Aubrey Theobald (b.1996., Ohio) is an interdisciplinary installation artist based between Berlin, Germany and Ohio. Her work engages everyday materials and objects in sensorial installations that map emotional life through site-specific ritual, obsessive process, and the politics of the overlooked.
Theobald earned her Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Sculpture (2024) and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati DAAP, with minors in Art History and Critical Visions (2018). Notably, Theobald is a 2024-25 Fulbright International Sculpture Research Fellow in Berlin. Her residencies include Scope BLN (2025-26), Vermont Studio Center (2020), Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residency (2018), and Weissenßee Kunsthoschule Berlin (2017).
Theobald's research is grounded in "Locational Empathy," the mimetic process of learning about the subtleties of place through prolonged attention and awareness. She responds to active sites ranging from city-transit platforms, parking lots, and tense bureaucratic offices by projecting emotional intimacy onto their surfaces and gleaning poetics from their own systems of function.
Research and practice coincide through a diverse range of sculptural media such as building material, found objects (Zum Verschenken), wax skins, and flora. The over-processing of materials occupies its own haptic, obsessive, and emotional alchemy where metal loops are twisted and impregnated by a wish for home, molded weeds from lives lost are strengthened with automotive lacquer, and letters to lovers are transposed into a sound score to converse with longing.
Within her sensorial installations, Theobald offers insight into her ongoing investigations of intimacy, banality, and the architecture of feeling in the form of large scale, accumulative sculpture grounded by reminders of soft bureaucracy in daily life.
FEATURES & Public Profiles
PRESS
https://www.scopebln.org/aubrey-theobald
https://runnerdetroit.run/ReviewCranbrookAcademyofArt2024.html
https://undermain.art/visual-arts/curator-sso-rha-kang-continues-affective-investigation/
https://www.artacademy.edu/news-events/event/in-regards-to-nostalgia/
https://www.printedmatter.org/catalog/53549
https://www.anytimedept.com/the-small-of-her-lower-back
https://www.gallery263.com/sanctuary/
http://westlakebayvillageobserver.com/read/2013/09/17/featured-student-aubrey-theobald
https://www.amandacurreri.comhttps://www.amandacurreri.com/work/archiveasaction/work/archiveasaction
https://www.amandacurreri.com/work/archiveasaction
https://www.criticalvisions.org/alumni
https://www.risenshinegallery.com/exhibitions.html
https://nickbmason.com/event-design/last-saturday-series
https://cincinnatiusa.com/events/open-source-12-reception
https://miamioh.edu/cca/news/2018/09/art-professors-carnegie.html
https://www.daappub.com/articles/2018/10/29/bout-sound-and-vision
EDUCATION
MFA 2024 | Cranbrook Academy of the Arts, MFA in Sculpture, Elective Studio in Painting
BFA 2018 | University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning (DAAP), Cincinnati, OH, Minor in Art History, Certificate in Critical Visions, Summa Cum Laude, 3.91 GPA
Fellow 2024-25 | Fulbright Germany at Weissenßee Kunsthochscule Berlin, Raumstrategien MA and Brandenburgisches Zentrum für Medienwissenschaften (Centre for Film & Media Studies, ZeM) for
AWARDS
2026, All About Curating Ask a Curator Program (Berlin, Germany)
2024 Fulbright International Research Fellowship 2024-2025 Awardee (Berlin, Germany)
2024 Larson Venture Award, Grant Awardee, Cranbrook Academy of Art (Berlin, Germany)
2023 Detroit Artist Market Annual Scholarship Exhibition, Scholarship Finalist, (Detroit, MI)
2019 Fulbright International Research Fellowship, Grant Semi-Finalist (Berlin, Germany)
2019 Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Presidential Scholarship Nominee (Snowmass, CO)
2018 Ox Bow School of Art & Artist Residency, Merit Scholarship (Saugatuck, MI)
2018 Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Emerging Artist Award (Cincinnati, OH)
2017 Spirit of Community Awardee, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)
2017 Isabel Meta Wolfstein Travel Fund, Fellowship, DAAP School of Art (Berlin, Germany)
2017 International Travel Fellowship, University of Cincinnati (Berlin, Germany)
SOLO & TWO PERSON* EXHIBITIONS
2026, Touch, Spring / Behrührung, Frühling (Berlin, Germany)
2026, Chapter III, Phantom Pförtnerhaus at Georgen-Parochial Friedhof II (Berlin, Germany)*
2025, You Left This / Geh Nicht, Backhaus Projects (Berlin, Germany)
2023, Embedded Into, Passageway Gallery (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2022, Support Systems, Stone House Art Gallery: SHAG (Charlotte, NC)*
