Alexander Apóstol was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 1969. Between 1987 and 1988, he studied photography with Ricardo Armans, and art history at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, from 1987 to 1990. Apóstol has completed residences with the Museo de Art Contemporáneo de Maracay Mario Abreu, Venezuela (1998), Cada de América, Madrid (2002), and the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, Italy (2012-13).

Working across photography and video, Apóstol’s work examines the link between architecture and urban planning with the history of South America. His 2001 photographic series, Polished Residents (Residente Pulido) portrays iconic buildings from the 1950s, Caracas, but Apóstol digitally altered the images to conceal windows and doors. Built landmarks thus are transformed into visual markings that speak to the dissipation of a metropolitan project now estranged from its architectural contemporaries.

Apóstol has had solo exhibitions at Sala Mendoza Caracas (2004); Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions; Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami; and Palau de la Virreina, Barcelona (all 2006); David Rockefeller Center of Latin American Studies at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2007); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain (2010); and Centro de la Imagen, Lima (2011).

He has participated in numerous group exhibitions, Habitat/Variations, Bâtiment d’Art Contemporain, Geneva, and Lo(s) Cinético(s), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (both 2007); Painting in the Glass House, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut, and Islands+Guettos, Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin (both 2008); Photographic Typologies, Tate Modern, London (2010); The End of Money, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, and Destello, Fundación Jumex, Mexico City (both 2011).

Apóstol has also participated in the São Paulo Biennial (2002); Istanbul Biennial (2003); Cuenca Biennial, Ecuador (2004); Prague Biennial (2003 and 2005); San Juan Triennial, Puerto Rico (2009); Manifesta (2009); and Venice Biennale (2011). Apóstol lives and works in Madrid.