Rita Ackermann

A native of Hungary, Rita Ackermann moved to New York City in the mid-1990s.  She arrived to find a culture (and art world) in transition: rave and zine culture was in full swing; collaborations between artists, musicians, and magazine and book publishers were pervasive; and the dawning of the Internet age was upon us.  Within a few short months after settling in New York, the artist received widespread attention for her work, particularly a group of canvases populated with figures inspired by the cult German film We Children from Bahnhof Zoo about the heroin subculture of the 1970s. Her work forged a new visual language: paintings, drawings, and collages which telescoped between a virtuoso—and sometimes brutalistic—expressionism and taut, precise figurative drawing.  Ackermann’s work explores the paradoxical relationship between fragility and violence, as she derives inspiration from literature, film, philosophy, and popular culture.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2012
Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, Spring 2012 forthcoming
 
2011
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, December 2011 forthcoming
Ludwig Múzeum, Budapest, November 17 – February 5, 2012 forthcoming
The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn, “WARFILMS,” April 5 – 10
 
2010
Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France, “Last Exit to Poitiers”, May 28 – August 22
Rebecca Camhi Gallery, Athens, “CRASH/STOP”, October 7 – December 4
Rita Ackermann and Harmony Korine, Swiss Institute, New York. “Shadow Fux,” November 24 – January 29, 2010
 
2009
Peter Kilchmann Galerie, Zurich, “Marfa / Crash”, June 7 – July 25
The Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas, “Marfa / Crash”, April 2 – May 11
 
2008
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York,”Don’t Give Me Salad (Nurses)”, September 12 – October 18
 
2007
HOTEL, London, October 9 – November 11
 
2006
Peter Kilchmann Galerie, Zurich, “Court Toujours,” May 27 – June 15
 
2005
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “Collage 1993-2005,” September 9 – October 15
Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn, “Jump On Me,” April 29 – July 3
 
2003
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “Listen to the Fool’s Reproach,” December 13 – January 17, 2004
Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, “Memoires d’Une Jeune Fille Rouge,” May 23 – July 26
Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, “Ördögök,” Jan 11 – Feb 22
 
2002
Museum Het Domein, Sittard, Holland, “Snowfall in August,” June 2 – August 18 (catalogue)
 
2001
The Deep Gallery, Paris, “Style Show for the Levitation of the Strong American Women,” June 28 – July 28
Peter Kilchmann Galerie, Zurich, “the only way to get to my vagina is through Jesus!,” March 10 – April 12
 
2000
Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam, “Lost and Found Notes,” September 2 – October 15
Galerie Krobath Wimmer, Vienna, “God’s Little Helpers,” May 17 – July 17
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “Corvette,” March 10 – April 15
 
1999
Parco Gallery, Tokyo, “Revelation,” September 3 – October 11
Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York, with Ana Axpe, January 21 – March 6
 
1998
Rebecca Camhi Gallery, Athens, June – September
Bartok 32 Galeria, Budapest, “Just Do Whatever You Want,” March 13 – April 5
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “Songs of Sirens,” Jan 9 – Feb 7
 
1997
Peter Kilchmann Galerie, Zurich, “The Good, The Bad and The Evil,” May – June
 
1996
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “If Anyone Hurts My Brother, I’ll Kill That…,” January 19 – February 24
 
1995
Peter Kilchmann Galerie, Zurich, “The Birth of Tragedy,” September 1 – September 30
Interim Art, London, “out of the blue into the black,” June 1 – July 15
Rebecca Camhi Gallery, Athens, “It Doesn’t Matter if You Love Me or Not…I’ll Be Always There For You…,” Feb 11 – Mar 25
 
1994
Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, “After Dinner I’m Gonna Shoot You But Before I’ll Take a Shower,” July 8 – August 12
 
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
White Columns, New York, “Perfect Man II,” September 2011 forthcoming
Magasin Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Grenoble, France, “Tableaux,” May 29 – Sept 4 forthcoming
The New Museum, New York, “Flash:light,” curated by Nuite Blanche, May 7th forthcoming
The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn, “Movement as Monument,” March 2011
CCS Bard, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, “CLAP,” March 27 – May 22
West Street Gallery, New York, “Blue Mango Moqueca,” February 5 – March 2
Museum of Modern Art, New York, “Looking at Music: 3.0,” curated by Barbara London, February 16, 2011 – end date TBD
 
