Abel Barroso, born in 1971 in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, is internationally renowned for combining printmaking and sculpture in biting and humorous commentary on contemporary life in Cuba. His concerns far exceed his native context, as he addresses issues arising between so called First and Third World countries, with a recent emphasis on migration and its social implications and costs. Using meticulous craftsmanship, he creates playful works that often invite the viewer to interact. The Third World Internet Cafe, Barroso’s memorable installation at the 7th Havana Biennial in 2000, featured computers fashioned out of wood and paper and hand-cranked by the viewer. Pinball del emigrante (2012) was featured in the Platform section of the 2017 Armory Show. This series of pinball machines, hand fashioned out of wood, highlights the bureaucracy, unpredictability, elements of chance and absurdity that emigrants often face in their efforts to cross borders in search of a better life.

Exhibitions

Barroso’s work can be found in the public collections of MoMA and the Whitney Museum in New York, the Bacardi Foundation in Florida, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Argentina, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam in Cuba, Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, the Federal Reserve Collection in Washington D.C, and the Minneapolis Art Museum. His solo exhibitions include shows at the PanAmerican Art Projects Gallery in Miami, Couturier Gallery in Los Angeles, Michel Soskine Inc. in Madrid, X Havana Biennial, Museo de Arte in Pinar del Río, Cuba, Museum of Art and Science in Key West, Florida, Banff Centre for the Arts, and elsewhere. He has also contributed work to group exhibitions at Robert Miller Gallery in New York, Gallery Pan American Art Projects in Houston, The Bronx Museum of the Arts from the Shelley and Rubin Private Collection in New York, The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, and countless others. He has received a number of awards for example the Distinción por la Cultura Nacional in Cuba, Best Show of the Year to "La Huella Múltiple," and Premio Artes Visuales by the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.

Education

Instituto Superior de Arte, La Habana, Cuba, 1995
Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas, La Habana, Cuba