Look out, art world. The spring season is just about to begin, with the Whitney Biennial and Armory Week ushering in a whole new year of art events, exhibitions, gallery openings, and celebrations—all of which present countless opportunities to embarrass oneself by mangling the name of the latest voguish artist to emerge on the scene. (Or, even worse, traduce the proper pronunciation of a famous artist whose name you never bothered to master.)
So, in the event that you happen to bump into dOCUMENTA (14) curator Adam Szymczyk (pronounced: SHOOM-shick) and fall into a chat about that exhibition's origins in Kassel's Bundesgartenschau (pronounced: bund-es-gaur-ten-shaw), the last thing you want to do is slip up with any of the following names. Here's the third edition of our helpful guide.
Agnes Denes – Agnes DEHN-ez
Aiko Hachisuka – eh-KO ha-CHI-su-ka
Alighiero e Boetti – ah-lee-YEHR-oh ay bow-ET-ee
Alina Szapocznikow - ah-LEEN-ah sha-POJZ-nih-KOV
Allora & Calzadilla – aah-LLORAH and CAL-zah-DEE-yah
Bernd and Hilla Becher – BAYR-ernd and HILL-uh BEH-ker
Bettina Funcke – bet-EE-nah FOON-kay
Bjarne Melgaard – BYAR-neh MEL-guard
Charline von Heyl – Shar-lean von HIGHL
Daniel Buren – dan-YELL BYOO-ren
Dawoud Bey – daaaw-OUDE BAY
Dan Perjovschi – Dan Per-ZJAV-ski
Ei Arakawa – AY ara-KA-wa
Ferran Adrià– feh-RAAN ad-RIA
Francis Alÿs – Francis ah-LEASE
Giuseppe Penone – you-SEP-pee pay-NOH-nay
Goshka Macuga – gosh-KAH mac-SUE-gah
Haegue Yang – hae-GYOO Yang
Hiroshi Sugimoto – HER-oh-she SUG-ee-moe-toe
Huma Bhabha – HOO-mah bah-BAH
Imi Knoebel – EE-mee kuh-NOH-bull
Isa Genzken – EE-sah GENZ-ken
Jackie Saccoccio – Jackie sac-COACH-ee-OH
James Nares – James NAIRS
Jessica Warboys – Jessica WAR-boys
Jonathan Meese – YO-na-TAHN MAY-zuh
Josiah McElheny – Josiah mac-el-HANE-y
Katharina Sieverding – KAT-uh-RIH-nah SEE-ver-DING
Kathrin Sonntag – kat-REEN son-TACH
Kelly Reemtsen – Kelly REAM-tsin
Luis Gispert – LOO-eez his-PEAR
Marlene Dumas – mar-LEEN DO-mah
Michel Auder – mee-SHELL oh-DARE
Mona Hatoum – Mona Ha-TOOM
Naama Tsabar – NAH-mah TSAH-bar
Paulina Olowska – Paulina oh-LOW-ska
Paul Pfeiffer – Paul FIFE-er
Paweł Althamer – PAH-vell al-TAMM-er
Peter Doig – Peter DOYG
Qu Guangci – CHU GUANG-chi
Radamés “Juni” Figueroa – ra-da-MESS "WHO-knee" fig-ay-ROAH
Rita Ackermann – Rita ACKH-er-MAAN
Robert Bechtle – Robert BECK-tell
Roman Ondák – RO-man on-DACK
Siah Armajani – SEE-ah ARM-a-JAH-nee
Shirin Neshat– SHIH-reen nay-SHAT
Thomas Bayrle– TOE-mas BUY-re-leh
Tue Greenfort – TOO GREEN-fort
Tulio de Sagastizabal – TOOL-io de sah-GAS-tee-ZAH-ball
Wael Shawky – WA-eel SHAW-ee
Xu Zhen – shoo JEN
Xylor Jane – ZAY-lore Jane
Yayoi Kusama – yah-YOY koo-SAH-ma
Yve Laris Cohen – EVE la-RIS COH-hen
RELATED ARTICLES:
ART 101: How to Pronounce Artists' Names, Vol. 1
Art 101: How to Pronounce Artists' Names, Vol. 2
