Biography

Ken Okiishi
Born 1978, Ames, Iowa
Lives and works in New York2001

BFA, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019“A Model Childhood,” Pilar Corrias, London

2018“A Model Childhood,” Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Los Angeles

2017“Being and/or Time,” Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York2016

“Solar/Data/Matter: Sobreteixims i escultures, 1972, 1968, 2016, 1978,” Fundació Gaspar, Barcelona

2015“Porous Feedback,” Arbeiterkammer Wien, Vienna“gestures, data, feedback,” Take Ninagawa, Tokyo

2014“Screen Presence,” Projekt 25/25/25, Museum Ludwig, Cologne“Eggleston und Andere, ‘reality bites’,” Mathew, Berlin“KEN OKIISHI,” Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York2013

“gesture/data,” Pilar Corrias, London“[List Projects] Ken Okiishi,” MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts“A Way Out As Hovering,” (curated by Annie Godfrey Larmon), Rongwrong, Amsterdam“The Very Quick of the Word, ” (curated by Annie Godfrey Larmon),Hessel Museum of Art, Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York

2012“(Goodbye to),” Take Ninagwawa, Tokyo“Gino / Marcel Duchamp on StreetEasy.com,” Mathew, Berlin

2010“(Goodbye to) Manhattan,” Mehringdamm 72, Berlin“(Goodbye to) Manhattan,” Alex Zachary, New York

Collaborative exhibitions
2015“Poetry as not, with singing,” Artist Web Project, Dia Art Foundation, New York2014

“Mendes Wood DM,” (with Nick Mauss), Sao Paulo2012“Looking Back: The 6th White Columns Annual” (co-curated with Nick Mauss), White Columns, New York2007

“A Fair to Meddling Story,” (with Nick Mauss), Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart“One Season in Hell,”(with Nick Mauss), Upstairs at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York

Selected Performances and Screenings
2019“Vital Behaviors,” ICA, London (Scrreening / UK Premiere)

2016“The Magazine Sessions 2016: Emily Sundblad, Dichterliebe/Divine Bitches Part Two, with Juliana Huxtable
and Ken Okiishi,” Serpentine Sackler Gallery, London, Monday 18 April, 2016

2015

“Enter/Exit,” curated by Steven Cairns as part of OPEN-ENDED ISSUES: Eine Reihe zu Überproduktion undAmbivalenz in der zeitgenössischen Kunst, Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland“Albert Oehlen: Home and Garden, Contemporary Painting Symposium, Panel 2: Digital Abstraction,”
New Museum, New York
“Universal Pictures: Considering Contemporary Video Practice,” (roundtable with Joan Jonas, Ken Okiishi,
Lucy Raven and Jennifer West), Jewish Museum, New York2014

“Modern Mondays: An Evening with Ken Okiishi,” (screening and discussion with Stuart Comer andEmmelyn Butterfield-Rosen), Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Artists’ Film Biennial,” (curated screening of works by Leslie Singer & Cecilia Dougherty andLoretta Fahrenholz), ICA, London“Who Cares if it's Painting: Artist Ken Okiishi Talks with Curator Kathy Halbreich,”
Museum of Modern Art, New York“Who Cares if it’s Painting?,” panel discussion organised in conjunction with Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963–2010,(with Frances Stark, Carroll Dunham, Wolfgang Tillmans, Ken Okiishi, and Glenn Ligon.
Moderated by Kathy Halbreich), Museum of Modern Art, New York2013

“The Sixth Year,” (Produced by Ludlow 38, New York), Anthology Film Archives, New York
“Artists’ Film Club: Ken Okiishi + Q&A,” ICA, London“Pride Goes Before a Fall: Beware of a Holy Whore: an exhibition in two acts,” Artists Space, New York“(Goodbye to) Manhattan,” Halle für Kunst, Lüneburg“Telly & Casper / The Deleted Scene,” Artists Space Books and Talks, New York“El Mundo, Haunted Houses Projects, White Columns & Rainer Ganahl present: Classical Music Concert
at El Mundo Third Avenue Theater,” El Mundo - All Brand Name, 1852 Third Avenue, New York
“Domino, I ate it” (with Emily Sundblad), L'Archiduc (organized by Galerie VidalCuglietta), Brussels

