Isaac Aden

Isaac Aden is an artist and curator.  Aden’s work is about the human condition, the American experience.  Aden’s Post-Medium practice has centered its primary research in the area of New Institutionalism.  Aden makes bodies of work often tangentially related and even visually disparate with no desire to ascribe an aesthetic conclusion.  In this way the practice becomes absorbent and generative.

Aden has exhibited internationally, including: dOCUMENTA 13, MassMOCA, The Fedricianum, White Box, Kassel Werkstadt, David Richard Gallery, Gallerie Rasch, Ulrike Petschel Gallerie, Ethan Cohen Fine Art, SPRING/BREAK, Art Miami, Contemporary Istanbul, VOLTA Basel, Sotheby’s, The Jerome A. Cohen And Joan Lebold Cohen Center for Art. The Bertha and Karl Luebsdorf Gallery, The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, The Parthenon Museum, The New York Public Library, and The World Trade Center.

Aden is on the board of White Box. Formerly the Senior Curator at the Jerome A Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for Visual Arts.  He was named the Chief Curator of four art fairs including the AD ART Show at Sotheby’s and the World Trade Center, New York and the Accessible Art Fair. As part of this he developed and executed the first city wide digital art fair, partnering with corporate sponsors including Systech Systems and NBC Universal. Over 13 million people viewed the fair.  He has curated over twenty exhibitions, including Jeffrey Hargrave, Escape Route, at the Bronx Museum. He has been awarded Fellowships from the Kossak Foundation, Creative Capital, The New York Foundation for the Arts and the United States State Department. 

He is currently represented by: Gallerie Rasch in Germany, Marat Guelman in Russia and the Balkans, and David Richard Gallery the Americas.

Born: 1979, Lincoln, Nebraska, US

Lives and Works: Harlem, New York 

 

Education

MFA Hunter College, New York

 

Solo Exhibitions

2020               Isaac Aden: Vespers and Auroras: David Richard Gallery, New York, NY

                        THEY: Silberman School of Social Work, New York, NY

2019               Floating Paintings: World Trade Center, New York, NY      

2018-19         “Isaac Aden, No Regrets, Bars and Irish Chains” The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan

                             Lebold Cohen Center for Visual Arts at the KuBe, Beacon, NY

2016               “Isaac Aden, Painting in the Expanded Filed: Monochromes for Montenegro

                             Montenegro, Duckley European Art Community, Juggocenia

                       “Isaac Aden, I Like America”, Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

2014               “Isaac Aden: How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Bear”, KuBe, Beacon, NY

2012               “Isaac Aden: Kassel Kasse, Galerie Rasch, Kassel Germany

                       “Isaac Aden: Kartofflen zur Vergebung, Galerie Ulrike Petschell, Kassel, Germany 

2011               “Isaac Aden: Going out with a Bang: Works on Steel” The Annex, Fairbanks, AK

                       "Isaac Aden: Works on Steel", Gallery 151, New York, NY

2010               “Isaac Aden: Stahl Zeichnungen“, Galerie Rasch, Kassel Germany

                       “American Women in the Dutch Style“, The New York Public Library, New York, NY

                       “Isaac Aden: Tropic of Cancer“, Gallery 151, New York, NY

                       “American Women“, New York Central, New York, NY

2009             “Brooklyn Kulture: U-bahn Zeichnungen“, Werkstatt Kassel e. V., Kassel, Germany

                     “Isaac Aden: Jetz Besser als Nie“, Trafo Haus, Kassel Germany

2008             “Isaac Aden: Drawings”, Middle Collegiate Church, New York, NY

2004             ”The Firm and the Yielding”, The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, 

                             Anchorage, AK

                      ”Washington”, The Studio Gallery, New York, NY      

2003             ”Imperial Amity”, The Russian – American Cultural Center, New York, NY

2002               “Volatile Monolith”, The Empire State Building”, New York, NY

 

Group Exhibitions:

