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the ANATOMY LESSON
pAVEL aCOSTA
SOLO SHOW
october 26 - December 14, 2024
Miami design district
21 ne 39th st, miami fl, 33137
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Pan American Art Projects is pleased to announce The Anatomy Lesson, a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Pavel Acosta. This show features a new body of work in dialogue with Acosta’s signature technique of "stolen paintings,” while still exploring appropriation, materiality, and cultural commentary. Acosta, known for his innovative approach to reinterpreting masterpieces, deepens into the aesthetic, symbolic, and historical significance of institutional walls, transforming them into artistic subjects.
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Pavel Acosta
“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, by Rembrandt van Rijn”. From the series: Stolen from The Mauritshuis, 2024The title of the show is inspired by Rembrandt's famous painting, “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.” Acosta’s “stolen” piece, “The Anatomy Lesson,” is a focal point around which other ideas revolve. Rembrandt's work depicts the autopsy of the criminal Aris Kindt, also known as Adriaan Adriaanszoon, who was sentenced to death for armed robbery. Acosta brings to us a metaphorical autopsy—a kind of artistic medical examination—where he critically reflects on his own process as an artist, and the exhibition functions as a self-portrait. He challenges viewers to dissect the anatomy of art itself—its creation, value, and the structures that sustain it.
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The piece “The Anatomy Lesson,” contrasts the gestural energy and the raw materials that Acosta introduces in a totally new body of work. The artist goes beyond the surface, exposing the inner components of the gallery walls—wooden beams and plaster—which he reorganizes into new artistic compositions with the aid of large layers of wall paint. These elements take on new meanings as he deconstructs and reconstructs them, raising important questions about the relationship between creation and destruction, original and reinterpretation, and past and present. From the meticulous and detailed method to the rough decomposition of the gallery elements, he highlights the fragility and resilience of art and identity, inviting viewers to reconsider how we interact with the spaces and materials that shape our history.
The Anatomy Lesson will be open until December 14, at our Miami Design District space located at 21 NE 39th St. We encourage all visitors to engage with the rich conceptual and material dialogues presented in the show. -
Pavel Acosta
Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh, From the series 'Stolen from the Met', 2021Collage of dry paint on sheetrock
33 1/4 x 40 in
84.5 x 101.6 cm -
Pavel Acosta
Time Transfixed by Rene Magritte (1938) From the series: 'Stolen from The Art Institute Chicago', 2017Collage of dry paint on sheetrock
66 3/4 x 48 in
169.5 x 121.9 cm -
About the Artist
Pavel Acosta Proenza, born in Camagüey, Cuba, 1975, is a distinguished visual artist based in Miami, Florida. His artistic journey has taken him from Cuba to the international art scene, where he has gained recognition and numerous awards for his unique contributions to contemporary art.
Pavel's artistic education is marked by a commitment to honing his craft and skills. In 1989, he earned a Visual Arts Degree from the School of Visual Arts in Camagüey, Cuba. He obtained a BA in Engraving and Photography from the Academy of Fine Arts in Camagüey in 1993. MA in Painting from the Higher Institute of Arts (ISA) in Havana. He also completed a Visual Arts Course at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France, in 2003.
Pavel Acosta's work has been acquired by esteemed art institutions and private collectors, including El Museo del Barrio in New York City, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, the Perez Art Museum (PAMM) in Miami, Florida, and the Jorge M. Perez Collection in Miami, Florida.