2012“Corrected Slogans: A Publication in Four Acts: Act 1: Poems for America: A Rebours[Aaron Kunin in conversation with Ken Okiishi, moderated by Katie Raissian], ”
Triple Canopy, Brooklyn, New York
“Volcano Extravaganza” (with Emily Sundblad), Stromboli, Aeolian Islands“A Hanging at TIMES,” TIMES e.V. für Kunst und Kultur, Neukölln, Berlin“Golem,” Hamburg

2011“(Goodbye to) Manhattan,” Anthology Film Archives, New York2010

“Harpsichord concert,” Schinkel Pavilion, Berlin

2009“Circular File Channel: Episode 2005 (2009),” Performa 09, New York
“Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be” (performance series curated by Sharon Hayes and Brook O'Harra),
La Mama E.T.C., New York2008

“Manhattan soundtrack,” Evas Arche und der Feminist, New York
“Vorstellungsklavier (version 3),” Ludlow 38, New York2007

“Vorstellungsklavier (version 2),” Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart“Vorstellungsklavier (version 1),” Upstairs at Gavin Brown's Enterprise, New York2006

“E.lliotT.: Children of the New Age” (screening), Evas Arche und der Feminist, Berlin

2001“The Good Luck Galleon” (broadcast of “Telly and Casper”), Manhattan Neighborhood Network Television

Selected Group Exhibitions
2018“The Vitalist Economy of Painting,” Galerie Neu, Berlin“10th Anniversary,” Take Ninagawa, Tokyo

2017“Being Modern: MoMA in Paris,” Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris

2016“PLEIN_ECRAN,” La Station, Nice
“The Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner Collection,” Centre Pompidou, Paris“Mixtape 2016,” Pilar Corrias Gallery, London“Performing Time,” Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai”Poetry as not, with singing,” Artist Web Project, Dia Art Foundation, New York
“Mixtape 2016,” Pilar Corrias, London“MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture,” Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver“Performing Time,” Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai

2015“Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
“Full of Peril and Weirdness: Painting as a Universalism,” M WOODS, Beijing“Enter/Exit part of OPEN-ENDED ISSUES: Eine Reihe zu Überproduktion und Ambivalenz in derzeitgenössischen Kunst,” Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland“31st Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts: Over you / you,” Ljubljana, Slovenia“Under the Clouds: From Paranoia to the Digital Sublime,” Serralves Museum, Porto, Portugal“Second Chances,” Aspen Art Museum, Aspen“The Tell-Tale Heart,” Chi Art Space, K11, Hong Kong

2014

“Cut to Swipe,” The Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Galerie Neu at La Douane,” Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris“The Material Image” (Curated by Deb Singer), Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York
“Whitney Biennial 2014,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York“The Granite Block,” Overduin & Co., Los Angeles2013“5th Anniversary,” Take Ninagawa, Tokyo“Das Beste vom Besten: Vom riskanten Geschäft der Kunst [On the Risky Business of Art],”Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf“Frieze Projects,” Frieze Art Fair, London“Speculations on Anonymous Materials,” Fridericianum, Kassel“Love is still colder than capital,” Mathew, Berlin“Version Control,” Arnolfini, Bristol“Liebe ist Kälter als das Kapital [Love is Colder than Capital],” Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria“Frozen Lakes,” Artists Space, New York2012

“Now I am quietly waiting for the catastrophe of my personality to seem beautiful again, and interesting,and modern” (curated by Tom Burr), Bortolami, New York
“TCCA, NEW THEATER 2012-2013, APN Research, autoslides #1-3, shindisi home videos, the deleted scene,a fanzine as a museum /a museum as a fanzine, cut-out bin / apnegative, sci-fi sounds from the alienatedkitchen, OOO &&& LLL, hc r 1,” Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland“The Log-0-Rithmic,” GAMeC, Bergamo, Italy“Volcano Extravaganza,” Stromboli, Aeolian Islands“Films and Windows II,” Mathew, Berlin“During the Second World War, a British sergeant piloting a Kittyhawk fighter plane disappeared in the SaharaDesert. Now employees of an oil company have come upon the plane's remains within the shifting Egyptiansands. To the joy of historians, the aircraft is astonishingly well-preserved and reveals a great deal about its
pilot's fight for survival”: Heike-Karin Föll, Ken Okiishi, Robin Bruch,” Peep-hole, Milan“Relocated,” MD 72, Berlin2011“Grand Opening Part 1,” Mathew, Berlin“Perfect Man II,” White Columns,” New York“Books on Books,” Swiss Institute, New York
“Based in Berlin,” Berlin“Hasta Mañana,” Greene Naftali, New York
“Nobody Can Tell the Why of It,” 1857, Oslo
“I don't know if it makes any sense – I feel quite dizzy and a little drunk due to the blow.
I will return with more info shortly...,” IMO, Copenhagen“Chris Kraus, Ken Okiishi,” George Perec / Bernard Queysanne and friends, Herald St, London“One is the loneliest number” (with Nick Mauss), Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia

