ISSUE Project Room is pleased to announce the selection of Kenneth Jiménez as 2025 Suzanne Fiol Curatorial Fellow. The artist will present a curated series of events that engage artists from the Caribbean, Central and South America, discussing music and folklore's complex relationship to tradition and genre.
Jiménez notes, "Historically, New York has been characterized by hosting people from all over the world. This process has generated the creation of identities that seek to define themselves again and again, mixing social imaginaries, cultural contexts and life stories loaded with endless complexities." Throughout 2025, his goal is to present different artists whose work has been historically marginalized by the art world, and create opportunities for them to share their most recent explorations and collaborations.
The Suzanne Fiol Curatorial Fellowship supports emerging curators in realizing ambitious new projects that will significantly transform their own artistic practice, move their work in new directions, and enable them to gain exposure to a broader audience. Entering its ninth year, ISSUE’s Curatorial Fellowship commissions emerging New York curators to organize challenging projects, serving a central role in fulfilling ISSUE’s mission to support and cultivate innovative art within the local community. Jiménez follows Lina Azalea Dahbour, ISSUE's 2024 Fellow, evil dentist (2023), Theodore (ted) Kerr (2022), Sami Hopkins (2021), Leyya Mona Tawil (2020), Benedict Nguyen (2019), Queer Trash (2018), and DeForrest Brown Jr. (2017).
Named for ISSUE’s visionary founder Suzanne Fiol, the program mentors a Curatorial Fellow by providing them with financial, technical and marketing support. Through a commitment to the professional development of the selected curator, they work to cultivate, incubate and present innovative music and performance projects.
Originally from Costa Rica, Kenneth Jiménez is a bassist and composer currently based in New York City. He's performed with artists like Dave Liebman, Francisco Mela, Michael Attias, Tony Malaby, Gerald Cleaver, Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Angelica Sanchez, Harry Sjostrom, Ingrid Laubrock, Satoshi Takeishi, Hery Paz, Willy Rodríguez, Christopher Hoffman, Marta Sanchez, and others. He was a part of the 2017 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, under the direction of renowned pianist Jason Moran. "Sonnet to Silence" is the name of his quartet project. It features Hery Paz, Angelica Sanchez and Gerald Cleaver. Was released in November 2023 via Finnish label WeJazz Records. "Verolís" is the name of his newest project; an improvised chamber music trio that also features Ingrid Laubrock on saxophone and Christopher Hoffman on Cello. Jiménez is also one of the founders of "Cría Cuervos," an avant-garde music series that takes place monthly at Academy Records in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