2019, The Small of Her Lower Back, Anytime Dept. Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Tracing the Ground Beneath Me, Clifton House (Cincinnati, OH)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026, The Long View, FotoFocus Biennale (Cincinnati, OH)
2026, Culterim Studio Show 5, CANK Berlin (Berlin, Germany)
2026, Here Where The Body Knows it Can Hurt, Vox Populi (Philadelphia, PA)
2025 Notations on Ritual, March 2025, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2024, Proximity of Fate, Mansfield Art Center (Mansfield, OH)
2024, Graduate Degree Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, A Queer Show, Forum Gallery (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Behind the Scenes, Forum Gallery (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Tall Taller Bienntale, Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Detroit Artist Market Annual Scholarship Exhibition, DAM (Detroit, MI)
2021, In Regards to Nostalgia, Ruth G. Pearlman Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2021, To Get to the Other Side: Death and Time-Travel, Elephant Gallery (Nashville, TN)
2021, Feast Your Eyes, RisenShine Gallery x The Art Orb (Denton, TX)
2021, Deanna Evans Projects, Flat File Project (Brooklyn, New York)
2020, Open Presentations, Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT)
2020, Digital Dream Tour, Risen Shine Gallery (Denton, TX)
2020, An Art Book Fair, Beeler Gallery (Columbus, OH)
2019, Smoke Show, Elephant Gallery (Nashville, TN)
2019, Open Source 1.4, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2019, Hybrid Interference, 426 Findlay (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Printed Matter LA Art Book Fair, The Greffen Contemporary at MOCA (Los Angeles, CA)
2019, Open Source 1.3, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2018, Open Source 1.2, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2018, Open Source 1.1, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2018, Cincinnati Art Book Fair, The Carnegie, Hot Take Press (Covington, KY)
2018, Black in the Woods, Ox-Bow School of Art & Artist Residency (Saugatuck, MI)
2018, SWAP Meet II, The Carnegie (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Be F^ol, Felsenhaus 242 (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, SWAP Meet, The Carnegie (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, DAAP Works Showcase, Reed Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Last Dance, Victory Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Sanctuary, Gallery 263 (Boston, MA)
2018, An Art Book Affair, Beeler Gallery, Hot Take Press (Columbus, OH)
2018, Sights and Sounds II, Clifton House (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Summerfair Emerging Artist Exhibition, Clifton Cultural Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, All Star Showcase, Reed Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, OWN IT, Victory Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Sewing Facades, Carl Solway Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, The Sculpture Way, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Some Kind of Error, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee (Berlin, Germany)
2017, 9X18 Parking Lot Art Experiment, Wave Pool Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, DAAP Works 2017 Photo and Book Exhibition, DAAP, Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, ISC DAAP Showcase, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Tell it Slant, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Obsessions, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Summerfair Emerging Artists Exhibition, Clifton Cultural Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH)
2016, Out of Body, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2016, Better Than Art, Mid-American College Art Association Conference (Cincinnati, OH)
2016, At Capacity, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2015, ISC DAAP Showcase, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park (Cincinnati, OH)
2015, Poly(morph), 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2015, DAAP Foundational Showcase, Weston Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
RESIDENCIES
2025 SCOPE BLN, Artist in Residence (Berlin, Germany)
2020, Vermont Studio Center, Artist in Residence (Johnson, VT)
2017, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee, Artist in Residence, Studio Inquiry (Berlin, Germany)
WRITING & PUBLICATIONS
2023, “Understanding the Systems Around You (the body as one),” Fountain Swimming Journal
2021, “You’ve Written About All Parts of Your Life but This,” Luckiest Cloud (Chicago, IL)
2021, “A Dog Circles Over Our Bed”, collaboration with Hannah Brown (Cincinnati, OH)
2021, “On Your Tongue”, collaboration with Petra Vescio, Luckiest Cloud (Chicago, IL)