2010“In the Middle of Affairs” (curated by Egija Inzule, Tobias Kaspar and Axel J. Wieder) Kunstlerhaus Stuttgart

2009“Head-wig (Portrait of an exhibition)”, Selected by Paulina Olowska, Camden Arts Centre, London“modernmodern” (curated by Pati Hertling), Chelsea Art Museum, New York“Gennariello,” Balice Hertling, Paris“Evas Arche und der Feminist,” Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis2008“One Season in Hell,” MD72, Berlin

2006“When Artists Say We,” Artists Space, New York
“Between the Lines” (curated by Nick Mauss), Daniel Reich temporary space at the Chelsea Hotel, New York
“Sehnsüchtig gleiten Ballone rund um die Welt” (KünstlerInnen-Archiv) (curated by Caroline Eggel andChristiane Rekade) Gormannstrasse/Mulackstrasse, Berlin

2005“Exile: New York is a Good Hotel” (curated by Anke Kempkes), Broadway 1602, New York

2004

“Home” (organized by Patterson Beckwith), American Fine Arts, Co. at P.H.A.G., New York“New I mage Art,” Los Angeles“Nowojorskie Porno” (curated by Monika Szczukowska), Foksal Gallery Foundation, Warsaw“Was ist in meiner Wohnung wenn ich nicht da bin?” (Programm im Gästezimmer)(curated by Caroline Eggel and Christiane Rekade), Temporary project space, Berlin

2003“Now Playing,” D’Amelio Terras, New York
“Listen Translate Translate Record” (curated by Lanka Tattersall), Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York“Karaoke Death Machine,” Daniel Reich Gallery, New York
2001

“Sharing Horizons That Are New to Us,” Houghton Gallery, Cooper Union School of Art, New York
“Coal By Any Other Name: The Journey Towards The Good Taste (compiled and set on stage by Syntax,
Early Century Unrest & The Society Of Control” a.k.a. Stephen Dillemuth), American Fine Arts, Co.,
Colin de Land Fine Art, New York

2000

“The Anita Pallenberg Story” (Video by Laura Cottingham and Leslie Singer, with production still photographs
by Aaron Cobbett, Laura Cottingham, Rainer Ganahl, Lucas Michael, Chuck Nanney and Ken Okiishi),
Postmasters, New York

Public Collections
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Museum Ludwig, Cologne

Bibliography
Books
2015

Macel, Christine, Elisabeth Sussman, and Elisabeth Sherman, Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan
Wagner, Whitney Museum of American Art

2014

Okiishi, Ken, Annie Godrey Larmon, Alise Upitis, The Very Quick of the Word, Sternberg Press
Whitney Biennial 2014 [exhibition catalogue], Yale / Whitney Museum of American Art, New York2013

Okiishi, Ken and Annie Godfrey Larmon, [DRAFT] A Way Out as Hovering: Congestion and Porosity in theWork of Ken Okiishi, New York: Hessel Museum of Art, CCS Bard Center for Curatorial Studies

2012

Corrected Slogans: Reading and Writing Conceptualism, New York: Triple Canopy

2011

Biesenbach, Klaus, Christine Marcel, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Jakob Schillinger, Fredi Fischli, Angelique Campens,
Scott Cameron Weaver, Magdalena Magiera, Based in Berlin, Berlin: König

2009

Hertling, Pati, Stefan Kalmar, Ariane Müller, Jan Verwoert, modern modern,
New York/Berlin: Chelsea Art Museum/Starship2008

A Fair to Meddling Story, With Nick Mauss and Jill Johnston, Zürich: JRP Ringier

2007

One Season in Hell, With Nick Mauss, New York: Gavin Brown's Enterprise

Selected Writing by the Artist
2018“Ken Okiishi on the art of Bruce Nauman,” Artforum, October 20182017

“Ken Okiishi on Rei Kawa Kubo Comme des Garcons at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York”,
Texte zur Kunst, September 2017, pp. 180-185

