Alain Pino (b. Camagüey, Cuba in 1975) is a multi-disciplinary conceptual artist. Painter, draftsman, printmaker, photographer and sculptor, he graduated from the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), and co-founded the group, “The Merger” with Niels Moleiro and Mario Miguel González (Mayito). He remained in the group for eight years, departing in 2017. During his time with The Merger, he was given the opportunity to further explore his varied disciplines while focusing on bridging conceptual art and Pop, without rejecting the academic styles. Prior to his work with The Merger, Pino enjoyed success as a solo artist, exhibiting throughout Cuba, the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin America. His work is a reflection of current political and social events; he makes use of familiar social and cultural patterns by extracting visuals from the news, urban life, historic materials and other sources, mixing them in search of new meanings that result from their interaction. Portraits comprise a large portion of his oeuvre—whether in photography, painting or installation, they are full of contradictions as he creates androgynous characters, placing them in paradoxical situations by having them create a dialogue with certain objects. Escape (2002-present) is an ongoing reflection on the theme of migration. In it I explore aesthetics, poses and actions that imply some sort of escape, without it being literal. In the series El Tiempo Pasa (Time Goes By, 2006) I photograph women, to whom I have attached beards made out of shaving foam. Instead of depicting specific subjects, these portraits talk about the passage of time and the projections of future that are in play at every moment.