Heaven by Alex Israel
In partnership with AspenOne, the Aspen Art Museum is pleased to present Heaven, an expansive project by Los Angeles-based artist Alex Israel that takes the form of a lift ticket, an exhibition, and on-mountain signage.
Israel creates artworks that draw upon traditions of pop culture, celebrity and entertainment to consider ways in which fantasy, escapism and the pursuit of joy shape our lives. To make his work, Israel often embeds himself within industries he examines, harnessing their magic through incorporating their methods of production. Much of his work, including props, set pieces, signs and scenic backdrops of sunset-hued skies, is made within the Warner Bros. Design Studio.
At the invitation of AspenOne and Aspen Art Museum, Israel PLEASE NOTE: The exhibition is exclusively accessible via ski-in, ski-out terrain designed for intermediate-level skiers and snowboarders.
A valid lift ticket is required for entry.
Exhibition Dates: February 15–23 & March 7–16
This exhibition is curated by Daniel Merritt, Chief Curator.
Aspen Art Museum exhibitions are made possible by the Marx Exhibition Fund.
General exhibition support is provided by the Toby Devan Lewis Visiting Artist Fund.
Additional support is provided by the Aspen Art Museum National Council.
Aspen Art Museum admission is free courtesy of Amy and John Phelan.
About the Artist
Alex Israel (b. 1982, Los Angeles, CA) lives and works in Los Angeles. Deeply entwined with his hometown, his work explores popular media, Hollywood, and the cult of celebrity, while positing LA as central to an understanding of American culture and the American dream. Israel’s practice has included high-profile collaborations with Bret Easton Ellis, Louis Vuitton, Rimowa and Snapchat, as well as his own Freeway Eyewear and Infrathin Apparel designs. His ongoing web series, an LA-centric talk show hosted by the artist and titled “As It Lays,” is streaming on YouTube, and his feature length art film, “SPF-18”, first appeared on Netflix, following a tour to high schools across the United States. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at: Le Consortium, Dijon; Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas; The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino; Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo; Fosun Foundation, Shanghai; and The Bass, Miami. His work is included in numerous museum collections worldwide including: MoMA, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; MOCA, Los Angeles; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; The Centre Pompidou, Paris; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; and The Broad, Los Angeles.