Minerva Cuevas (1975, Mexico City) creates research-based projects that allow the audience an insight into the economic and political organization of the social sphere through site-specific actions and artworks. She researches the notions of value, exchange, and property inherent to the capitalist system and its social consequences to explore the latent possibility of rebellion implicit in everyday life.
Her work encompasses a wide range of media—installation, video, muralism, sculpture, and public intervention to explore our familiar visual references like the ones of commercial branding to question the notions present in our political imaginary, facilitating channels of social communication.
Cuevas studied at Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas (ENAP) of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (1993-1996). She founded Mejor Vida Corp. and joined Irational.org in 1998. She created the International Understanding Foundation [IUF] in 2016.
She has been an artist resident in the following programs: Berliner Künstlerprogramm at Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Germany, 2003; Media Art of the Foundation of Lower Saxony at the Edith-Russ-Haus, Germany, 2003; Delfina Foundation, London, 2001; and The Banff Centre for Arts, Canada, 1998.
Some of her most important solo exhibitions are:
The River, Cc Foundation, Shanghai, China (2024); In Gods We Trust, kurimanzutto, New York, NY (2023); Game Over, Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2022); Dark Matter, Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego (ICA), CA (2022); Migratory, Rubin Center, El Paso, TX (2022); No Room To Play, Daadgalerie, Berlin (2019); Disidencia, The Mishkin Gallery, New York, NY (2019); Dissidência, Galpão Video Brasil, São Paulo (2018); Fine Lands, Dallas Museum of Art, TX (2017); Feast and Famine, kurimanzutto, Mexico City (2015); Minerva Cuevas, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City (2012); Landings, Cornerhouse, Manchester, England (2011); SCOOP, Whitechapel Gallery, London (2010); Minerva Cuevas, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (2008); Phenomena, Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2007); On Society, MC Kunst, Los Angeles, CA (2007); Égalité 2007, Le Grand Café - Centre D'art Contemporain, Saint-Nazaire, France (2007); Reconstrucción, Casa del Lago, Mexico City (2006); Schwarzfahrer Are My Heroes, Daadgalerie, Berlin (2004); MVC Biotec, Secession, Vienna, Austria (2001); Mejor Vida Corp., Museo Tamayo, Mexico City (2000) and M.V.C. El Despacho, Mexico City (1998).
A selection of group exhibitions include:
Re-Sisters: A Lens on Gender and Ecology, Barbican Centre, Londres (2023), FOMU, Belgium (2024); Raising Flags, Museum in Progress, Austria (2023); WitchHunt, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Los Angeles, CA (2021); Soft Power, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), CA (2019); Down and to the Left: Reflections on Mexico in the NAFTA Era, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA (2017); Unsettled, The Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, TX (2017); Under the Same Sun: Art from Latin America Today, South London Gallery (SLG) London (2016), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY (2014); We Call It Ludwig, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany (2016); United States of Latin America, MOCAD Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, MI (2015); Food: dal cucchiaio al mondo, MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Rome (2015); Love Is Colder Than Capital, Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2013); Resisting the Present, Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico (2011) and Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (2012); Elles, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2010); The Exotic Journey Ends, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw, Poland (2006); Populism, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (2005); Hardcore, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2003); Exchange Rates of Bodies and Values, Kunst Werke, Berlin and PS1, New York NY (2002); Dream Machines, Hayward Gallery, London (2000); Democracy!, Royal College of Art, London (2000); Cambio, Chelsea, New York NY (1996).
She has participated in the following biennials:
Seoul Mediacity Biennale, South Korea (2020); Prospect 4 New Orleans, USA (2017); 6th Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art, United Kingdom (2010); 6th Berlin Biennale, Germany (2010); 9e Biennale de Lyon, France (2007); 6a Bienal do Mercosul, Porto Alegre, Brazil (2007); 27a Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil (2006); Sharjah Biennial 7, United Arab Emirates (2005); Glasgow International Festival, United Kingdom (2005); 14th Biennale of Sydney, Australia (2004); 2nd Tirana International Contemporary Art Biannual, Albania (2005); 8. Istanbul Bienali, Turkey (2003); 4th Austrian Triennial on Photography, Graz, Austria (2003) and 24th Biennial of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2001).
