All About 25
James Cohan, New York
May 16 - July 25, 2025
Red Shoes, 2025
Mixed media
70 7/8 x 70 7/8 x 11 3/4 in., 180 x 180 x 30 cm
© Yinka Shonibare, courtesy of James Cohan
James Cohan presents All About 25, an exhibition celebrating the gallery’s twenty-fifth anniversary, on view at James Cohan’s 52 Walker Street location.
The James Cohan Gallery, established in 1999, is a vital player in the contemporary art world, known for its commitment to artistic innovation and cross-cultural dialogue. Founded by James and Jane Cohan, the gallery has carved out a distinctive niche by fostering relationships with both emerging and established artists, as well as by championing underrepresented voices. David Norr, who served as James Cohan’s Senior Director from 2015 to 2018, was named partner in 2018 and co-owner in 2021.
Located initially in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, James Cohan Gallery opened during a transformative period for contemporary art in the city. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a migration of galleries to Chelsea, where spacious industrial buildings allowed for ambitious exhibitions. Cohan leveraged this momentum, bringing a thoughtful and international approach to gallery programming. His vision centered on building a program that was not only commercially viable but also intellectually and culturally resonant.
One of the key aspects that sets James Cohan Gallery apart is its emphasis on representing a diverse range of artists from around the globe. The gallery has been instrumental in presenting the work of artists such as Trenton Doyle Hancock, Elias Sime, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Firelei Báez, and Fred Tomaselli. These artists work in various media and often grapple with themes of identity, history, technology, and globalization.
By maintaining an international focus, the gallery has created a dynamic platform for intercultural exchange. Exhibitions often cross traditional boundaries of geography and genre, providing a broader lens through which to view contemporary artistic practices. Cohan’s support for African, Asian, Latin American, and diasporic artists demonstrates a forward-thinking commitment to global narratives.
In addition to its Chelsea origins, James Cohan Gallery expanded to locations in the Lower East Side and Tribeca, adapting to the evolving geography of the New York art scene. These moves were not merely logistical but reflected a strategic effort to remain close to emerging art communities and experimental practices.
The gallery is also recognized for its innovative curatorial approaches. It regularly features thematic exhibitions that explore pressing contemporary issues, bridging historical and contemporary art in novel ways. For example, shows that juxtapose canonical artists with contemporary voices help create dialogues that are both challenging and generative.
The originality of James Cohan Gallery lies in its ability to balance commercial success with critical engagement. It is not merely a venue for sales, but a space where contemporary issues are interrogated through the lens of art. Its programming often emphasizes storytelling, layered histories, and aesthetic experimentation.
Moreover, James Cohan Gallery is known for its long-term relationships with artists, which allows for deeper collaboration and the development of ambitious projects. This trust-based model contributes to the originality of the exhibitions, as artists are encouraged to take risks and push their creative boundaries.
James Cohan Gallery stands out as a thoughtful, globally-minded, and artist-centric institution in the contemporary art world. Its history reflects not only the trajectory of one gallery, but also broader shifts in the cultural landscape of the 21st century. Through its innovative programming, commitment to diverse voices, and intellectual rigor, the gallery continues to influence how contemporary art is produced, exhibited, and understood.
All About 25 features the work of artists who have shaped the gallery’s past, present, and future. Many of the paintings, sculptures and installations made specifically for the exhibition symbolically tie to the number 25.
Participating artists include: Ranti Bam, Kathy Butterly, Alexandre da Cunha, Simon Evans and Sarah Lannan, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Spencer Finch, Gauri Gill, Michelle Grabner, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Federico Herrero, Yun-Fei Ji, Byron Kim, Mernet Larsen, Teresa Margolles, Kelly Sinnapah Mary, Josiah McElheny, Jesse Mockrin, Lee Mullican, Christopher Myers, Jordan Nassar, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Kaloki Nyamai, Scott Olson, Eamon Ore-Giron, Katie Paterson, Naudline Pierre, Matthew Ritchie, Hiraki Sawa, Shinichi Sawada, Yinka Shonibare, Elias Sime, Diane Simpson, Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Tomaselli, Bill Viola, and XU ZHEN®.
A silver anniversary commemorates the 25th year of a significant event and represents the enduring nature and brilliance of a long-lasting relationship or achievement. Spencer Finch’s, Ag, 2008, is a series of 10 gelatin silver photographs, featuring modern pieces of silver (trays, pitchers and bowls) from a private collection in Philadelphia. The title references the symbol for the element in the periodic table. Collapsing the medium and subject–using silver to create images of silver–these photographs confound the distinctions between representation and the real.
New works by Byron Kim, Josiah McElheny and Jordan Nassar explore the mathematical and spatial potentials of the number 25 to diverse effect. Byron Kim’s Synecdoche (1991–present) is an ongoing project of portraiture that now comprises more than 500 10 x 8 in. panels in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Each panel is painted a single color recording the skin tone of the sitter. Synecdoche was a watershed for the artist when it debuted at the 1993 Whitney Biennial, and subsequent iterations have been seen in installations and exhibitions around the world. For this exhibition, Kim documented the skin tones of 25 members of the James Cohan team, continuing his explorations of the history of abstract painting, the problems of color and vision, and issues of human identity and existence while creating a collective portrait of a community.
Jordan Nassar’s newest embroidery, Mountain of Years, 2025, depicts cascading hills expanding across the field of the canvas. The artist renders the striated mountainscape in 25 distinct shades of rich greens and cool blue threads, offset by a peachy-pink sky.
Josiah McElheny’s Interior Geometry I, 2025, references a universe of unlimited possibility in a hand-cut and polished glass tetrakis hexahedron with 24 facets, its entirety constituting the 25th. The transparent and reflective surfaces of the suspended solid glass form act as both mirrors and windows, where we can peer inside and see ourselves. With morphing perspectives and reflections, the work celebrates a multiplicity and diversity of perspective.
“Reaching this milestone is both humbling and energizing,” says James Cohan, founder and principal. “Our journey has been defined by incredible partnerships with artists whose vision and dedication continue to inspire us. This anniversary celebrates their work.”
JAMES COHAN
52 Walker Street, New York, NY 10013
