Mexican artist Minerva Cuevas’s extraordinarily prolific and international artistic practice is grounded in conceptually and socially engaged actions. Her site-specific interventions take place in a range of settings from the internet to museums to the cultural commons. She creates political and social interventions, produces compelling videos and photographic work, co-opts various means of distribution to get out her message, irreverently and cleverly tampers with corporate and government identities, and makes bold political-creative work that disrupts political and visual economies.
In 1998 she founded Mejor Vida Corp. (Better Life Corporation), an enterprise that provides free products and services such as international student ID cards, subway passes, lottery tickets and barcode stickers which reduce the price of food at supermarket chains. Cuevas also creates posters, billboards, and performances; with these actions Cuevas has assumed the role of both a political and artistic actor. Presently she is developing a series of works on the oil industry in Mexico and Social Ecology studies re-adapting early scientific and optical devices such as magic lanterns and microscopes.
Cuevas' work has been shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions including: Minerva Cuevas, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Holland (2008); Phenomena, Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2007); On Society, MC Kunst, Los Angeles (2007); Biennale de Lyon, France (2007); Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil (2006); Sharjah Biennial 7 UAE (2005); Not Impressed by Civilization, The Banff Centre, Canada (2005); Populism, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2005); Schwarzfahrer Are My Heroes, DAAD Galerie, Berlin (2004); Hardcore Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2003); Casino 2001 S.M.A.K. in Gent (2001); Da Adversidae Vivemos, Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris (2001); MVC-Biotec Secession, Vienna (2001); Biennale of Sydney (2004); Istanbul Biennial (2003); Dream Machines, Hayward Gallery, London (2001).
Art Building Community was presented by Mentoring Artists for Women's Art and the University of Winnipeg Institute for Women's and Gender Studies.
With support from: The University of Winnipeg Global College,
Canadian International Development Agency, Manitoba Arts Council, The
Winnipeg Foundation, Winnipeg Arts Council.