2020               “be**pART”, Atelier Montez, Rome

                       “Uptown 2000”, Silberman School of Social Work, New York, NY

                        “Proyectos”, 78 JANE, New York, NY

                        AD ART SHOW, The Oculus New York, NY                

2019               Museum of Moden Art, Hifie, China

                        “Systems of Injustice”, The Bronx Art Space, New York, NY

                        “Black Hole Sun” Houston Arts Advisory

                        SILVER SHED, New York, NY

                        “Orphans of Painting”, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for

                                   Visual Arts at the KuBe, Beacon, NY

                        Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

                        AD ART SHOW, The Oculus, New York, NY

2018               The Empty Circle, New York, NY

                        Istanbul Contemporary, Instanbul

                        Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

                        “GOODBYE COLUMBUS”, SPRING/BREAK, New York, NY

                        “AD ART SHOW”, Sotheby’s New York, NY

2017               VOLTA BASEL, Ethan Cohen, Basel Switzerland

                        Art Miami, Ethan Cohen, Miami, FL

                        “As of Now”, Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

                        “Post Millennial Tension”, Current Curators, New York, NY

                        “Orphans of Painting”, Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

                        “The Water Mirror”, SPRING/BREAK, New York, NY

                        “Art Remix”, Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

2016               “The Assessable Art Fair”, New York, NY

                        “Different Americans”, Budva, Montenegro

                        “Different Americans”, Montenegro

                        “Different Americans”, Kotor, Montenegro

                        “ART Miami”, Ethan Cohen, Miami, FL

                        “Polymorphus”, Cluster, New York, NY

                        “Make America Great Again”, White Box, New York, NY

2015               Hunter College, New York, NY

                        “Face to Face”, Ethan Cohen, New York, NY

                        Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA

                        SEDIMENT, Richmond, VA

                        The Cave, Detroit, MI

                        Skylab, Columbus, OH

                        Three Walls, Chicago, IL

                        the Luminary, St. Louis, MO

                        The White Page, Minneapolis, MN

                        Leisure gallery, Denver, CO

                        Recess, New York, NY

                        “How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare”, Italy

                        “In the Cloud” Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, New York, NY

2014               “How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare”, Bulgaria

                        “Emerge 11”, Aljira Center for Art, Newark, NJ

                        “BBBBBreeze” Ethan Cohen Fine Art, New York, NY

                        “How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare”, Pristine Gallery, Monterey, Mexico

                        “SCOPE: MIAMI, Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, Miami, FL

2013               “Sharper Image”, Ethan Cohen Fine Art + ArtSTRAND, Provincetown

                        “Turn On”, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for Art,

                                  Beacon, NY

                        “Sharper Image”, Ethan Cohen Fine Art, New York, NY

                        “Home Coming”, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for Art,

                                 Beacon, NY

2012               SCOPE: MIAMI, Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, Miami, FL

                        “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out”, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center

                                 for Art, Beacon, NY

                        “Amerikkka the Beautiful”, White Box, New York, NY

                        “Finding Our New Fort”, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for

                                Art, Beacon, NY

                        dOCUMENTA (13), Kassel, Germany

                        “Body Snatchers”, White Box, New York, NY

                        Werksatt Kassel e.V., Kassel Germany

                        White Box, New York, NY

                        “In the future the artist will say: that object is a work of art”, Third Ward, New York,

