Jessica Vaughn: Our Primary Focus Is To Be Successful Feb. 26 – May 9, 2021 Our Primary Focus Is To Be Successful—the title drawn from a work on view in this gallery—surveys the visual artist Jessica Vaughn’s new and recent work. In this exhibition, she examines late twentieth- and twenty-first-century office culture, the promise of…

Welcome to Archival Highlights–an ongoing series featuring exhibitions and programs from ICA’s 58-year-history, starting with a look back on Glenn Ligon’s 1998 exhibition, Unbecoming, curated by Judith Tannenbaum. About the Artist The work of Glenn Ligon mines the history of African American culture, from slave narratives to the Million Man March, from the icons of…

PROGRAM Opening Remarks and Welcome, Zoë Ryan, Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director, ICA Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Amy Gutmann, President, University of Pennsylvania Introduction of Honorees, Zoë Ryan, Daniel W. Dietrich, II Director, ICA Honoree Tributes Moderated Conversation, Dr. Kaja Silverman and Charline von Heyl. Moderated by Carrie Schneider Musical Performance, Enohem ABOUT THE HONOREES…

By Alex Klein and Tausif Noor Written for Alserkal Online. Rare is the insight that arrives without serious self-reflection. In the world of art museums, milestone anniversaries are often occasion for critical evaluation of the institution’s mission and future endeavors. In 2013, the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania (ICA) in Philadelphia celebrated its…

Sissel Tolaas: RE_________ September 16–December 30, 2022 In the course of a single day, each of us breathes in and out around 24,000 times. With each breath, irresistible signals are sent straight to the brain—including smells, which in a matter of nanoseconds trigger emotions and memories, stirring up the subconscious in turn. For Norwegian-born Sissel…

About ICA Philadelphia is proud to partner with Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art 2020 by presenting TRANSMISSIONS, a program of six new videos considering the impact of HIV and AIDS beyond the United States. The video program brings together artists working across the world: Jorge Bordello (Mexico), Gevi Dimitrakopoulou (Greece), Las Indetectables (Chile), George…

In compliance with city and state regulations, ICA will be closed through January 6 in an ongoing effort to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to check our ongoing calendar of virtual events.

This summer, I was a Public Engagement and Curatorial intern with the Institute of Contemporary Art. Because these were two separate positions, I essentially split my time between both departments, under the Director of Public Engagement and the Director of Curatorial Affairs, respectively. Being able to work in these two different but equally essential areas…