Born in 1957 in Yonkers, NY, Jon Kessler is an artist best known for his kinetic sculptures made with lights, motors and found objects. He has been showing his work regularly in the US and abroad since his first exhibition at Artist’s Space in 1983. In 2005, his immersive installation The Palace at 4 AM was exhibited at MoMA PS1 and is permanently installed at the Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg. His newest sculptures are “balancing acts” that address the fragility of our planet. Bronze, brass, ceramics, stainless steel, and found porcelain figurines combine to form works which comment on ecological collapse and environmental precariousness. He is a Professor of Art at Columbia University where he has taught since 1994. He plays guitar in several art bands.

Ajay Kurian is an artist, educator, and writer. Kurian employs a fluid, multimedia vocabulary which aims to articulate the social and environmental conditions that govern both our worldly and transcendental faiths. His work often tries to bridge the gap between the local and the cosmic.  He is the founder of NewCrits, a global platform for virtual studio mentorship for artists of all backgrounds and experience. Kurian lives in Brooklyn, New York. He holds a BA from Columbia University in Visual Arts and Art History.