2010
New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art, Asbury Park, NJ, curated by Alex Gartenfeld and Haley Mellin, October 23 – November 19
Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, “You Were There”, curated by Thomas Duncan, July 8 – August 13, 2010.
“The BRUCENNIAL 2010: Miseducation”, New York, February 25 – April 4, 2010.
Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, “A Visual Sympathy for Modernism”, March 5 – April 17
176 / Zabludowicz Art Projects, London, “Library of Babel / In and Out of Place”, February 25 – April 10 (catalogue)
Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, “Street and Studio”, cur. Cathérine Hug, Thomas Miessgang, June 25 – October 10 (catalogue)
 
2009
OH WOW, Miami, “It Ain’t Fair 2009”, December 2 – December 6, 2009
Galerie Meyer & Kainer, Vienna, “curated by_vienna 09: Rita Ackermann and John Stezaker’, curated by Matthew Higgs, May 6 to June 6, 2009.
Lehmann Maupin, New York, The Glamour Project”, conceived by Glamour Magazine, February 23 – March 21 (cataloge)
 
2008
The Station, Miami, curated by Shamim Momin and Nate Lowman, December 3 – December 7The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn, “Peanut Gallery”, curated by Joe Bradley, November 22, 2008 – January 7, 2009.
Le Magasin, Grenoble, France, “I Love the Horizon”, curated by Daniel Baumann and Andro Wekua, May 25 – August 24 (catalogue)
James Fuentes LLC, New York, NY, “Artist’s Self-Portraits 1966 – 2008”, March 19 -April 6, 2008
Hessel Museum of Art & CCS Galleries, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, “Second Thoughts,” March 16 – May 25, 2008
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, ‘2008 Whitney Biennial’, March 6 – June 1, curated by Donna De Salvo, Henriette Huldisch,, and Shamim M. Momin (catalogue)
 
2007
Gagosian Gallery, New York, “Fit to Print,”, curated by Tom Duncan, November 12, 2007 – January 26, 2008
Radio Bologna, Bologna, “Radio Danièle,” curated by John Kelsey with Christopher Williams and Dawson Weber, November 18
Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, “Exhibitionism: An Exhibition of Exhibitions of Works from the Marieluise Hessel Collection,” curated by Matthew Higgs, October 20 – February 3
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, “Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967,” curated by Dominic Molon, September 29 -January 27, 2008 (catalogue)
Traveled to: MoCA Miami, Miami, May 31 – Sept 8, 2008 and to Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal, Oct 8 – Jan 6, 2009
Peres Projects, Athens, “Beyond Zero,” Sept 8 – Oct 13
Mireille Mosler, Ltd, New York, “Tease,” June 22 – July 28
ZKM-KARLSRHUE, Germany, “Between Two Deaths,” May 11 – July 15 (catalogue)
Roberts & Tilton, Los Angeles, “Other Scenes,” curated by Aaron Rose, April 21 – May 19 (catalogue)
 
2006
IVAM, Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain, “VAC colección valencia arte Contemporáneo,” December 21 – February 11, 2007 (catalogue)
Stephan Haller Gallery, New York, “A Woman on Paper,” December 16 – January 16, 2007
Haswellediger & Co. Gallery, New York, “Flesh Records,” October 27 – December 2
Kling & Bang Gallery, Reykjavik, “Hrafnhilder Arnardottir & New York Artists,” October 16 – November 5
Photography Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam, “The Kate Moss Show,” curated by Rita Ackermann with Oliver Zahm, September 15 – December 14
Momenta Art, Brooklyn, NY, “The Unhumane Society,” Sept 15 – Oct 15
Sculpture Center, Long Island City, “Denial is a River,” September 10 – November 18
Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York, “Dereconstruction,” curated by Matthew Higgs, June 30 – August 18 (catalogue)
Salander-O’Reilly Galleries, New York, “Mid-Life Crisis,” curated by Tara Subkoff and Ivana Salander, June 2 -June 23
Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, “Die Jugend von Heite / Youth of Today,” April 7 – June 15
Haifa Museum of Art, Haifa, Israel, “Mixed Emotions,” February 18 – May 14 (catalogue)
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, “Dark,” curated by Jan Grosfeld and Rein Wolfs, February 18 – April 17 (catalogue)
Migrosmuseum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich, “While Interwoven Echoes Drip into a Hybrid Body,” January 21 – March 26
 
