Born in Havana in 1985, Adrian Melis lives and works between Cuba and Europe. He studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana and at the renowned Cátedra de Arte Conducta, directed by Tania Bruguera. His videos, photographs and installations explore the relationship between the limitations imposed by social, political and economic structures, and the responses and strategies employed by individuals to evade or subvert them. Belonging to two socioeconomic systems as different as Europe and Cuba, Melis observes how these societies, together with their inherent contradictions, are generated and function. Specifically, he analyses concepts related to work and different market logics, focusing on aspects such as the absurdities of bureaucracy, systemic corruption and political silences. His work is marked by the ideologies and political systems that not only condition the economy but also the social fabric and ways of life.

He has presented his installations at the LOOP Festival. Barcelona (2023 and previous editions), Çanakkale Biennial, Turkey (2022), Glasgow Film Festival (2021), Acquedotto Augusteo del Serino, Naples (2020), and the High Line, New York (2017), among many other international venues and events. His solo exhibitions include the Pori Contemporary Art Museum, Pori, Finland (2020), Kunstlehrstuhl Baden, Switzerland (2017), De Appel Arts Centre, Amsterdam (2015), Project Space Centrum, Berlin (2015), Kunsthalle Basel (2013), and Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo, Santander (2012). His work is part of collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw; Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo, Santander; Pori Art Museum, Finland; and MACBA, Barcelona.