Ada Bobonis
San Juan, PR, 1963
Biography Details
Installation artist, sculptor, draftswoman, painter, teacher. Bobonis attended the Escuela de Artes y Oficios (School of Arts and Trades) in Barcelona, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in art, with a major in painting, at the University of Barcelona. She also studied communications with a specialization in visual arts at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Santurce, PR. Since 1986 she has participated in group shows and has several solo exhibitions to her credit. She has received prestigious scholarships such as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in New York, the Joan Mitchell Foundation in New York (2018), among others, and in 2006 she was awarded an artistic residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute in New Mexico.
Bobonis has taught at the Puerto Rico School of Plastic Arts. Bobonis works mainly in sculpture and installations, although she has inclined more toward installations recently, using such rudimentary materials as rope, fishing line, and wool, which she may weave, braid, or unbraid. Her work has been compared to Post-Minimalism, with references to arte povera.
Artist Statement
Through the construction of sculptures and installations, my work explores the representation of urban and natural space. I am interested in places where the past and the present coexist in permanent contradiction, such as sites and buildings that have changed their function, or spaces under construction, that feel undefined or isolated.
My works reflect many of my current conceptual and thematic concerns, such as the relationship between people and the environment, dialogue with a specific architectural context, and an active or physical engagement between the viewer and the work.
Photography is incorporated into the creative process as a tool to document the places I work with and to quote specific aspects of those places. The photos serve as a database to solve formal aspects of my installations, extracting color, materials and shapes. Once the sculptural forms are resolved through my process of abstraction, photos are often incorporated into installations. In doing this, I seek to generate other ways of representing the places I work with through the opposition of representational language and abstraction.
Ada Bobonis
Formation
Education
1984-1989
- Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Painting. Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
1983-1984
- Studies in Painting. Escuela de Artes y Oficios (Llotja), Barcelona, Spain
1981-1983
- Visual Arts Studies. Communications Department, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2016-2019
- Professor. Sculpture and Painting Department, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Professor. Liga de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001-2010
- Professor. Painting Department, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007-2009
- Director. Painting Department, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004-2006
- Deputy Director. Painting Department, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Interdisciplinary Workshop "Locales". Exhibition project of students from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in public spaces in old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Interdisciplinary Workshop "Escaparates". Exhibition project of students from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in shops windows in old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- Internship Course to students from Escuela de Artes Plásticas. New York, United States
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2018
- Cama de Mar, KM.02, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2017
- Residual, Casa del Sargento, Beta-Local, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2012
- Stages, mountains, water, Queens Museum, New York, United States
2008
- Proto : types/times/rhythms/patterns, Espacio 1414, Berezdivin Collection, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Estados Sensibles, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Skecth, Galería Raíces, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Cuña, Taller Boricua, Julia de Burgos Cultural Center, New York, United States
2003
- Estela, Estación Norte, Río Piedras, Tren Urbano, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Verde Maña, Sala Nuevas Tendencias, Museo de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- Sobrecielo, Liga de Estudiantes de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Naturaleza Primitiva, Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996
- Asogues, Luigi Marrozzini Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- 9-F, El Manantial Taller Galería d’art , Barcelona, Spain
1991
- Ada Bobonis: obra reciente, Luigi Marrozzini Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Círculos y Espirales, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2019
- Unsettings, Museo de Arte y Diseño (MADMI), San Juan, Puerto Rico
- El Espacio Común: producción artística en y acerca de la ciudad, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Los Cincuenta Años de la Liga, Museo de Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Nexos, Museo de Arte de Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
2018
- Muestra Nacional - Escultura Puertorriqueña, Arsenal de la Puntilla, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Unidad Mínima, Espacio El Dorado, Bogotá, Colombia
- Dolores, KM.02, Mexico D.F., Mexico
2017
- 99 + 1,= la centena, Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2015
- Group show, Zawahra Alejandro, NY
2013
- Holiday Delights, Elizabeth Harris, NY