2005
Canada, LLC, New York, “I Throw Herring to the Dog,” curated by Lillian Ludlow and Marcella Mullins, June 24 – July 31
New York Studio School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, New York, “The Continuous Mark: 40 Years of the New York Studio School,” April 20 – May 7
 
2004
Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam, “What’s New,” curated by Jhim Lamoree, November 27 – January 15 2005
Boutique Celine, Avenue Montaigne, Paris, “Les Années Fatales,” October 7- November 27
Confort Moderne, Poitiers, “Concrete Castle,” curated by Rita Ackermann, September 24 – December 11
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, “Next Generation: Heavenly Creatures,” July 22 – August 31 (catalogue)
Creative Time in conjunction with a public project for Coney Island redevelopment, Coney Island, “The Dreamland Artist Club,” curated by Peter Eleey, June 12 – September 6
Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, “Strategies of Desire,” May 28 – July 18
Confort Moderne, Poitiers, “Out of Bounds,” January 30 – March 28
Annett Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam, “The Human Face is an Empty Force, a Field of Death,” curated by Angelblood, January 24 – February 28
 
2003
Kunsthalle St.Gallen, “Anti-Pure,” curated by Gianni Jetzer, April 27 – June 20
Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal, Germany, “Anti-Pure,” curated by Gianni Jetzer, March 15 – April 27
PS1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY, “After Matisse Picasso,” February 16 – May 19
 
2002
Urban Experience, New York, “The Woman Show,” July 17 – August 27
A Project by Dornbracht, New York, “Statements (six),” May 20 – May 26 (book) Travels to: Art Cologne, Cologne, Germany, October 30 – November 3
Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, “Violence the True Way,” curated by Lizzi Bougatsos and Rita Ackermann, November 27 – December 21
Urban Experience, New York, NY, “It’s Official,” April 12 – May 24
Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Switzerland, “Personalische Plans/Personal Plans – The drawing – from life plan to world projection,” March 23 – May 12
 
2001
Urban Experience, New York, “Rennaisance 2001,” December 14 – February 31, 2002
Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, “Christmas Show,” December 8 – January 19, 2002
White Box, New York, “Prodigal Prodigy,” curated by Theo Tegelaers, September 6 – October 13 (catalogue)
 
2000
CRP, Brooklyn, NY, “Superpredators,” curated by José Freire, October 13 – December 11
Musee d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, “Presumed Innocent,” curated by Stephanie Moisdon and Marie-Laure Bernadac, June 8 – October 1 (catalogue)
Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, France, “Elysian Fields,” curated by Purple Institute, May 24 – July 24 (catalogue)
MU Art Foundation, De Witte Dame, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, “Kim’s Bedroom,” curated by Kim Gordon, March 17 – April 24 (catalogue)
Travels to: Parco Gallery, Tokyo, “Kim’s Bedroom,” August 3 – September 3
 
1999
American Fine Arts, New York, “Dope,” December 22 – January 31, 2000
Ernst Museum, Budapest, “Young and Serious,” August 3 – August 29 (catalogue)
Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York “Too Wide Enough,” April 3 – May 5
Espace des Arts, Calon-sur-Saone, France, “Janviers en Bourgogne 1999, XN,” curated by Stephanie Moisdon Tremblay, Nicholas Trembley and Hans-Ulrich Obrist, January 23 – April 4
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, “Looking at Ourselves: Works by Women Artists from The Logan Collection,” curated by Daniela Salvinioni, January 9 – April 20
 
1998
Bronwyn Keenan Gallery, New York, “Transfiguration,” curated by Darcey Steinke, November 21 – December 23
Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, New York, “More Fake, More Real, Ever Closer,” curated by Robert Evren, November 8 – January 26, 1999 (catalogue)
Museum Ludwig, Cologne, “I Love New York: Crossover der aktuellen Kunst,” November 6 – February 1, 1999 (catalogue)
Kunsthalle Zurich, Zurich, “Auf der Spur – Kunst der 90er Jahre Im Spiegel Von Schweizer Sammlungen,” October 31 – December 27
Galerie Almine Rech, Paris, “Dessins,” April 25 – May 30
Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich, “Portrait – Human Figure,” March 28 – May 9
 
