CV     Writing           





Sophie Kovel is an artist and writer whose work examines the economic, social, aesthetic, and ideological operations of ethnonationalism. Selected exhibitions include Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Denmark; VERY Project Space, Berlin; Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York; University of California, Los Angeles; and Petrine, Paris. Kovel has spoken on panels and symposiums at universities and institutions including Columbia University and the Brooklyn Public Library. Their interviews and criticism have been published in Artforum, BOMB, Frieze, Spike, Jeu de Paume Magazine, and elsewhere. Kovel is a graduate from Columbia University’s MFA in New Genres, where they were awarded the Agnes Martin and Andrew Fisher Fellowships, and were a 2022–2023 studio fellow in the Whitney Independent Study Program.

sophiekovel@gmail.com

Download CV




Education

Whitney Independent Study Program, New York, NY
MFA, New Genres, Columbia University, New York, NY
BA, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY


Upcoming

Space of Togetherness, NEON Art Foundation, Athens

Solo Exhibitions
2023 The Diplomatic Reception Room, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris
2023 Paris Internationale, October 2023
2023  A Long Duration of Losses, Petrine, Paris

Group Exhibitions


2024 Refindable Places
         Petrine, Paris


2023  No Necessary Correspondence
          Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art,
New York, NY

2023  Heaven is a Different Thing
          UncleBrother, New York, NY

2022  Figural Realism, curated by Meleko Mokgosi
          Jenkins Johnson Gallery, Brooklyn, NY


2022  UCLA New Wight Biennial
          Broad Art Center, Los Angeles, CA 

2022  Columbia MFA Thesis Exhibition, curated by Elisabeth Sherman
          Lenfest Center for the Arts, New York, NY

2022  In Response, curated by Chris Gartrell and Jenna Weiss
          The Jewish Museum, New York, NY

2021  Higher Power, curated by K.O. Nnamdie
          70 Hester Street, New York, NY         
         
2021  Kleinanzeigen / GARAGE SALE, curated by Maximilian Schmoetzer
          VERY Project Space, Berlin, Germany

2021  Columbia First Year MFA Exhibition, curated by Regine Basha
          Lenfest Center for the Arts, New York, NY

2021  The Spring Exhibition
          Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark
            
Artist Talks, Screenings, & Presentations

2023 Organizer and moderator, Panel discussion with KJ Abudu, Nacira Guénif-Souilamas,
         and Léopold Lambert, Petrine, Paris

2023 Artist Talk, Banard College, Columbia University, New York, NY

2022 3450–3660 21st Street, Jewish Museum, New York, NY

2019 Artcritical, Panel on the 2019 Whitney Biennial, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY


Grants, Awards, & Residencies

2022        Drawing A Blank Fellowship, London, UK

2021–22  Agnes Martin Fellowship, Columbia University

2021–22  Andrew Fisher Fellowship, Columbia University

2021–22  Visual Arts Program Fellowship, Columbia University

2020        Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT

2020        Artist Residency, School for Poetic Computation, New York, NY  

2017        Weatherhead East Asian Institute Fellowship, Columbia University


Selected Publications & Published Work

2021         Shana Moulton: To Be Continued, Spike Magazine (Issue #67)

2020         Bouchra Khalili: The Radical Ally, BOMB Magazine (Issue #151)

2019         What Drifts Ashore: Ellie Ga interviewed by Sophie Kovel, BOMB Magazine

2019         John Giorno: DO THE UNDONE, Sperone Westwater, Brooklyn Rail

2019         Mrinalini Mukherjee: Phenomenal Nature, Met Breuer, Frieze (Issue #205)

2019         Minerva Cuevas: Disidencia, Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College (CUNY), Artforum

2019         Kawita Vatanajyankur: Foul Play, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Artforum

2019         Chim↑Pom: Threat of Peace (Hiroshima!!!!!!), Art in General, Artforum

2019         Tanya Goel: This, the Sublime and its Double, Nature Morte, Artforum

2019         Eric N. Mack: Lemme walk across the room, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Rail

2019         Barbara Ess: Someone to Watch Over Me, Magenta Plains, Artforum

2019         Tschabalala Self: Bodega Run, Hammer Museum, Artforum

2019         Klara Lidén: Grounding, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, Artforum

2018         Steve Locke: Family Pictures, yours mine & ours, Artforum

2017         “Cross my heart” (Translation of Chris Marker’s “Croix de bois et chemin de fer,” Esprit, Jan. 1951)        
2017         “It was a strange thing” (Translation of Chris Marker’s text from the French edition booklet of La Jetée – Sans Soleil


Bibliography

Kovel, Sophie. “Attack Philanthropy.” F Magazine, May 2024, pp. 6–8.

Kovel, Sophie, Léopold Lambert, KJ Abudu, and Nacira Guénif-Souilamas. “Haunted Architectures” (« Architectures hantées ») PALM: Jeu de Paume Magazine, in “Histoires d’objets. Restituer, reproduire, reprendre,” July 2023.
                https://jeudepaume.org/en/palm/haunted-architectures-colonial-continuum/.
                https://jeudepaume.org/palm/architectures-hantees-continuum-colonial/.

Kovel, Sophie, Léopold Lambert, KJ Abudu, and Nacira Guénif-Souilamas. “Ghosts of Colonial Modernity”
(« Fantômes de la modernité coloniale »). PALM: Jeu de Paume Magazine, in “Histoires d’objets. Restituer, reproduire, reprendre,” April 6, 2023.
                https://jeudepaume.org/en/palm/ghosts-of-colonial-modernity/.
                https://jeudepaume.org/palm/fantomes-de-la-modernite-coloniale/.

Levin, Max. “Jonas Mekas: The Camera Was Always Running.” Screen Slate,  17 May 2022
                   https://www.screenslate.com/articles/jonas-mekas-camera-was-always-running

Kotecha, Shiv. “Outliving Birds.” Interlude Docs,  24 Dec 2021
                   https://interludedocs.com/2021/10/doc-044-shiv-kotecha/


Professional and Teaching Experience

2021–Present   Assistant Editor, BOMB Magazine, Brooklyn, NY

2022–Present   Visiting Artist, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY

2021–2022       Visiting Critic, Artist Alliance Inc., New York, NY

2022                 Co-founder (with Robert Rubsam), Interval Reading Series, New York, NY

2022                 Visiting Artist, Sculpture II, B. Ami Rivlin, Columbia University, Teacher’s College, New York, NY

2021                 Teaching Assistant, Making without Objects, R. Tiravanija, Columbia University, New York, NY

2021                 Teaching Assistant, Video I, S. Silver, Columbia University, New York, NY

2018–2021       Freelance critic at Artforum, The Brooklyn Rail, Frieze, and other publications

2018–2020       Exhibition research and publication support for the Museum of Modern Art,    
                         the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and other institutions

2016–2018       Teaching Artist, Creative Growth Art Center, Oakland, CA

o