Young Artists 2020

On the tail end of one of the most trying years in recent memory, we are left with many questions: questions about the rapid devolution of the past twelve months and questions about the future. Though these queries themselves are not firsts, they come in the wake of shifts none of us expected—some we feared, and others we had hoped for. Embarking on our fifth annual young artists list offered a critical and, at times, joyful moment of group reflection on both the historical moment and this project’s history. Like countless other endeavors during covid, putting this list together without physical contact seemed a herculean task, yet, because of this, it is all the more rewarding to share our portfolio with you. As always, the artists included are individuals we perceive to be at the forefront of a number of intersecting conversations that engage media, criticism, concept and representation. Speaking with them by phone and zoom, we found ourselves becoming further tangled up in their narratives, obsessions, hopes and fears. They were not daunted by the complication of the moment; rather, they rose to meet it.