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 CITYGRAPHITE ON PAPER, 21.5 X 28 cm

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

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THE VIRUS SYMPTOMCASA DEL LAGO, CHAPULTEPEC, MEXICO CITYWOOD INSTALLATION

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WALKING THROUGH THE PATH OF LIGHTSAN IGNACIO ALLEY, DOWN TOWN MEXICO CITYRECYCLED MATERIAL, FLOOD LIGHTS

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GUATEMEXSUCHIATE RIVER, FRONTIER MÉXICO/GUATEMALAWOOD, STEEL BARRELS, LAPTOP WITH INTERNET CONNECTION 500 X 330 X 550 cm

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METAPHOR OF A VIRUS UNIVERSUM MUSEUM, UNAM, MEXICO CITYWOOD INSTALLATION

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TREES IN QUARANTINE PARQUE MÉXICO, CONDESA, MEXICO CITYWOOD INSTALLATION, VARIABLE DIMENSIONS

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VIRUSMONTERREY TEC, STATE OF MEXICOWOOD INSTALLATION, 650 X 550 X 400 cm

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ENVIRONMENT IN DECONSTRUCTIONSCULPTURAL FELLOWSHIP GERMANY/MEXICO, MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN, MEXICOWOOD INSTALLATION, 550 X 600 X 500 cms

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INOCULATIONEX TERESA ARTE ACTUAL MUSEUM, MEXICO CITYDIVERSE RECYCLED MATERIAL

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RECONSTRUCTION OF THE WALLINTERVENTION TO THE CABEZA DE JUÁREZ MONUMENT, IZTAPALAPA, MEXICO CITYSTEEL SCAFFOLDING, RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION WOOD70 X 12 X 7 m

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FOR MY RACE I WILL TALK ABOUT THE DEATH OF THESPIRIT… (of art, of architecture, of God…)BLASA WOOD, CARDBOARD, PAPER, FIRE, ENGRAVED CHISEL, STAINED CANVASFROM THE 21/02/09 FIRE IN THE NATIONAL AUDITORIUM MEXICO CITY100 x 80 x 52 cm

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WISE VIRTUE TO RECOGNIZE TIME... RENATO LEDUC STREET, TLALPAN, MEXICO CITYSTEEL, CONCRETE, FIBERGLASS, 900 X 390 X 450

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

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HIDDEN GARDEN O-ARTOTECA GALLERY, MILAN, ITALYASSEMBLAGE, OBJECTS AND FURNITURE FROM A HOME AND AN OFFICE550 x 500 x 400 cm

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EDUCATION2003 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 EXHIBITIONS2009 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 EXHIBITIONS2010 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 Carlos- UNAM University, Mexico City.

www.antoniooconnell.com - antoniooconnell@gmail.com