Kiria Koula
San Francisco, CA
In 2014, I co-founded Kiria Koula in San Francisco, a space that presented contemporary art and ideas via two independent but equally important platforms: a gallery and a bookstore. I directed the space, created its vision and format, and curated all programming.
As a platform for experimentation and critical thinking, Kiria Koula encouraged a dialogue between different communities and disciplines with art. Kiria Koula was also committed to provoking challenging and meaningful experiences offering free lectures and events with scholars, cultural producers, and writers from the Bay Area and elsewhere.
The gallery featured new work by national and international emerging and mid-career artists and provided them with a platform for discussions around it. Exhibitions by Patricia L Boyd, Özlem Altin, Alejandro Cesarco, Jenny Monick, Teresa Baker, Benoît Maire, José León Cerrillo, Ilja Karilampi.
The bookstore highlighted the artist's role as researcher and thinker, rather than exclusively as producer of objects. In this context, artists were invited to bring in their current research interests, which they mapped via a selection of books and a series of public programs, and further developed through a series of written and visual contributions.
Bookstores by Julie Peeters & Scott Ponik, Angie Keefer & Sarah Demeuse, A.K. Burns, Benoît Maire, Paul Chan. Additional events by guests Alexandra Pappas, Kristina Lee Podesva, Philipp Greenlief, Claudia La Rocco, Anthony Huberman, and Mark von Schlegell.
Read texts about the artists and special guests, as well as their exhibitions, bookstores, and events below all images.
Check out Kiria Koula’s Instagram and archived website on The Internet Archive.
Special thanks to all the artists and guests who were part of KK’s program, the Bay Area’s arts community, and KK’s team, especially its graphic designers, Julie Peeters and Scott Ponik ♥.
© All texts and photos my own unless otherwise indicated.
Read Cerrillo’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Karilampi’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Chan’s bookstore text and see his selection of books.
Read Boyd’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Özlem’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Maire’s exhibition text and see all works exhibition and read Maire’s bookstore text and see his selection of books.
Read Monick’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Baker’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Chan’s bookstore text and see his selection of books.
Read Karilampi’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Cesarco’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Peeters and Ponik’s bookstore text and see their selection of books.
Read Monick’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Maire’s exhibition text and see all works exhibition and read Maire’s bookstore text and see his selection of books.
Read Burns’s bookstore text and see their selection of books.
Read Baker’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Cesarco’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Keefer & Demeuse’s bookstore text and see their selection of books.
Read Boyd’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Özlem’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Cerrillo’s exhibition text and see all works exhibited.
Read Peeters and Ponik’s bookstore text and see their selection of books.
Read Chan’s bookstore text and see his selection of books.
Read Peeters and Ponik’s bookstore text and see their selection of books.
Etcetera. 💬