Leeza Ahmady

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Leeza Ahmady
Born1972 (age 51–52)[1]
Kabul, Afghanistan
NationalityAfghan
EducationBudapest University,
Hunter College
Alma materSt. John's University,
Pratt Institute
Occupation(s)Curator, arts administrator, author, dance instructor, educator

Leeza Ahmady (born 1972)[1] is an Afghan-born American independent curator, author, arts administrator, dance instructor, and educator;[2] she is known for her work within the genre of Central Asian art.[1][3] She is the founder of AhmadyArts and Director of Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW) since 2006.[3][4] Ahmady has organized large-scale festivals, exhibitions, artistic collaborations, and experimental forums revolving around contemporary art practices from across all regions of Asia. Ahmady is New York based and was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan.[5]

Biography[edit]

Leeza Ahmady was born in Kabul, Afghanistan.[citation needed] As a teenager, she moved to New York.[6]

She received her BA degree from St. John's University (1994) in international relations.[1] In her junior year, she attended Budapest University as part of a study abroad program.[citation needed] She later studied art history at Hunter College (from 2001 to 2003) as a graduate level non-degree student.[citation needed] She received her MA degree from Pratt Institute (2005) in Arts and Cultural Management with her final thesis concentrating on the development and practice of contemporary art in Central Asia.[6]

Career[edit]

From 2005 to 2013, Ahmady had an ongoing curation project, "The Taste of Other: Contemporary Art in Central Asia", which presented artists of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in various exhibitions and talks.[7]

Since 2006, Ahmady has directed Asia Contemporary Art Week (ACAW), which works in partnership with various international art institutions to further dialogue about Central Asian art.[8] Field meeting has been a signature forum of ACAW since 2014, bringing together artists and curators to engage in dialogue together on provided topics.[2] In 2015, Holland Cotter and Roberta Smith co-chief art critics for The New York Times voted the number 9 of the top 10 best art events of the year, "Sonic Blossom "by Lee Mingwei a performance series presented by Asia Contemporary Art Week and Metropolitan Museum of Art.[9][10]

Ahmady is a founding member of two non-profit organizations: NURTURArt Non Profit, and School of Hope.[7]

Past curatorial[edit]

Publications[edit]

  • Ahmady, Leeza; Akhunov, Vyacheslav (2012). Vyacheslav Akhunov. dOCUMENTA (13): 100 Notizen. Vol. 60. Hatje Cantz. pp. 5–7. ISBN 9783775729093.
  • Ahmady, Leeza (September 9, 2012). "Dear Rustam Khalfin". Manifesta Journal. 16. Archived from the original on 2013-06-02.
  • Ahmady, Leeza (March 31, 2015). "From Central Asia to the Caucasus, Leeza Ahmady in conversation with Taus Makhacheva". Ibraaz (Interview) (8).
  • Ahmady, Leeza; Rana, Rashid (2017). "On Kings, Films and Astral Nomads". 15 Invitations for 15 Years: Present Elsewhere by Rashid Rana. Asia Art Archive. pp. 103–109.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Reminiscences of Leeza Ahmady: Oral History, 2002-2003". Oral Histories Portal, Columbia University Libraries. Columbia University Libraries Digital Program Division. 2010. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  2. ^ a b Ma, Jennifer Wen (December 8, 2016). "FIELD MEETING Take 4: Thinking Practice". Ibraaz. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. ^ a b "Leeza Ahmady". Guggenheim. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  4. ^ Geranpayeh, Sarvy (2021-10-06). "Desperate and in hiding, Afghan artists beg international community for help". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  5. ^ "CONTACT / TEAM". Asia Contemporary Art Week. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  6. ^ a b "Leeza Ahmady". Clocktower.org. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  7. ^ a b "Leeza Ahmady, The Taste of Others: Contemporary Art in Central Asia". aaa.org.hk. Asia Art Archive. April 19, 2007. Retrieved 2019-05-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ "Leeza Ahmady, Director of Asian Contemporary Art Week (ACAW), and Associate Curator Xin Wang speak to Art Radar". Art Radar. October 10, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  9. ^ Cotter, Holland; Smith, Roberta (2015-12-09). "The Best in Art of 2015". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  10. ^ "The Best Classical Music of 2015". The New York Times. 2015-12-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  11. ^ "FX Harsono". Art in America. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  12. ^ "Retrieving the History of Indonesia's Massacred Chinese Community". Hyperallergic. 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  13. ^ Cotter, Holland (2014-01-30). "Arahmaiani: 'Fertility of the Mind'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  14. ^ Buchan, Noah (2013-11-24). "The wanderers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  15. ^ "Guggenheim Museum announces History of Histories Afghan Film Program and Barmak Akram Screening". Museum Publicity. March 6, 2013. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  16. ^ "Making art history: New York's Season of Cambodia 2013 – curator interview Leeza Ahmady, Erin Gleeson". Art Radar. April 1, 2013. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  17. ^ "DIALOGUES IN CONTEMPORARY ART - Events - Independent Curators International". curatorsintl.org. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  18. ^ "Clocktower - Radio". clocktower.org. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  19. ^ "Documenta 13 Announces Curatorial Team and Process". Artforum.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  20. ^ Cotter, Holland; Johnson, Ken; Rosenberg, Karen (2009-08-13). "'Tarjama/Translation' at Queens Museum of Art; Kal Spelletich and Craig Baldwin at Jack Hanley; 'The Figure and Dr. Freud' at Haunch of Venison; and 'Self-Portraits' at Skarstedt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  21. ^ "Tarjama/Translation: Contemporary Art from the Middle East, Central Asia, and Their Diasporas | Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art". museum.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  22. ^ "ART ASIA Miami". ArtFacts. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  23. ^ "National Gallery of Art Summer 2008 Film Series Goes from Kabul to Kubrick". nga.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  24. ^ "AhmadyArts | Exhibitions | The Silk Code". www.ahmadyarts.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  25. ^ "Central Asia: "I Dream of the Stans"". Global Voices. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  26. ^ "Parable of the Garden". universes.art. February 2008. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  27. ^ "Bose Pacia - The Paradox of Polarity - Press Release". www.bosepacia.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  28. ^ New York Art World, Art Review by Natane Tadeka : Leeza Ahmady, Paradox in the Polarity. [1]
  29. ^ "51st Venice Biennial, 2005". universes-in-universe.de. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  30. ^ "Art from Central Asia: A Contemporary Archive (Central Asia Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale)". aaa.org.hk. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  31. ^ "Maurizio Couldn't Be Here, The Taste of Others". apexart.org. Retrieved 2019-05-14.

External links[edit]