As per usual we’ve been playing with our data and this week our attention was caught by artists who have seen a significant increase in ranking in the last 5 years. With completely different approaches, techniques, themes and mediums, two of these artists are; Vienna based Italian, Pablo Chiereghin, and New York based American, Jordan Casteel.

Pablo Chiereghin is a conceptual artist, his work is playful yet focused in its delight to dance amongst disorder. His exhibition, “Riot Design” is currently on at the Kunstforum Vienna, a multimedia presentation, which features pieces of furniture that he destroyed in a riot-like manner, and then restored, to create something damaged, but new. The exhibition is curated by Lisa Ortner-Kreil, who also worked with Chiereghin in 2016 for his performance as part of the “I love Kippenberger Festival”.

Jordan Casteel is a painter of ever-growing popularity, attributed to contributing to the come-back of figurative painting. Her works, rooted in community engagement, are bright and alive, and her subjects welcome you into their world. In 2016 Casteel had a residency at The Studio Museum in Harlem– helmed by the curatorial Legend Thelma Golden, whom we introduced you to last week. Her exhibition, “Within Reach” is on currently at The New Museum, curated by Massimiliano Gioni, who, coincidently, we introduced the week before.

See? It’s all connected.

When comparing the paths of the two artists to their current high ranking, you can see that Chiereghin has been around for longer, working consistently, while his rank steadily climbs. Casteel entered the scene six years after him but has experienced significantly stronger growth within that time. One potential factor which we could attribute to that is the higher percentage (35%) of museum exhibitions she has been involved in. Chiereghin had a more grass-roots approach: the majority of his exhibitions (59%) have been held at non-profit spaces. His ranking then, all the more impressive, for it’s not so conventional route.

Either way, with their two distinct styles and approaches, and commitment to their craft, each asking questions that need to be posed, the two look set to continue for a long time to come.

There is so much more fascinating information to be discovered about these artists, and thousands more on Artfacts, we’ve just tickled the surface for you today.

Enjoy exploring.
Let’s make history happen.

The Artfacts Team