Known for inventive explorations of South American Modernist painting traditions, Ad Minoliti’s (they/them) work draws on the legacy of geometric abstraction in their native country, Argentina, where it was used as a tool to imagine utopian political and social alternatives in the 1940s. Their work is infused with inclusive, non-binary and feminist perspectives and offers a fresh lens on art history and aesthetics—combining personal abstraction, vibrant colors and playful figuration freely inspired by the codes of Modernism and children’s iconography. Minoliti challenges the art world’s self-seriousness by advocating for inclusivity, approachability and more joyous experiences.
For Minoliti’s Manifestación pluriversal, the artist is creating a vibrantly colored, large-scale mural on CAM’s Project Wall. Minoliti will be collaborating with CAM’s Learning and Engagement department to facilitate workshops with middle- and high school-aged youth affiliated with Proud Art STL, an organization working to increase connectivity between LGBTQIA+ teenagers in St. Louis. These young artists will create imaginative self-portraits which will be integrated into Minoliti’s mural—the first time the artist has incorporated work by other artists into their installation. Following the close of the exhibition, these portraits will go home with their creators.
In Spanish, the word manifestación can be translated as a rally, protest march, or demonstration. Pluriversal, in Spanish and English, refers to the notion of a pluriverse: a place where multiple realities exist simultaneously. Minoliti’s Manifestación pluriversal makes space for celebration and demonstrates their belief that to share in the joy of discovery, everyone should feel welcome.
To mark this exhibition, CAM will produce a zine featuring an interview with the artist by members of CAM’s Teen Museum Studies cohort, an essay by Ferring Foundation Chief Curator Dean Daderko, images of Minoliti’s artworks, and more.
Ad Minoliti: Manifestación pluriversal is organized for the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis by Dean Daderko, Ferring Foundation Chief Curator.
Ad Minoliti (b. 1980, Buenos Aires, Argentina) earned a BFA from the National Academy of Fine Arts Prilidiano Pueyrredón in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2003, completed studies with Diana Aisenberg in 2006, and was part of the Centro de Investigaciones Artísticas from 2009–2011. They are the recipient of numerous awards, including grants from the Ministry of Culture of Argentina, the Metropolitan Fund for the Arts of Buenos Aires, and Mexico’s Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. Minoliti’s work has been included in the Biennale de Nice (2022); the BALTIC Center for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK (2021); and the 58th Venice Biennale (2019). They are represented by Galería Agustina Ferreyra, San Juan; Galerie Crèvecoeur, Paris; and Peres Projects, Berlin.
Proud Art STL participants: Marvel Connolly, Telula Damron, Harper Dulatt, Luca Kirkpatrick, Cameron Lewis, Sean Lowery, Maple Miller-Ledbetter, Ray Mosley, Ginny Murphy, Ross Rhodes, Arlo Schoenfeld