Reynier Leyva Novo - Zapata Gallery

Reynier Leyva Novo (Cuba, 1983) is a distinguished conceptual artist celebrated for his multidisciplinary approach, fusing anthropological research with cutting-edge technology to explore the psychological and sociological impacts of complex historical issues in Cuba and the Caribbean through meticulous examination of historical data. Novo crafts visually compelling sculptures and multimedia installations that challenge prevailing ideologies and symbols of power, notably questioning the individual’s capacity to instigate change. His renowned series, “The Weight of History,” involves the development of software to calculate the mass and volume of ink used in printing key texts of totalitarian regimes. As an active member of the artist-activist group 27N, he contributes to Cuba’s social movement for freedom of expression and political rights. Having relocated to Houston, Texas, in 2022, Novo is poised to embark on a residency as a Smithsonian Institution Artist Research Fellow in Washington, DC, expanding on his exploration of the transatlantic slavery system and its racial dimensions.

Recognized as a rising star in the international art scene, Novo has participated in major biennials and exhibitions worldwide, including La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (2011, 2017) and XII Shanghai Biennale, China (2018). His works are featured in prestigious collections such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Novo’s practice aligns with the de-colonial moment, inheriting and challenging Cuba’s revolutionary and colonial heritage myths, ideals, and icons.

Lianet Martínez Pino is a visual artist born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. She graduated in 2012 with a specialization in Painting from the National Academy of Fine Arts “San Alejandro” in Havana. In 2019, she completed her studies at the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), where she received the distinction of Most Creative Graduate. Since 2011, she has taken part in numerous exhibitions both in Cuba and abroad. Shortly after graduating, she was invited by Nuno Sacramento Contemporary Art Gallery to the artist residency “Mi casa es tu casa,” which concluded with the two-person exhibition “Alquimia” in Aveiro, Portugal. In 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2022 she was selected to participate in the Havana Biennial, where she presented large-scale public works. Her work is part of important collections in the United States, Puerto Rico, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Cuba.In 2024, her work was selected within the curatorial section “Ejes,” together with Galería Servando, for the ZONAMACO International Art Fair at the Citibanamex Center in Mexico. That same year, she was chosen to represent Cuba at the Artomatic art event in Washington, D.C., USA. In 2025, two of her works were selected to participate in the ZONAMACO International Art Fair as part of the Galería Habana booth. She was invited to take part in the two-person exhibition “Alquimia de una Isla” held at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) in the United States. In March of the same year, she represented Cuba at the Osaka International Art Fair in Japan. In August, she was selected for the Unlimited Art Residency in New York, supported by the Cuban Artists Fund and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which culminated in the “Blossom” Open Studio. On October 11, she presented her solo exhibition “Espacio Liminal” at Zapata Gallery in Miami, United States. At the end of October, she was invited by the Metropolitan Academy of Art of Chile to give a lecture on her work titled The Body as Shield: Matter, Identity, and Memory. One of her works (Encuentro) is currently on view at FotoFac Gallery as part of the group exhibition “Puertas al Ingenio” at Fábrica de Arte. Also at the end of October, she will be participating with one of her works in the exhibition “Paisaje bajo Sospecha” at Picci Fine Arts Gallery in Mexico City, Mexico.She is currently represented by Génesis Galerías de Arte, working within this group with Galería Habana in Havana, Cuba, and by Zapata Gallery in Miami, United States.

Lianet’s work is characterized by the use of multiple media, scales, and techniques. It includes paintings, drawings, photographs, collages, and sculptural or installation structures whose processes of reference and meaning transcend the two-dimensional plane. It is through this methodology that she channels her ideas. These stem from personal experiences—her own or others’—in dialogue with everyday contexts and broader experiences that inform and shape her working process.