1997
Galerie der Stadt Schwaz, Schwaz/Tirol, Austria, “Ruhm und Ehre,” October 8 – November 16
Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen, “Display – International Exhibition of Painting,” September – October (catalogue)
Kunsthalle Wien, Wien, “Angel, Angel,” curated by Cathrin Pilcher, June 10 – September 7
Travels to: Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, October 23 – January 11, 1998 (catalogue)
Kunsthalle Nurnberg, Nurnberg, “Some Kind of Heaven,” curated by Sadie Coles and Eva Meyer Stoller, February 20 – April 30 (catalogue)
Travels to: South London Gallery, London, June 3 – July 13
John Hansard Gallery, University of Southampton, Southhampton, U.K., August 12 – October 4
Corner House, Manchester, England, November 22 – December 21
Casey Kaplan, New York, “The Name of the Place,” curated by Laurie Simmons, January 10 – February 8
 
1996
Bloom Gallery, Amsterdam, “‘Fucking Biscuits’ and other drawings,” September 7 – October 12
Andreas Binder Gallery, Munich, “The Comic Depiction of Sex in American Art,” April 26 – June 1
White Columns, New York,, “Sugar Mountain,” curated by Paul Ha and Andrea Scott, March 29 – May 12
 
1995
Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia, and First Draft Gallery, Sydney, Australia, “Culture Is Our Business,” curated by Aaron Rose, December 28 – January 10, 1996
Simultaneous exhibition of the same title: First Draft Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, “Hard Comforts,” August 30 – October 20 (catalogue)
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, “Currents ’95: Familiar Places,” curated by Lia Gangitano and Milena Kalinovska, July 26 – October 1
Galerie Jousse Seguin, Paris, “Purple 8 ½,” organized by Purple Prose, April 29 – June 17 (documentation)
The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, “Human/Nature,” April 20 – May 18
White Columns, New York, Auction Benefit, February 17 – March 4
 
1994
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT, “Promising Suspects,” October 2 – January 8, 1995
The New Museum of Contemporary Art, Windows on Broadway, New York, “Who are we? What are we? Where did we come from?,” September 23 – December 31
The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, Benefit Exhibition / Auction, April
Pat Hearn Gallery, New York, (One night show), curated by David Greenberg and Diego Cortez, March
White Columns, New York , “Splat Figures,” curated by Bill Arning, January
 
1993
Thomas Nordanstad Gallery, New York, December
Close-up, London, “Lucky Kunst,” November
 
LECTURES – VISITING ARTIST POSITIONS
2010
University of Albany, SUNY, Visiting Artist
 
2009
Brooklyn College, Visiting Artist
 
2008
New York University, Visiting Artist
 
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2008
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, “Abat-Jour,” curated with Agathe Snow, March 23, 2008.
 
2007
White columns, New York, “The Perfect Man,” January 9 – February 10
 
2005
White columns, New York, “Trade,” February 4 – March 12
 
2004
Participant Inc, New York, “Indigestible Correctness I,” curated with Lizzi Bougatsos, April 9 – May 9
 
PERFORMANCES
2007
Montevideowith Emily Sundblad, Between Two Deaths, Karlsruhe
Montevideowith Emily Sundblad, Speakeasy, Sculpture Center, New York
 
2006
INVISIONISTAS, Kling and Bang Gallery, Rijavik Iceland
Concrete Castle, Confort Moderne, Poittiers
 
2004
Angelblood, Kenny Schechter/ ROVE, New York
 
2003
Angelblood, Anti-Pure curated by Gianna Jetzer Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Krachtal
 
1998
The Deer Slayer, Shadow Puppet Show, Alleged Gallery, New York
 
FILM
2005
Jump On Me, Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn
 
1995
45 Second Animation, commission for MTV
 
 
MUSIC
2004
Labia MinoraAngelblood, CD on Captain Trip/Printed Matter, Tokyo/New York
 
2002
Masses of DaggersAngelblood, CD on Captain Trip, Tokyo
 
2000
S/T, Angelblood
 
1997
Solo Record by Rita Ackermann, on Estatic Peace/Thurston Moore
 
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
2011Swiss Institute/Contemporary Art, New York, “Rita Ackermann, Peter Doig, and Charline von Heyl,” January 22
 
EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
Hug, Cathérine, and Thomas Mieβgang, eds. Street and Studio. From Basquiat to Séripop. Kunsthalle wein: Vienna, 2010.
Gebbers, Anna-Catharina. The Library of Babel: In and Out of Place. London: Zabludowicz Collection, 2010.
Donaldson, Suzanne. The Glamour Project. New York: Lehmann Maupin Gallery, 2009.
Spinelli, Claudia. 15 Years: Galerie Peter Kilchmann Zurich. Zurich: Galerie Peter Kilchmann, 2008.
Wekua, Andro, and Daniel Baumann, eds. I Love The Horizon. Grenoble: MAGASIN, 2008.
Huldisch, Henriette and Shamin M. Momin. Whitney Biennial 2008. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Blumenstein, Ellen and Felix Ensslin, eds. Between two deaths at ZKM, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2007.
Foreman, Kamilah and Amy Teschner, ed. Sympathy for the devil: art and rock and roll since 1967. Chicago: the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2007
Other Scenes. Los Angeles: Nieves, 2007.
Belàire, Tomas, et al. VAC, colección valencia arte contemporáneo. Valencia: IVAM Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, 2006
Dark. Rotterdam: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 2006.
Dereconstruction. New York: Gladstone Gallery, 2006.
Hollein, Max, Matthias Ulrich, ed. Die Jugend von heute(The Youth of Today). Cologne: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König: 2006.
Mixed Emotions. Haifa: Haifa Museum of Art, 2006.
Trade. New York: White Columns, 2005.
Cooper, Sabine Schaschl, ed. Strategies of Desire. Frankfurt: Revolver, 2004
Anti Pure. Kraichtal: Ursula Blickle Stiftung, 2003.
Backhaus, Catrin, et al. Kunsthalle Basel. Basel: Kunsthalle Basel, 2002.
Snowfall in August. Sittard: Museum Het Domain, 2002.
Lateral Thinking: Art of the 1990s. San Diego: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, New York: D.A.P., 2002.
Tegelaers, Theo and the artists. Prodigal prodigy. Amsterdam: TT inc, 2001.
Kim’s Bedroom. Paris: Purple Books, 2000.
Présumés innocents: L’art contemporain et l’entance. Bordeaux: capcMusée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, 2000.
Balázs Beöthy, Regös Andrea, Zólyom Franciska. Komoly és Fiatal. Budapest: Fiatal Képzömüvészek Studiója Egyesület, 1999.
Wilson, Janet, ed. Works by Women Artists from the logan collection. San Francisco: the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1999.
Kunsthalle Zürich. Zürich: Kunsthalle Zürich, 1998.
Anderson, Mikael. Display. Copenhagen: Mikael Anderson, 1997.
Coles, Sadie, Eva Meyer-Herman. Some Kind of Heaven. Nurnberg: Kunsthalle Nürnberg, 1997.
:Engel:Engel: Legenden der Gegenwart. Wien: Springer, 1997.
Promising Suspect. Ridgefield: The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 1995.
 
ARTIST BOOKS AND PROJECTS
Marfa/Crash: Parking Accidents. Japan: Rita Ackerman/ Radical Silence Production + Nieves, 2009.
Dark. Rotterdam: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 2006. Flesh Records. New York: Haswelldiger & Co., 2006.
Good morning New York: The Rita Ackermann Purple Book. Paris:
Purple Institute, 2006.
Ackermann, Rita and Andro Wekua. Chapter 3. Zurich: Nieves, 2004.
Meiré, Mike, ed. Statements (six). Iserlohn: Dornbracht, 2002.
Angelblood. Tokyo: Captain Trip Records, 2000.
Angelblood. Tokyo: Captain Trip Records, 2000.
Ackermann, Rita, and Byron Coley. Revelations. Tokyo: rockin’ on, 1999.
MTV commission Rita Ackermann Puppet Show / Estatic Peace
 
MONOGRAPHS
Ackermann, Rita. Under Pressure: from 2006 to 2007. Zurich: Nieves, 2008.
Ackermann, Rita. Snowfall in August. Sittard: Museum Het Domain, 2002.
Ackermann, Rita, and Byron Coley. Revelations. Tokyo: rockin’ on, 1999.
Rita Ackermann: works 1993-1996. Tokyo: rockin’ on, 1997.