Leeza Ahmady

Leeza Ahmady is a New York based independent curator and educator born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan.[1] She is recognized for organizing large-scale festivals, exhibitions, artistic collaborations, and experimental forums revolving around contemporary art practices from across all regions of Asia. She is the founder of AhmadyArts and director of New York's curatorial and educational platform Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) since 2006.[2][3]

Major accomplishments

Ongoing curatorial

• Since 2005 -The Taste of Other - Contemporary Art in Central Asia

Presented artists of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at The Venice Biennial (2005) Istanbul Biennial (2005 & 2007) and Asia Art Archive (2006) Hong Kong. Other related collaborations: The Taste of Others at Apexart (2005); The Paradox of Polarity: Contemporary Art from Central Asia at Bose Pacia (2007); Parable of the Garden: New Media Art from Iran and Central Asia at The College of New Jersey Art Gallery (2008); I Dream of the Stans at Winkleman Gallery, which traveled to MARTE Museo de Arte de El Salvador (2008); Mathaf-Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar (2013).[4]

• Since 2006 - Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW)

Ahmady has directed 8 editions of the Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) in partnership with institutions including Asia Society Museum, The Armory Show, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, Performa Biennial, Queens Museum, Residency Unlimited, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Ab/Anbar Gallery (Tehran), Lisson Gallery (London), M+ Museum (Hong Kong) Mori Art Museum (Tokyo), Alserkal Avenue (Dubai), Chi-Wen Gallery (Taipei), Edouard Malingue Gallery (Hong Kong), Galeri Zilberman (Istanbul) Ink Studio (Beijing), MABSOCIETY (Shanghai), Richard Koh Fine Art (Kuala Lumpur) Space Station (Beijing), Vadehra Art Gallery (New Delhi).[5][6][7]

• Since 2014 - Field meeting[8]

As Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW)'s signature forum, Field meeting have hosted at Asia Society Museum (2014, 2016 & 2017), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Performa Biennial & Venice Biennial (2015), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2016), SVA MA Curatorial Practice (2017), and Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, UAE (2019).[9][10]

Artists and Art Professionals involved in past editions:

Tom Finkelpearl, Haig Aivazian, Lu Yang, Cao Fei, Heri Dono, Yu Cheng-Ta, Song Dong, Shilpa Gupta, Li Shurui, Reena Kallat, Map Office, Patty Chang, Holland Cotter, Christopher K. Ho, Shuddha Sengupta, Anthony Lee, Lee Mingwei, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Tang Dixin, Basel Abbas, Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Xyza Cruz Bacani, Shezad Dawood, Erin Gleeson, Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige, Ho Tzu Nyen, Mami Kataoka, Rashid Rana, Jonas Staal, Mithu Sen, Nancy Adajania, Meitha Al Mazrooei, Marwa Arsanios, Nadiah Bamadhaj, Laura Barlow, Tiffany Chung, Simon Fujiwara, Joyce Ho, Hu Weiyi, Taus Makhacheva, Kingsley Ng, Suhanya Raffel, Marat Raiymkulov, Philip Tinari, Hajra Waheed, Adrian Wong, Brian Kuan Wood, Khadim Ali, Stephanie Bailey, Burçak Bingöl, Bingyi, Heman Chong, Nikhil Chopra, Pi Li, Arahmaiani Feisal, Hasanul Isyraf Idris, Ranbir Kaleka, River Lin, Umber Majeed, Bassem Saad & Edwin Nasr, Sam Samiee, Moe Satt, Wong Kit Yi / Ali Wong, Chongbin Zheng[11][12][13][14]

