Alexandre da Cunha

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Alexandre da Cunha
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
EducationRoyal College of Art and Chelsea College of Arts, London
Known forSculpture and wall mounted work using found objects

Alexandre da Cunha (born 1969) is a Brazilian-British artist,[1] who produces sculpture and wall mounted works, often using found objects. His works have been exhibited around the world, and are located in several major public collections.

Biography[edit]

Alexandre da Cunha was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1969.[2] After initial studies at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in Brazil, da Cunha moved to the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, studying sculpture at the Royal College of Art[3] before moving to the Chelsea College of Arts.[2] Since his studies, da Cunha lives and works in both London and São Paulo.[2]

In the early 1990s, da Cunha began working with Galeria Luisa Strina, the oldest contemporary art gallery in Brazil – with his first solo exhibition taking place in 1998.[4]

In his work, da Cunha mixes the use of found, mass produced and 'ready made' objects with 'traditional' sculpture – by repurposing and reusing them.[5][6] In 2006, he stated that the items that he uses often have no monetary value, describing them as "things I found on the streets ... ready for the garbage can".[7] For example, the 2004 work Skateboarderistismatronics (fan) is made of recycled skateboards – da Cunha stated that the old skateboards are worthless, but nevertheless they have "huge personal value" to the skaters themselves.[8] Despite the variety in the size of his works – from a small sculpture[6] to a concrete mixer[9] – the aesthetic of the artwork is balanced against the social and cultural history of the materials that the work is made from.[10]

His works are inspired by the Neo-Concrete Brazilian art movement of the late 1950s, Op art, well as modernist architecture found in major Brazilian cities.[6][11] da Cunha also frequently uses the tropes of national identity, such as flags and iconography, in his work.[12] Frieze states da Cunha's "historical lineage" includes classical sculpture, baroque patterns, Primitivism, Arte Povera, and Brazilian Modernism.[13]

In the late 2010s, da Cunha was commissioned by Art on the Underground to create a public artwork for the new Northern line extension to Battersea. His work at Battersea Power Station – Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset – is a 100-metre-long kinetic sculpture, using the technology of a rotating billboard.[14][15] As the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the 2020 New Contemporaries exhibition could not take place, da Cunha and artists Anthea Hamilton and Linder selected works for an online exhibition.[16]

Exhibitions[edit]

Da Cunha has exhibited works at a variety of solo and group exhibitions across the world since the 2000s.[4] Solo exhibitions have included:

Collections[edit]

Public artworks[edit]

Publications[edit]

  • Alexandre da Cunha: Arena (2020, Thomas Dane Gallery; ISBN 9781999615765)
  • Alexandre da Cunha: Monumento (2019, Revolver; ISBN 978-3-95763-462-7)
  • Drawing Room Confessions: Alexandre da Cunha (2015, Drawing Room Confessions; ISBN 9788867491520)
  • Alexandre da Cunha (2012, Editora Cobogó, ISBN 978-85-60965-26-7)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tate. "'Skateboarderistismatronics (fan)', Alexandre da Cunha, 2004". Tate. Retrieved 2022-05-01. British-Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha
  2. ^ a b c d e "Alexandre da Cunha Biography". Thomas Dane Gallery. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  3. ^ "Art on the Underground unveils permanent artwork for new Battersea Power Station Underground by our former MA Sculpture student, Alexandre da Cunha". RCA Website. Retrieved 2022-05-01. our former MA Sculpture student, Alexandre da Cunha
  4. ^ a b "Alexandre da Cunha — Artists". Galeria Luisa Strina (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  5. ^ Pariante, Fabio (2021-12-14). "5 questions for artist Alexandre da Cunha". MuseumWeek magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-01. I am an artist who works mostly with sculpture, using found and industrialized objects and materials
  6. ^ a b c "Alexandre da Cunha - Artist - Saatchi Gallery". Saatchi Gallery. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  7. ^ Moura, Rodrigo (2006). Economies of Desire. Paço das Artes. p. 10. things I found on the streets, in the front of houses, in box rooms, pantries, ready for the garbage can
  8. ^ Tate. "'Skateboarderistismatronics (fan)', Alexandre da Cunha, 2004". Tate. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  9. ^ a b "Alexandre da Cunha". Laumeier Sculpture Park. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  10. ^ Trigging, David. "Alexandre da Cunha – interview: 'All my work is about combining things and making them have a conversation, or sometimes an argument'". www.studiointernational.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  11. ^ Pariante, Fabio (2021-12-14). "5 questions for artist Alexandre da Cunha". MuseumWeek magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-01. Da Cunha is inspired by .. modernist architecture and Op Art.
  12. ^ Collection, Zabludowicz. "Alexandre da Cunha | Artist". Zabludowicz Collection. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  13. ^ Harvey, Nicola (2008-06-02). "Alexandre da Cunha". Frieze. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  14. ^ a b "Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset". Art on the Underground. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  15. ^ Myers, Lynne (2021-09-20). "alexandre da cunha unveils 100m kinetic artwork for london underground". designboom. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  16. ^ "Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2020 Digital Platform". New Contemporaries. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  17. ^ "Brighton CCA — Alexandre da Cunha". Brighton CCA. 2021. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  18. ^ Lloyd-Smith, Harriet (2018-08-06). "Sculptors Phillip King and Alexandre da Cunha to pair up for 'live' collaboration". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  19. ^ "Alexandre da Cunha". Office Baroque. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  20. ^ McLean, Matthew (2016-04-07). "Alexandre da Cunha - Thomas Dane Gallery, London, UK". Frieze. No. 179. ISSN 0962-0672. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  21. ^ "MCA Chicago Plaza Project Alexandre da Cunha". Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. 2015-04-12. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  22. ^ "Canal Contemporâneo | Agenda de eventos | Dublê". www.canalcontemporaneo.art.br. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  23. ^ "Alexandre da Cunha, Laissez-faire, 10 July - 13 September 2009". Camden Arts Centre. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  24. ^ Tate. "Alexandre da Cunha born 1969". Tate. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  25. ^ Collection, Zabludowicz. "Alexandre da Cunha | Artist". Zabludowicz Collection. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  26. ^ "Alexandre da Cunha". ICA Boston. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  27. ^ Terremoto. "MO.CO presents «Mecarõ. Amazonia in the Petitgas Collection»". Terremoto. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  28. ^ "ALEXANDRE DA CUNHA'S 'MIX' | FEATURES | MONSOON ART COLLECTION". monsoonartcollection.com. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  29. ^ "New Public Art is Coming to the Fenway". Boston Magazine. 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  30. ^ "News - Alexandre da Cunha: Mix II at Rochaverá Corporate Towers". Thomas Dane Gallery. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
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