Antoni Abad

Antoni Abad talking at Radio Web MACBA.

Abad's installation, "Mesures d'emergència" (Emergency Measures, 2010) in the Barcelona metro's Vall d'Hebron station.

Antoni Abad i Roses (born 1956 in Lleida) is a Spanish artist. Based on the sculpture he evolved over time towards video art and later in net.art and other forms of new media.^[1]

Biography

Son of the sculptor Antonio Abad Gil and poet Teresa Rosas, the artistic training Antoni Abad is the fruit of the teaching of his father, complemented with a degree in Art History from the University of Barcelona (1979), and studies of Engraving Cuenca, London and Perugia. His work has evolved rapidly, moving away from traditional sculptural concepts to the use of new technologies, field in which he has become one of the most renowned Catalan creators. He moved also from photography to video art, followed by interest in computers Net.art. He uses Internet as a creative & research platform. The work of Antoni Abad expresses the desire to formal experimentation around the concepts of space and time, always present in his work, not exempt lately of certain ironic and critical aspects.^[2]

Exhibits

Some of his most important exhibits:

• 1986 — Espai 10 (Fundació Joan Miró) Escultures mal·leables
• 1991 — Premi d'Arts Plàstiques Medalla Morera. Museu d'Art Jaume Morera. June
• 1997 — Medidas de emergencia. Espacio Uno, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid.
• 1999 — Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires & Venice Biennal.
• 2003 — The Real Royal Trip. P.S.1. – Museum of Modern Art, New York.
• 2006 — Centre d'Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
• 2014 — megafone.net/2004-2014, MACBA.

Awards

• Premi d'Arts Plàstiques Medalla Morera (medal) 1990
• Premi Ciutat de Barcelona (City of Barcelona Prize) in the category of Multimedia (2002) for his work Z, shown in Metrònom and Centre d'Art Santa Monica
• Golden Nica at Ars Electronica^[3] within the category of virtual communities in 2006. Considered the most important prize in the world in terms of art and new technologies.
• Premi Nacional d'Arts Visuals (National Prize for Visual Arts) in 2006 given by the Government of Catalonia.

References

1. Nadal Gaya, Juan Manuel. Diccionari de pintors, escultors, gravadors i dibuixants: l'art a la Lleida del segle XX. 1a. ed.. Lleida: Pagès, 2003, p. 46-49. ISBN 84-7935-998-6.
2. Gabarrell, Francesc. «Abad Roses, Antoni». Índex d'artistes del Museu d'Art Jaume Morera (website).
3. Ars Electronica