Past curatorial

• FX Harsono: The Chronicles of Resilience (2016): Presented at Tyler Rollins Fine Art[15][16]
• Arahmaiani: Fertility of the Mind (2014): Performance work survey by Indonesia artist Arahmaianipresented at Tyler Rollins Fine Art[17]
• No-Mad-Ness in No Man's Land (2013): Presented at ESLITE Gallery in Taipei.[18] Co-curated with Ombretta Agro Andruff[19]
• History of Histories: Afghan Films 1960 – Present (2013): Presented as part of No Country: Regarding South and Southeast Asia exhibition in Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco.[20]
• In Residence: Season of Cambodia Festival (2012-2013): Presented in MoMA Museum of Modern Art, The Met Museum, Bronx Museum, BAM, Creative Time, Residency Unlimited, Lower Manhattan Arts Council, Parsons The New School, Columbia University & Independent Curators International.[21]
• Dialogues in Contemporary Art (2012 - 2014): Presented at Independent Curators International (ICI) with ARTonAIR.org.[22][23]
• dOCUMENTA 13 (2010 – 2012): Agent/ curatorial team member, Kassel Germany/ Kabul Afghanistan exhibitions and seminars.[24]
• Tarjama / Translation: Contemporary Art from Middle East, Central Asia and its Diasporas (2008-2010): Commissioned by ArteEast, held at Queens Museum of Art in (2009), and traveled to Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University (2010).[25] Presented artists included Yto Barrada, Emily Jacir, Gülsün Karamustafa, Bouchra Khalili, Farhad Moshiri, Michael Rakowitz, Khalil Rabah, Wael Shawky, Mitra Tabrizian, and Akram Zaatari and many more.[26]
• Truly Truthful - Art Asia Fair Miami (2009): Participating artists: Lara Baladi, Huma Bhabha, Jeff Cylkowsk,i Anita Dube, Cao Fei, Chitra Ganesh, Yeondoo Jung, Gulnara Kasmalieva & Muratbek Djumaliev, Li Jikai, Kimsooja, Mami Kosemura, Marya Kazoun, Sopheap Pich, Qiu Zhijie, Jean Shin, Ushio Shinohara, Jakkai Siributr, Sislej Xhafa.[27]
• “New Video Art” In Conjunction with: “Afghanistan, Hidden Treasures from the National Museum Kabul” - The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC (2008): A selection of video works by Afghan and Afghan-American artists, including Mariam Ghani, Roya Ghiasy, and Rahraw Omarzad.[28]
• The Silk Code - Asia Society, Astana, Kazakhstan (2008): Participating artists: Vyacheslav Akhunov, Said Atabekov, Mariam Ghani, Gulnara Kasmalieva & Muratbek Djumalieva, Rustam Khalfin, Jamshed Kholikov, Galim Madanov, Almagul Menlibayeva, Moldagul Narymbetov, Saken Narynov, Rahraw Omarzad, Alexander Ugay, Yelena and Viktor Vorobayeva.[29]
• I Dream of the Stans - Winkleman Gallery (2008): Presented artists: Vyacheslav Akhunov, Rahraw Omarzad, Almagul Menlibayeva, Jamshed Khalilov, Gulnara Kasmalieva & Muratbek Djumaliev, Said Atabekov, and Julia Tikhonova & Rustam Khalfin. Travelled to Museo de Arte de El Salvador MARTE (2008).[30]
• Parable of the Garden: New Media Art from Iran & Central Asia - The College of New Jersey Art Gallery (2008): Featured artists: Vyacheslav Akhunov, Muratbek Djoumaliev & Gulnara Kasmalieva, Shahram Entekhabi, Simin Keramati, Khosro Khosravi, Erbossyn Meldibekov, Almagul Menlibayeva, Rahraw Omarzad, Center for Contemporary Art Afghanistan, Karan Reshad, Kolah Studio, Alexander Ugay.[31]
• The Paradox of Polarity: Contemporary Art from Central Asia - Bose Pacia (2007): Artists included: Vyaxheslav Akhunov, Said Atabekov, Rustam Khalfin, Shailo Djekshenbayev, Murat Djoumaliev, Ulan Japarov, Gulnara Kasamalieva, Erbossyn Meldubekov, Almagul Menlibayeva, Roman Maskalev, Saken Narynov, Talant Ogobaev, Elena and Victor Vorobaeva, Julia Tikhonova.[32][33]
• Afghanistan and Central Asia Pavilions - The 51st Venice Biennale (2005): Artists in Afghanistan Pavilion: Lida Abdul and Rahim Walidzada. Artists in Central Asian Pavilion: Vyacheslav Akhunov, Said Atabekov, Maxim Boronilov, Muratbek Djumaliev, Gulnara Kasmalieva, Rustam Khalfin, Sergey Maslov, Roman Maskalev, Almagul Menlibayeva, Erbossyn Meldibekov, Alexander Nikolaev, Julia Tikhonova, Sergey Tychina, Yelena Vorobyeva, Viktor Vorobyev. Performance and art events video archives compiled by: Valeria Ibraeva and Roman Arefiev (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Ulan Japarov, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) Vyacheslav Akhunov and Alexander Nikolaev (Uzbekistan) plus Issyk-Kul Art Symposia. 2001–2002. Film by Shaarbek Amankul, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).[34][35]
• The Taste of Others: Art in Central Asia - Apexart, New York (2005): Video program with works by Lida Abdul, Roya Ghiasy, Mariam Ghani, Nikhil Chopra,Yerbossyn Meldibekov, Alexander, Jacob Fuglsang Mikklesen, Sislej Xhafa, Muratbek Jumaliev & Gulnara Kasmalieva.[36]

Other accomplishments

Leeza Ahmady has presented many other related exhibitions & public programs in collaboration with multiple universities, art fairs, biennials and arts organizations. She has spoken at many art galleries and educational institutions, including Duke University and the National Museum of Kazakhstan.

Ahmady is the founder of NURTURArt Non Profit and School of Hope as well as advisor to several arts organizations in the US and Asia. She has worked with Center for Contemporary Art in Afghanistan (CCAA), Venice Biennale(2004 - 2005), Istanbul Biennial (2007), Bose Pacia Gallery New York (2007), The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Art Singapore, The College of New Jersey Art Gallery, Winkleman Gallery New York (2008), Art Asia Fair in Miami, Queens Museum in New York (2009) Devi Art Foundationin New Delhi India, (2008-2010), Eslite Gallery, Taipei Taiwan (2013), Osage Gallery Hong Kong, Art Dubai, Solomon R Guggenheim Museum UBS MAP Global Art Initiative (2013) Tyler Rollins Fine Art New York (2014), Inaugural Seattle Art Fair (2015) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2015).[37]

Publications

• On Kings, Films and Astral Nomads as part of Present Elsewhere by Rashid Rana[38][39][40]
• Interview: From Central Asia to the Caucasus: Leeza Ahmady in conversation with Taus Makhacheva[41]

• Dear Rustam Khalfin published on the Manifasta Journal #16[42]
• Vyacheslav Akhunov[43]

Education

Ahmady received her BA Degree from St. John's University (1994) in International Relations with a minor in Art History. In her junior year, she attended Budapest University as part of a study abroad program focusing on the Eastern European transformation from the Communist System into the Market System. She later studied Art History at Hunter College (2001- 2003) as a Graduate Level Non-Degree student. She received her MA Degree from Pratt Institute (2005) in Arts and Cultural Management with her final thesis concentrating on the development and practice of contemporary art in Central Asia.[44]

References

1. "CONTACT / TEAM". Asia Contemporary Art Week. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
2. "Leeza Ahmady". Guggenheim. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
3. "AhmadyArts | About". www.ahmadyarts.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
4. "AhmadyArts | Exhibitions | The Taste of Others: Contemporary Art in Central Asia". www.ahmadyarts.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
5. "PAST PROGRAMS". Asia Contemporary Art Week. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
6. "Asia Contemporary Art Week New York | Ocula". ocula.com. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
7. Radar, Art. "The changing landscape of Asian art in New York: Asia Contemporary Art Week 2014 – interview (part 1) | Art Radar". Retrieved 2019-05-21.
8. "ACAW's Annual Signature Program". Asia Contemporary Art Week. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
9. "ACAW's Annual Signature Program". Asia Contemporary Art Week. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
10. Cotter, Holland; Smith, Roberta (2015-12-09). "The Best in Art of 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
11. "FIELD MEETING Take 4: Thinking Practice". Ibraaz. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
12. LIVING ARCHIVE by Alexandra Chaves in CANVAS magazine
13. "ArtAsiaPacific: Creative Alchemy Aca Ws Field Meeting Take6". artasiapacific.com. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
14. Times, The New York (2015-12-09). "The Best Classical Music of 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
15. editors (2016-03-11). "FX Harsono". Art in America. Retrieved 2019-05-21.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
16. "Retrieving the History of Indonesia's Massacred Chinese Community". Hyperallergic. 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
17. Cotter, Holland (2014-01-30). "Arahmaiani: 'Fertility of the Mind'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
18. No-Mad-Ness in No Man's Land. eslite gallery: the eslite corp. 2013. ISBN 978-986-89759-7-2.
19. "ArtAsiaPacific: No Mad Nessin No Mans Land". artasiapacific.com. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
20. "History of Histories: Afghan Films 1960-Present". Asia Art Archive in America. 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
21. "Making art history: New York's Season of Cambodia 2013 – curator interview Leeza Ahmady, Erin Gleeson | Art Radar". Retrieved 2019-05-14.
22. "DIALOGUES IN CONTEMPORARY ART - Events - Independent Curators International". curatorsintl.org. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
23. "Clocktower - Radio". clocktower.org. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
24. "Documenta 13 Announces Curatorial Team and Process". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
25. Cotter, Holland; Johnson, Ken; Rosenberg, Karen (2009-08-13). "'Tarjama/Translation' at Queens Museum of Art; Kal Spelletich and Craig Baldwin at Jack Hanley; 'The Figure and Dr. Freud' at Haunch of Venison; and 'Self-Portraits' at Skarstedt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
26. "Tarjama/Translation: Contemporary Art from the Middle East, Central Asia, and Their Diasporas | Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art". museum.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
27. ArtFacts. "ART ASIA Miami". ArtFacts. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
28. "National Gallery of Art Summer 2008 Film Series Goes from Kabul to Kubrick". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
29. "AhmadyArts | Exhibitions | The Silk Code". www.ahmadyarts.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
30. "Winkleman Gallery - I Dream of the Stans". www.winkleman.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
31. "Parable of the Garden: New Media Art from Iran & Central Asia Exhibition". Salt Mound Arts Consulting. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
32. "Bose Pacia - The Paradox of Polarity - Press Release". www.bosepacia.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
33. New York Art World, Art Review by Natane Tadeka : Leeza Ahmady, Paradox in the Polarity.
34. "51st Venice Biennial, 2005". universes-in-universe.de. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
35. Archive, Asia Art. "Art from Central Asia: A Contemporary Archive (Central Asia Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale)". aaa.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
36. "apexart :: Maurizio Couldn't Be Here :: The Taste of Others". apexart.org. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
37. Archive, Asia Art. "Leeza Ahmady | The Taste of Others: Contemporary Art in Central Asia". aaa.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
38. "Rashid Rana |15 Invitations Dossier". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
39. Archive, Asia Art. "Rashid Rana | Present Elsewhere". aaa.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
40. Rana, Rashid (2017). Present Elsewhere. Asia Art Archive. pp. 103–110.
41. "From Central Asia to the Caucasus". Ibraaz. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
42. "Dear Rustam Khalfin | Manifesta Journal". www.manifestajournal.org. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
43. Akhunov, Vyacheslav (2012). Vyacheslav Akhunov. dOCUMENTA (13): 100 Notizen. pp. 5–7. ISBN 978-3-7757-2909-3.
44. "Clocktower - Artists". clocktower.org. Retrieved 2019-05-12.

External links

• Asia Contemporary Art Week
• Ahmady Arts