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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
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THE VIRUS SYMPTOM PREVIOUS MODEL
BALSA WOOD, CARDBOARD, PAPER, MODEL STEEL CABLE,
54 X 49 X 29 cm
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THE VIRUS SYMPTOM
CASA DEL LAGO, CHAPULTEPEC, MEXICO CITY
WOOD INSTALLATION
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WALKING THROUGH THE PATH OF LIGHT
SAN IGNACIO ALLEY, DOWN TOWN MEXICO CITY
RECYCLED MATERIAL, FLOOD LIGHTS
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GUATEMEX
SUCHIATE RIVER, FRONTIER MÉXICO/GUATEMALA
WOOD, STEEL BARRELS, LAPTOP WITH INTERNET CONNECTION
500 X 330 X 550 cm
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METAPHOR OF A VIRUS
UNIVERSUM MUSEUM, UNAM, MEXICO CITY
WOOD INSTALLATION
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TREES IN QUARANTINE
PARQUE MÉXICO, CONDESA, MEXICO CITY
WOOD INSTALLATION, VARIABLE DIMENSIONS
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VIRUS
MONTERREY TEC, STATE OF MEXICO
WOOD INSTALLATION, 650 X 550 X 400 cm
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ENVIRONMENT IN DECONSTRUCTION
SCULPTURAL FELLOWSHIP GERMANY/MEXICO, MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN, MEXICO
WOOD INSTALLATION, 550 X 600 X 500 cms
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INOCULATION
EX TERESA ARTE ACTUAL MUSEUM, MEXICO CITY
DIVERSE RECYCLED MATERIAL
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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
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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
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WISE VIRTUE TO RECOGNIZE TIME...
RENATO LEDUC STREET, TLALPAN, MEXICO CITY
STEEL, CONCRETE, FIBERGLASS, 900 X 390 X 450
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JAZZERCISE
MUSEO UNIVERSITARIO DE ARTE CONTEMPORANEO, UNAM, MEXICO CITY
ASSEMBLAGE, BOOTHS, RECYCLED MATERIAL FROM PREVIUOS EXHIBITIONS,
FOUR PIANOS, 1200 X 500 X 400 cm
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HIDDEN GARDEN
O-ARTOTECA GALLERY, MILAN, ITALY
ASSEMBLAGE, OBJECTS AND FURNITURE FROM A HOME AND AN OFFICE
550 x 500 x 400 cm
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EDUCATION
2003 Master of fine Arts Academia de San Carlos/UNAM University, Mexico City.
1999 Bachelor in Architecture Centro Universitario México/ Universidad Marista, Mexico City.
1998 Diploma in Interior Design Centro Universitario México/Universidad Marista, Mexico City.
1997 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.
2008 Inoculación/Inoculation, Ex Teresa Museum, Mexico City.
2008 Reconstrucción del Muro/Reconstruction of the Wall, Intervention to the Siqueiros historic
Monument Cabeza de Juárez, Iztapalapa, Mexico City.
2007 Virus, permanent installation, Tecnológico de Monterrey University, State of Mexico.
2007 Reconstrucción Idéntica de lo Deconstruído/Identical Reconstruction of the
Deconstructed, Claustro de Sor Juana University, Mexico City.
2006 Metáfora de un Virus/Metaphore of a Virus, Universum Science Museum, UNAM University,
Mexico City.
2005 Caminando por el Sendero de la Luz/Walking Through the Path of Light, Casa Vecina, San
Ignacio Alley, Mexico City.
2003 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.
2009 O’A.I.R. Artist In Residence, O’ Gallery, Milan, Italy.
2009 Luna Awards Artistic Expression 5th Edition, National Auditorium, Mexico City.
2008 Ithaca, travelling exhibition, London and Edinburgh.
2008 Hermandades Escultóricas México-Alemania/Sculptural Brotherhood Mexico-Germany,
Paseo Montejo, Mérida Yucatán, Mexico.
2007 EstacionArte, Exhibition stand for Arte al Día Newspaper, Mexico City.
2007 Usted Está Aquí, Habitantes Incómodos/You Are Here, Incomfortable Inhabitants, Mexico
Park Condesa, Mexico City.
2006 Asylum NYC, White Box Gallery, New York, U.S.A.
2006 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.
2006 Cow Parade México, Paseo de la Reforma, México City.
2005 Poder Visual, Placer Visual/Visual Power, Visual Pleasure Casa Lamm, Mexico City.
2005 México 70 Casa del Lago, Chapultepec, Mexico City.
2003 Los Divinos Santos de San Carlos/The Divine Saints of San Carlos Academy of San CarlosUNAM University, Mexico City.
www.antoniooconnell.com - [email protected]