spain. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2009 Jazzersice, MuAC, UNAM University, Mexico City Inoculación/Inoculation, Ex Teresa Museum, Mexico City Reconstrucción del Muro/Reconstruction of the Wall, Intervention to the Siqueiros historic Monument Cabeza de Juárez, Iztapalapa, Mexico City Virus, permanent installation, Tecnológico de Monterrey University, State of Mexico Reconstrucción Idéntica de lo Deconstruído/Identical Reconstruction of the Deconstructed, Claustro de Sor Juana University, Mexico City Metáfora de un Virus/Metaphore of a Virus, Universum Science Museum, UNAM University, Mexico City Caminando por el Sendero de la Luz/Walking Through the Path of Light, Casa Vecina, San Ignacio Alley, Mexico City El Bicho, Nada es lo que Parece/The Bug, Nothing is What it Seems, Academia de San Carlos, Mexico City. GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2010 Transurbaniac, Universtity Art Gallery UCSD, San Diego, E.U.A O’A.I.R. Artist In Residence, O’ Gallery, Milan, Italy Luna Awards Artistic Expression 5th Edition, National Auditorium, Mexico City Ithaca, travelling exhibition, London and Edinburgh Hermandades Escultóricas México-Alemania/Sculptural Brotherhood Mexico-Germany, Paseo Montejo, Mérida Yucatán, Mexico EstacionArte, Exhibition stand for Arte al Día Newspaper, Mexico City Usted Está Aquí, Habitantes Incómodos/You Are Here, Incomfortable Inhabitants, Mexico Park Condesa, Mexico City Asylum NYC, White Box Gallery, New York, U.S.A Frontera: Un esbozo para la creación de una sociedad del futuro/Frontier: A Sketch for The Creation of a Society for the Future, Suchiate River, Mexico/Guatemala Cow Parade México, Paseo de la Reforma, México City Poder Visual, Placer Visual/Visual Power, Visual Pleasure Casa Lamm, Mexico City México 70 Casa del Lago, Chapultepec, Mexico City Los Divinos Santos de San Carlos/The Divine Saints of San Carlos Academy of San Carlos- UNAM University, Mexico City. -