A Decade of Evolution: Artists' Perspectives on a Landmark Year

Tschabalala Self: From Graduate to Established Visionary

Tschabalala Self, born in 1990 in New York City, currently resides and creates in the Hudson Valley. Her reflections on 2016 reveal a pivotal year in her professional life. Having recently completed her graduate studies, she was commuting from Connecticut to New York City while establishing her studio in New Haven. This period marked the genesis of many significant experiences, both positive and challenging, which laid the groundwork for the ensuing decade of her artistic career. Self views 2016 as the beginning of some of the most rewarding aspects of her life's work.

Cheng Ran: A Prolific Decade of Artistic Expansion

Cheng Ran, born in 1981 in Inner Mongolia, China, is based in Hangzhou. He humorously contrasts his life in 2016 with his current reality in 2026. In 2016, he had one cat and had just completed a nine-hour film; by 2026, he boasts 24 cats and a 24-hour video work. His former kitten, Martin, is now the namesake of his co-founded artist-run space, Martin Goya Business. This space has hosted over 150 exhibitions, collaborated with more than 600 young artists, and received the 'Next Cultural Producer' award. He concludes with a playful nod to Matthew McConaughey, acknowledging the unknown elements that still lie ahead.

Raúl de Nieves: The Catalyst of a Landmark Exhibition

Raúl de Nieves, born in 1983 in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, now works and lives in New York. For de Nieves, 2016 was a life-altering year, marked by his inaugural exhibition at Company Gallery. This significant show directly led to an invitation to participate in the prestigious Whitney Biennial, an event he credits with fundamentally changing the trajectory of his artistic career. His experience highlights the profound impact a single opportunity can have on an artist's path to recognition and influence.

Rachel Rossin: Sustained Dedication to Artistic Practice

Rachel Rossin, born in 1987 in West Palm Beach, Florida, is a New York-based artist. When recalling 2016, Rossin emphasizes the concept of accumulating time and the intrinsic value of sustained art-making, rather than solely focusing on career milestones. Over the past decade, she has undertaken major commissions for institutions like the Whitney, the Guggenheim, and KW Institute for Contemporary Art. Her diverse output includes both large-scale paintings and immense stadium-sized installations, reflecting a lifelong dedication to her craft and a willingness to embrace every creative challenge.

Christopher Kulendran Thomas: Navigating a Shifting Global Landscape

Christopher Kulendran Thomas perceives 2016 as a watershed moment, signaling the end of a more innocent era in the Western world. He cites DIS's curation of the 9th Berlin Biennial as a prophetic articulation of this shift, which, by its conclusion, felt like the culmination and end of a specific artistic trajectory. For Thomas, who had recently graduated from art school, the biennial represented a significant breakthrough and the genesis of his current work. He reflects on the evolving balance of power between East and West, and the early adoption of machine learning tools that presaged today's AI technologies, developed in collaboration with Annika Kuhlman and Jan-Peter Gieseking.

Cécile B. Evans: Bold Artistic Visions and Advocacy

Cécile B. Evans, born in 1983 in Cleveland, Ohio, is now based in Saint Denis, France. In 2016, Evans recalls a turning point where curators began to embrace her ambitious artistic visions, which often critiqued societal systemic failures. Her bold proposal for a challenging 45-minute video installation at the Berlin Biennale, suggesting a prominent space for an unknown artist, was met with an agreement to "go BIG or go home." The subsequent decade saw a continued amplification of this spirit, with artists pushing boundaries, advocating for better living conditions for art workers, and challenging established norms. Evans expresses gratitude for those who continue to pursue these "BIG dreams" and strive for change within oppressive structures.

Yu Honglei: From Global Spotlight to Inner Reflection

Yu Honglei, born in 1984 in Inner Mongolia, China, and based in Beijing, describes 2016 as a period of immense inspiration and energy, marking his sudden entry into a globalized art system. While this brought recognition and expectations, he also felt a youthful impatience and eagerness to engage with art history and international dialogue. However, starting with the 2020 pandemic, he shifted his focus to painting, moving away from the fast-paced external demands of the art world to a more internal, slower creative process. For Yu Honglei, 2016 was a transformative "door," leading him to a deeper, more deliberate artistic practice.

Andrew Norman Wilson: Unconventional Narratives and Artistic Identity

Andrew Norman Wilson, born in 1983 in Milpitas, California, is a New York-based artist. He recounts a humorous anecdote from 2016 when Artsy requested a studio photograph for a "Top Emerging Artists" list. As he primarily works on his laptop in his bedroom, he fabricated a story about having Emirati collector-patrons who provided him with a long-term rental on the RMS Queen Mary. He rented a suite for the photoshoot, creating an elaborate ruse to maintain an image of conventional success. This story, originally published in The Baffler, highlights the performative aspects of artistic identity and the narratives artists construct around their practice.