2016“Passages: Pierre Boulez,” Artforum, July 2016

2015

“Light Repairs: A Roundtable on the Restoration of Mark Rothko's Harvard Murals,” (with Yve-Alain Bois,Harry Cooper, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, Ken Okiishi, R. H. Quaytman,David Reed, Jeffrey Weiss and Michelle Kuo), Artforum, Summer 2015, pp. 290–299, 380, 382, 384

“Time as Material: Joan Jonas, Ken Okiishi, Lucy Raven, Jennifer West,” Mousse 47, February 2015,
pp. 222-233
Critics Page, (curated by Barbara London), “Tools and Contemporary Art,” Ken Okiishi, The Brooklyn Rail,March 2015,2013“Carlo Scarpa,” Artforum, November“Live from Harlem,” in El Mundo: A Classical Music Concert, Booklet/LP, Mousse/Villa Merkel/
White Columns/ Haunted House Projects“Ei Arakawa interviewed by Ken Okiishi about his participation in the UNITED MileagePlus Program,”
Wandering No. 22012“Best of 2012: Bernadette Corporation: 2000 Wasted Years,” Artforum, December, pp. 222-225“Sun Photographs: Ken Okiishi and Nick Mauss reflect on Zoe Leonard’s Sun Photographs,” MAP“Ken Okiishi on Forrest Bess,” Artforum, May, pp. 89-92“The Threat of the Provincial [Le menace du provincial],” May, No. 8 (February), pp. 16 - 37

2011

“Fancy Feast: Ken Okiishi on The Leopard at Des Artistes,” Artforum, November, pp. 107-108

2010“Artists’ Artists,” Artforum, December

2008“On Georges Perec's 'Un homme qui dort',” Bidoun, No. 14 (Spring/Summer)“If/Then: Carey Young,” [review] Bidoun, No. 14 (Spring/Summer)“Top Ten,” [with Nick Mauss] Artforum, March

2007“K/L/M/N/O/P: a conversation,” Noël sur le balcon / HOLD THE COLOR. with Nick Mauss, Lucy McKenzie
and Paulina Olowska, Ed. Jan Seewald and Stephan Urbaschek, Munich: Kunstverlag Ingvild Goetz, pp. 64-112“Documenta 12,” [review] Bidoun, No. 12 (Fall)

2006“Never Forget to Remember: On Disaster and Tourism,” Bidoun, No. 7, pp. 71

2003“How Raël taught me how to meet the aliens,” K48: “Kult 48,” No. 4, pp. 11-13

Selected Reviews and Features
2017“Ken Okiishi,” The New Yorker, March 6
Ballard, Thea, “Ken Okiishi,” Art in America, April

2016

Bell, Kirsty, “Recalibrating the Eye. Ken Okiishi and Kirsty Bell in Conversation,”
Camera Austria International, Issue #134, 20162015

Maerkle, Andrew, “AB/EX/AMB/OM,” ART iT, November 6“Artist Pick Up: Ken Okiishi,” Bijutsu Techo, November Issue, pp. 132-135
Wilk, Elvia, “Ken Okiishi,” Art in America, February 28

2014

Smith, Roberta, “Ken Okiishi: Reena Spaulings Fine Art,” New York Times, March 13
Nagy, Jeff, “Ken Okiishi,” Artforum, Summer 2014
Pollack, Maika, “Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963-2010, The Museum of Modern Art,” Gallerias NY, April 16
Roben, Scott, “PICKS: Ken Okiishi,” Artforum.com
Howe, David Everitt, “Everywhere at Once: Ken Okiishi: painting in the age of Instagram,” Frieze Magazine,April 2014
Pollack, Maika, “Ken Okiishi," Interview Magazine, March 2014
Doran, Ann, "Ken Okiishi," TimeOut New York, March 10

2013

Cotter, Holland, “Frozen Lakes,” New York Times, February 21
Fiske, Courtney, "Frozen Lakes"
Russeth, Andrew, “New York Artists Now,” GalleristNY
Russeth, Andrew, “’Frozen Lakes’ at Artsits Space,” GalleristNY, January 29