                                New York, NY

2011               “WALLmART”, White Box New York, NY

                        “How to Philosophize with a Hammer”, White Box, New York, NY

                        The Karl and Bertha Leubsdorf Gallery, New York, NY

                        “Youth Internal”, White Box, New York, NY

2010               MassMOCA, North Adams, MA

                        "Old York Road', White Box, New York, NY

                        White Box: Out of the Box, SCOPE: Miami, Miami, FL

                        "Stirrings Still", White Box, New York, NY

                        "The D.I.V.O. Institute presents: Friericianum“, Kunsthalle

                                Friericianum, Kassel, Germany

                        “Yellow“, MYPAC, Miami, FL

                        “Swiming Cities“, Walker Stage, New York, NY

                        “Its a Group Thing“, MYPAC, Miami, FL

                        Nurture Art, New York, NY

                        Hunter College, New York, NY

2009               MYPAC, Miami, FL

                        Hunter College, New York, NY

                        The Dark Room Presents, New York, NY

                        Gallery 151, New York, NY

                        White Box, New York, NY

                        Lyons - Wier Gallery, New York, NY

                        “Trashion II”, Gallery 151, New York, NY

                        “Objectify” The Delancey, New York, NY

                        “Scene and Capture”, Gallery 151, New York, NY

                        Pershing Hall Governor’s Island National Park, New York, NY

                        “Trashion“, Gallery 151, New York, NY      

                        New York University, New York, NY

2008               White Box, New York, NY

                        East Village Radio Music Festival, The South Street Seaport, New York, NY

2006               Hunter College, New York, NY

                        “Analytical and Synthetic Drawing”, City College, New York, NY

2005               Hunter College, New York, NY

                        “Technicolor 9”, Asterik Art Space, New York, NY

                        “Katrina Relief, Habitats for Humanities”, Rice, New York, NY

2004               Trask Gallery, The National Arts Club, New York, NY

                        CBGB’s Gallery, New York, NY

                        Polaris Arts LTD., New York, NY

                        “Decompression”, 3^rd Ward, New York, NY

2003               Art Resources Transfer, New York, NY

                        New York University, New York, NY

                        ATM Gallery, New York, NY       

                        Trask Gallery, The National Arts Club, New York, NY

                        SONYA, New York, NY

                        Lollapalooza, Jones Beach Arena, Long Island, NY

                        P.S.12, New York, NY

                        Zanjani Projects, New York, NY

2002               Gale Gates et al, New York, NY

                        Artists Space, New York, NY

                       “threebythree” Anotheroom, New York, NY 

                       J.P. Morgan Chase Headquarters, New York, NY

                       New York University, New York, NY

2001               “Fifteen”, The Museum of New Art, Detroit, MI

                        Gale Gates et al, New York, NY

                        Tribes Gallery, New York, NY

2000               The Museum of New Art, Detroit, MI

                       The Empire State Building, New York, NY

                       Ward – Nasse Gallery, New York, NY

1999               Thread Waxing Space, New York, NY

                       Pleiades Gallery, New York, NY

                       Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

                       Ward – Nasse Gallery, New York, NY

1998               D.U.M.B.O. Arts Festival, New York, NY

                       Ward – Nasse Gallery, New York, NY

                       “Diptych, Triptych”, The Merchants, Nashville, TN

1997               Darks Art, North Hollywood, CA

                       The Parthenon Museum, Nashville, TN

                       328 Performance Hall, Nashville, TN

                       The Gallery of the Tennessee Artist, Nashville, TN

                       Parkway Towers Federal Building, Nashville, Tn

1996               “Artopia”, Marathon Village, Nashville

                        “Artrageous”, Sunset Studio, Nashville

                        Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro

 

Public Art and Private Commissions

2019               Anhui, China

2015               Related Developers, New York

2012               The Free Masons of New York

2011               The F and T Group, New York

                        Hadeya Capital, New York

2007               Bancroft Library Los Angeles Unified School District, Hollywood, CA

                       K. Hovnanian Developers, Coachella

                       Dr R.J. Carreon Jr. and John Nobles Park, Indio

2005               The Nashville International Airport, Nashville, TN

1989               Central Bell and AT&T, Nashville, TN

 

Awards and Grants

2020               New York Foundation for the Arts Grant

2016               US State Department Grant

2014               Kossak Painting Fellowship

2013               Creative Capital PDP Grant, Emerge 11

2011               The Evelyn Kossak Painting Fellowship

2009               Max Kade Foundation, Grant

                        Kunst Hoch Schule Kassel

2007               Los Angeles Unified Scholl District, Bancroft School for the                                                                            Performing Arts, Commission for Public Art

                       City of Coachella, Commission for Public Art

                       City of Indio, Commission for Public Art

2005               The Tennessee State Council on the Arts, Arts in the Airport Program

2004               Alaska State Council on the Arts, Grant

                        New York University, Jurors Award

2003               The New York State Council on the Arts, Project Development

2002               New York University, Jurors Award

 

Guest Lectures and Panel Discussions

2020               The Oculus, New York

                        Group M, New York

2019               The Bronx Art Space, New York

                       Tau Hu Tan, China

                       The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center for Art, Beacon, NY

                       The Oculus, New York

                       Group M, New York

2018               Arp, SMPS, New York, The Jerome A. Cohen and Joan Lebold Cohen Center

                            for Art, Beacon

                        John Jay College, New York

                        Sotheby’s New York

                        Y&R, New York

2017               The New School, New York

                       The Hamptons Art Center

2016               Dukley Art Center

                       Ethan Cohen, New York

                       White Box, New York

                        The National Arts Club, New York

                        Artnet, New York

2015               The Bronx Museum

                        Hunter College

2014               Ethan Cohen, New York                

                        Hunter College, New York

2012               Galerie Rasch, Kassel Germany                

2011               The Annex, Fairbanks

                       The Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Gallery, New york

                       Gallery 151, New York

2010               White Box, New York

                        Galerie Rasch, Kassel Germany

                        Gallery 151, New York

                        The New York Public Library, New York

2009               Trafo Haus, Kassel Germany

                        Gallery 151, New York

                        Werkstatt Kassel e.V., Kassel Germany

                        Hunter College, New York

                        Pershing Hall Governor’s Island National Park, New York

                        Hume-Fogg, Nashville

2008               Middle Colligate Church, New York

                        Bancroft, Los Angeles

2007               Self Help Graphics, Los Angeles

                        Dr. R. J. Carreon Jr. and John Nobles Park, Indio

2006               City Collage, New York

2005               Hunter Collage, New York

2004               The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage

                        Virginia Common Wealth University

2001               The New School, New York

                        New York University, New York

2000               Parsons School of Design, New York

 

Residencies

2019               Tau Hu Tan, China

2016               Duckley European Arts Community, Montenergro

2012               KuBe, Beacon

2011               Gallery 151, New York

2010               Kunsthalle Friericianum, Kassel, Germany

2009              Kunst Hoch Schule Kassel, Kassel, Germany

                       The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage