Born 1980 I Lives and works in New York
Daniel Arsham creates interdisciplinary art firmly situated in the world. As the artist himself states, “I make things I want to see exist in the world.” Arsham’s sculptures often resemble eroded artifacts or fragmented monuments, blurring the boundaries between art, architecture and design.
Arsham refers to his practice as “fictional archaeology,” creating works that appear to belong to our material history but are in fact visually tied to the recent past or the present day. Drawing from the narrative traditions of classical sculpture, Arsham produces figures that unexpectedly merge ancient iconography with contemporary composition and appearance. These reinterpreted images – like a bust of a woman wearing a Roman palla or a hoodie – present a tension between history and the present, as the art historical canon is used to depict objects drawn from popular culture.
As materials, Arsham uses geological substances such as volcanic ash and selenite, which create the impression the works being millennia-old archaeological discoveries. Ideologically, Arsham presents objects that endure time—transcending or bypassing it altogether. Objects covered in ash appear long-lost, and their “rediscovery” brings a sense of wonder to the viewer. These works seem preserved like time capsules, simultaneously fragile and monumental. The monochromatic nature of his works; a restrained colour palette, reinforces the illusion of archaeological remnants, further distancing the objects from the contemporary moment.
Arsham graduated from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he studied fine arts with a strong emphasis on architecture and engineering. Arsham has co-founded the exhibition space The House, and with Alex Mustonen, the design studio Snarkitecture, a practice that seeks to merge design, art and architecture by working within and transforming existing structures. Arsham has served as a stage designer for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and collaborated with brands such as Dior, Adidas, and Byredo. His works are included in the collections of institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Musée Guimet, the DIOR Collection, and the Walker Art Center. He was awarded the Gelman Trust Fellowship in 2003 as well as the GNMH Award.