- Mano segura no se tranca (the safe hand does not…?), Present Company, New York, United States
2012
- New York, Art Museum of the Americas, Washington, DC, United States
2009
- Dwell 2, Douz and Mille, Washington, DC, United States
- Space Unlimited, Art Museum of the Americas, Washington, DC, United States
- Coexistencias, II Biennial of the Canary Islands Architecture, Art and Landscape, Centro de Arte la Regenta, Spain
2008
- Circa 08, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Resounding Space, Douz and Mille, Next Art Fair, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2007
- Contexto Puertorriqueño: del Rococó Colonial al Arte Global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Scope- Miami, Family and friends, Douz and Mille, Miami, Florida, United States
2004
- Cilindros, Absolute Área, Calle Sol 208, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- Muestra Nacional de Artes Plásticas, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Offerings, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Piedra, Metal y Madera, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- El arte en Puerto Rico a través de los tiempos, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
- Nuevos significados del ir venir, Admirals Club, Aeropuerto Luis Muñoz Marín, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- El Café de las 3:00, otros relatos en casa de Doña Fela, Museo Felisa Rincón de Gautier, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Juego-Tensión, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1998
- Nubes de Fango, Galería Michelle Marxuach, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Group show, Leonora Vega Gallery, New York, United States
1997
- Arco Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid, Spain
1996
- Direcciones, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
1995
- Tercer Certamen de Artes Plásticas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2020
- Grant. El Serrucho, Beta-Local, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Emergency Grant. CERF+, Montpelier, Vermont, United States
2019
- Grant. Asociación Nacional de Artes y Culturas Latinas (NALAC) y el Fondo de Artes Flamboyán, San Antonio, Texas, United States
2018
- Emergency Grant. Joan Mitchell Foundation, New York, United States
- Residency Emergency Residency Initiative for artists impacted by hurricane Maria, The Studios, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Massachusetts, United States
2017
- Grant. El Serrucho, Beta-Local, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Grant. Programa Subvención Básica para las Artes, National Endowment for the Arts, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2013
- Nominated to the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami, Florida.
- Nominated to the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, New York, New York, United States
2010-2011
- Residency. Space Program, Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Grant. Space Program, Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Grant. Programa Subvención Básica para las Artes, National Endowment for the Arts, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Grant. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- Residency. Santa Fe Artist Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute, New Mexico, United Sates
2005
- Grant. Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York, United States
2003
- Travel Grant. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- Grant. Fondo Puertorriqueño para el Financiamiento del Quehacer Cultural, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Merit Award. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1984-1989
- Ángel Ramos Foundation Scholarship. Periódico El Mundo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1984-1987
- Scholarship. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Paine Webber, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Triple S, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Barragán, Paco. “The Art to Come“. España: Editorial Altamira, 2000.
Catalogues
Cullen, Deborah. “None of the above Contemporary works by Puerto Rican Artists”, Real Art Ways, Hartford, Conneticut, Estados Unidos, 2004.
"Muestra Nacional de Artes Plásticas". Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2001.
"Ada Bobonis , Obra reciente". Galería Luiggi Marrozzini, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1991.
"Círculos y Espirales". Museo de Arte e Historia de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1989.
"Asogues". Galería Luiggi Marrozzini, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1996.
"Sobrecielo". Liga de Estudiantes de Arte, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2000.
"Expresiones". Muestra de ensayo, teatro, narrativa, arte y poesía, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2003.
Newspapers
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Ada Bobonis“. Periódico El Nuevo Día, (San Juan, PR), noviembre, 2000.
“Instalación de Arte en el Taller Boricua“, Hola hoy, (Nueva York, EU), febrero, 2004.
Vázquez, Larissa. “Espacio de Vanguardia para el arte Tridimensional“. Periódico El Nuevo Día, (San Juan, PR), junio 2002.
De Cuba, Natalia. “Making the past contemporary“. Periódico The San Juan Star, (San Juan, PR), mayo 1999.
Colón Camacho, Doreen M., “Direcciones” en Ponce“. Periódico El Nuevo Día, (San Juan, PR), octubre 1996
García Gutiérrez, Enrique. “Bobonis en plano íntimo“. Periódico El Nuevo Día, (San Juan, PR), febrero 1996.
Magazines
King, Elaine, Antropomorphic Amalgams, Scuplture Magazine Vol 27, No. 1, pp. 30-35, 2008
Lezama, Manuel Álvarez, “Ada Bobonis- Galería Raíces”, Art Nexus, N. 62, Vol 5, p.157, 2006
Nogueras, Celina, The grain of the anti-form, Entorno, Vol 4, p.66, 2007