Apexart, founded by artist Steven Rand in 1994, is a non-profit art space located in Lower Manhattan. One of its founding goals was to challenge different art ideas, including its practice and curation. Apexart realizes its mission through exhibitions, an international residency program, a book-publishing initiative, public programs, and other various events. So far, over 1,500 artists from around the world have participated in its exhibition and residency programs. In 2013, Apexart's fourth book, Life Between Borders: The Nomadic Life of Curators and Artists, a collection of essays on the nomadic nature of participants in the art world, was published. Apexart has held over 190 exhibitions and hosted over 130 residencies.
Exhibition program
An Apexart season consists of nine exhibitions in total: five at Apexart NYC, and four in temporary venues throughout the world. Apexart's exhibition program seeks to put new people in the position of "curator" through three different initiatives: the Invited Curator Series, the Unsolicited Proposal Program, and the Franchise Program. Each year, Apexart presents two exhibitions organized by invited individuals, three exhibitions selected through the Unsolicited Proposal Program, and four exhibitions selected from the Franchise Program. The last two programs are open-call curatorial opportunities that allow anyone from anywhere to propose an exhibition to be presented by Apexart at its Tribeca location, or elsewhere in the world. Past invited curators include: David Bianculli, Leah Buechley, Dan Kois, Rob Walker, Greg Allen, Simon Critchley, David Byrne, Boris Groys, and Dave Eggers. Past Unsolicited Proposal Winners include: Alastair Noble, Avi Lubin, Martin Waldmeier, Natalie Musteata, Gary Fogelson and Michael Hutcherson, Courtenay Finn and Sandra Skurvida. Past Franchise winners include: Chuong-Dai Vo, Paul Falzone and Marisa Morán Jahn, Katharina Rhode, Corina Oprea, Isabel Löfgren, Judith Souriau, Milena Placentile, Valerio Del Baglivo and Logan Bay.
Residency program
The Apexart Residency is an alternative educational program that invites creative professionals to leave their familiar surroundings and stay for a month in another country. Inbound Residents travel to New York, while Outbound Residents are sent from New York to international locations including Ethiopia, Thailand and Brazil.
Publications
Apexart's publishing program examines timely issues in contemporary art and culture with new essays by members of the field from around the world. In 2006, Apexart published its first book, On Cultural Influence: Collected Papers from Apexart International Conferences. Apexart's most recent book, Playing by the Rules: Alternative Thinking/Alternative Spaces, which was published in 2010. This book addresses the perceived rules of the development and running of alternative spaces, as well as the origins of those rules. It also provides new inspiration and fresh perspectives for those working in alternative spaces, by identifying trends of standardization in inherently "alternative" gathering places. Apexart's fourth book, Life Between Borders: The Nomadic Life of Curators and Artists, a collection of essays on the nomadic nature of participants in the art world, was published in 2013.
Public program
To complement its exhibitions and residency, each year Apexart presents approximately 30 events that are designed to contextualize its activities for the audience and provide opportunities for artists, curators and cultural thinkers who wish to join the conversation.
Founder
Steven Rand, artist and the Founding Executive Director of Apexart, received his MFA from the University of Arizona in 1976. When he created Apexart in 1994, his original mission was to facilitate independent curators—a fairly new employment at that time—by providing a space for experimentation. Rand's artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, including The Permanent Light Installation for the European Patent Regional Office in Munich, Germany. His work has been presented at the 49th Venice Biennale, the Pusan Biennial, and is currently in numerous private collections. He has exhibited with Mark Pasek Gallery, Wschodnia Gallery, Awangarda Gallery, DDM warehouse Gallery, Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango, Ruth Benzacar Gallery, White Columns, and has been represented by Schueppenhauer Galerie in Germany. Rand is also an internationally recognized lecturer, having lectured in places like Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, Residency Unlimited, College Arts Association, The Contemporary Art Museum, Espao AGORA/CAPACETE and BWA Wroclaw-Galerie Sztuki Wspolczensnej.