2012

McGovern, Fionna, “Roto-Zebra-Reliefs,” Annual Magazine (Paris), pp. 49-51
McGovern, Fiona, “Roto-Zebra-Reliefs,” Texte zur Kunst, pp. 204-206
Stakemeier, Kerstin, Artforum.com [review]
Smith, Roberta, “Looking Back / The 6th White Columns Annual—Selected by Ken Okiishi and Nick Mauss,”
The New York Times, February 10
Wilson, Michael, “Looking Back: The 6th White Columns Annual,” Artforum, April“Looking Back,” The New Yorker, January 17
Heinrich, Will, “The End of the Beginning: Looking Back/The White Columns Annual,” The New York
Observer, January 16

2011

Trembley, Nicolas, “Happy Galleries,” Numéro, December 2011 – January 2012, pp. 52
Holmqvist, Karl, “(Goodbye to) Manhattan,” May, No. 7, October, pp. 118-124
Russeth, Andrew, “In Artforum, Artist Ken Okiishi Becomes a Restaurant Critic,” GalleristNY, October 25
Mcgarry, Kevin, “Frieze Frame: Ken Okiishi’s Manhattan Transfer,” T Magazine (The New York Times StyleMagazine), October 18“Frieze hopes for a fair wind,” The Independent, October 13
Cotter, Holland, “PERFECT MAN II,” New York Times, October 7
Rutland, Beau, “Hasta Mañana,” Artforum, October, pp. 341“Hasta Mañana,” Time Out New York, July 14-20, pp. 38
Røed, Kjetil, “Nobody Can Tell the Why of It,” Aftenposten, May 2011
Nordby Wernø, Johanne, “Nobody Can Tell the Why of It” Artforum.com / Critics Pick“‘Nobody Can Tell the Why of It’ at 1857, Oslo,” Mousse Magazine Blog, June 14
Haraldseth, Geri,“NOBODY CAN TELL THE WHY OF IT Curated by Esperanza Rosales at 1857, Oslo,”
Kaleidoscope Blog
Lewis, David, “Neverland,” Mousse 26, December 2010/January 2011, pp. 190-195.

2010

Camblin, Victoria, “Ken Okiishi,”
Artforum.com / Critics PickDAS INSTITUT, “Top Ten,” Artforum, April, pp.95“Ken Okiishi,” The New Yorker, March 8Sanchez, Michael, “From the Inside Out: Ken Okiishi,” Art in America, February 17
Rosenberg, Karen, “Art in Review,” New York Times, Feb 5, pp. C27

2009

Geldard, Rebecca, "Head-wig. (Portrait of an Exhibition) Selected by Paulina Olowska,” Art Review,December, pp. 116
Charlesworth, JJ, “Head-wig (Portrait of an Exhibition),” Time Out London, Oct. 30
Eichler, Dominic, “How do these things touch each other?” Mousse, September-October, pp. 41-45
Stillpass, Zoe, “Gennariello. Balice Hertling--Paris,” Flash Art, May-June 2009, pp. 130
Lewis, David, “Gennariello,” Artforum.com / Critics Picks, March 20

2008

Wolin, Joseph, “Ken Okiishi & Nick Mauss,” Modern Painters, December 2008 /January 2009, pp. 62-63

2007

Zerweck, Dietholf, “Realität mit Fragezeichen,” Esslinger Zeitung, Oct 19
Leisten, Georg, “Ein blutrotes Fragezeichen,” Stuttgarter Zeitung, Nov 6
Schacher, Marko, “Austellung als Schnitzeljagd,” Stuttgarter Nachrichten, 9 Nov. listing, film screening ofGeorges Perec and Bernard Queysanne's Un Homme Qui Dort for the end of the Künstlerhaus exhibition,Stuttgarter Nichrichten, Nov 24

2006

Cotter, Holland. “Between the Lines,” New York Times, March 24
Armetta, Amoreen, “Out of the Box,” art on paper, September-October, pp. 36-37

2005

Cotter, Holland. “Exile in New York is a Good Hotel,” New York Times, August 5

2004“Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom, Ken Okiishi & Nick Mauss,” Dune (Tokyo), No. 28, pp. 122-125“Happenings: Home Economics” New York Magazine, August 9, pp. 82 and 84
Staniszewski, Jancek, “W Drgawkach Lambady,” Fluid (Warsaw), No. 38, pp. 52-59“Mlodzi nowojorczycy w Warszawie,” Gazeta Wyborcza (National Edition), 24-25 January, pp. 9“Nowojorskie porno” Gazeta Wyborcza (Co Jest Grane), 23 January, pp. 2

2003“Krajowe Porno z USA,” www.raster.art.pl, felietony/eseje/artykuły XI-XII 2003 (archive)