Aric Chen

Aric Chen
Born
Chicago, United States of America
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
Occupation(s)Architecture curator, writer
EmployerHet Nieuwe Instituut (2021-)

Aric Chen is an American architecture curator and writer.[1] Since 2021, he has been the General and artistic director of Het Nieuwe Instituut in the Netherlands.[2]

Biography

Born in Chicago, United States, to Taiwanese parents,[3] Chen studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in architecture and a bachelor's degree in anthropology. He then continued his studies at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, earning a master's degree in history of design.[4][5]

Before transitioning to curating, he worked as a journalist.[3] In 2008, he relocated to China,[6] where he served as a professor and the founding director of the Curatorial Lab at the College of Design & Innovation at Tongji University in Shanghai.[7] In 2010, Chen was appointed the first Creative Director of the Beijing Design Week.[4]

From 2012 to 2019, Chen was the founding lead curator for design and architecture at Hong Kong's visual culture museum, M+.[8] There, he oversaw the establishment of the new museum's design and architecture collection and programme.[2]

In 2018, Chen became the first curatorial director of the Design Miami events in Florida and Basel, Switzerland.[9]

In 2021, he was appointed general and artistic director of Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands’ national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture, based in Rotterdam.[10][11] Four years later, he served as an ambassador for the inaugural cycle of the Ammodo Architecture Awards.[12][10]

Chen has frequently contributed to publications such as The New York Times, Wallpaper*, and Architectural Record.[5] He has organized numerous projects and exhibitions internationally and has served on various juries. Additionally, he has been a curatorial adviser to events such as the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, the Cooper-Hewitt Design Triennial, and the Gwangju Design Biennale.[13]

Exhibitions

  • 2021: X is Not a Small Country: Unravelling the Post-Global Era. Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology, Lisbon
  • 2022-23: Urban Cosmologies. 9th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture
  • 2023: Arata Isozaki: In Formation. Power Station of Art, Shanghai

Publications

  • 2016: Brazil Modern. The Monacelli Press, United States

References

  1. ^ "Aric Chen appointed General and Artistic Director - Announcements - e-flux". e-flux. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  2. ^ a b "Aric Chen". Urban Future. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  3. ^ a b Sansom, Anna (2019-07-11). "The first curatorial director of Design Miami/ talks to The Design Edit about the role of collectible design". The Design Edit. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  4. ^ a b "ARIC CHEN | 陳伯康". CHINESE NEW ART. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  5. ^ a b den Hartog, Harry (2021-04-26). "In conversation with Aric Chen in Shanghai". Archined. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  6. ^ "PIN–UP | ARIC CHEN". PIN–UP | ARIC CHEN. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  7. ^ Foster, Brenna. "Notes from Aric Chen, the general and artistic director of Het Nieuwe Instituut". Memberful Design. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  8. ^ "Valuations: Nieuwe Instituut's Director Aric Chen on Leading the Dutch National Museum and Becoming the World's First 'Zoöp'". Artnet News. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  9. ^ Gibson, Eleanor (2018-11-23). "Design Miami names Aric Chen as first curatorial director". Dezeen. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  10. ^ a b "Ambassadors". Ammodo Architecture Awards. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  11. ^ Guimapang, Katherine (2021-04-09). "Curator and writer Aric Chen is Het Nieuwe Instituut's new General and Artistic Director". Archinect. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  12. ^ Fakharany, Nour (2024-11-19). "Ammodo Architecture Announces Inaugural Global Awards Recipients for Social and Ecological Innovation". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
  13. ^ "Aric Chen". Savannah College of Art and Design. Retrieved 2024-12-25.