2019, “Today We Wait in Line Together,” Independent Publication (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, “Bad Conez,” Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, “Surface: CVSN Anthology,” Special Collections Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, “Donor Publications: DAAP School of Art Photography Laboratory,” Independent Commission
2017, “Donor Publications: DAAP School of Art Ceramics Laboratory,” Independent Commission
2017, “Concrete,” Independent Publication (Cincinnati, OH)
ARTIST TALKS & PUBLIC LECTURES
2026 “I Found Roses and Thought of Us,” Berlin Art Week lecture at Scope BLN (Berlin, Germany)
2025 Installation as Affective Communication, Wayne State University Sculpture (Detroit, MI)
2025 The Myth of Solidity: Archtype Die Trummerfrauen, KHB Berlin (Berlin, Germany)
2023, “A Place Between Rigidity,” DeSalle Auditorium (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2020, “Bad Cone to Funerary Cone,” Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT)
2019, “The Small Of Her Lower Back,” Anytime Dept. (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, “Isabel Meta Wolfstein Travel Fellowship Presentations,” DAAP School of Art (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, “Student Artists Approaching Potential,” DAAP School of Art (Cincinnati, OH)
TEACHING & WORKSHOPS
2026, Visiting Artist, Cranbrook Academy of Art Department of Sculpture (Upcoming)
2025, Guest Lecturer, Jess Tucker Digital Media Course, New York University, Berlin Campus
2025, Workshop, Mold Making Sentimental Objects, KHB Raumstrategien (Berlin, Germany)
2024, Seminar, Cloyingly Finding Meaning in the Everyday: Phenomenology & Everyday Affect, CAA Department of Sculpture
2024, Workshop, Installation Documentation & Professional Practices, CAA Department of Sculpture
2024, Workshop, Material Safety & Installation Technique, CAA Department of Sculpture
2023, Workshop, Installation Documentation & Editing, CAA Department of Sculpture
2018, Workshop, Risograph & Book Making, George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY)
2016, Teaching Assistant, Fine Arts Foundational Drawing Studio, DAAP School of Art (Cincinnati, OH)
WORK EXPERIENCE
*position currently held
2026 Fabricator, Esther Schippper: Camile Sahin Resin Works, sole fabricator (Berlin, Germany)
*2026, Freelance Fabrication & Design (Berlin, Germany)
Clients: Esther Schipper, Klemms, CLB & Scope BLN
2023, Preparator, Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Foundry & Woodshop Technician, Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Editor & Selection Committee Member Fountainswimming Journal, CAA (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Department Assistant, Sculpture Department, CAA (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2023, Social Media Manager, Sculpture Department, CAA (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2022, Editor & Selection Committee Member Fountainswimming Journal, CAA (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
2022, Social Media Manager, Sculpture Department, CAA (Detroit, MI)
2021, Installation Assistant, Amanda Curerri, Facebook Open Arts HQ (Palo Alto, CA)
2021, Muralist, Walls for Women with Jenny Ustick (McMinville, TN)
2021, Clay Club Nash, Ceramic Artist, Elephant Gallery (Nashville, TN)
2021, Web Designer, Rachel Garris Healing Arts (Nashville, TN)
2021, Web Designer, Sad Jackalope Tattoo (Ann Arbor, MI)
2019, Project Manager, Amanda Curreri, Archive as Action, Carl Solway Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Crew Manager, Amanda Curreri, Archive As Action, Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Co-Founder, Design & Production, Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Installation & Preparatory Assistant, The Carnegie (Covington, KY)
2018, Graphic Designer, Cincinnati Art Book Fair, The Carnegie (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Web Designer, Llewlynn Fletcher (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Production Assistant, HTP for The Cincinnati Project, Reverb Art + Design (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Studio Assistant, Amanda Curerri, Carl Solway Gallery, 2017-18 (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Studio Assistant, Llewelynn Fletcher, Carl Solway Gallery, 2017-2018 (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Studio Assistant, Rebecca Morgan (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Installation Assistant, Llewelynn Fletcher, Northern Arizona University Art Museum (Flagstaff, AZ)
2018, Art Handler, Llwelynn Fletcher & Amanda Curerri, NAU Art Museum (Flagstaff, AZ)
2017, Fine Arts Ambassador, DAAP Ambassador Program, DAAP School of Art (Cincinnati, OH)
2016, Studio Assistant, Mary Baxter, Spring in Our Steps (Cincinnati, OH)
2015, Foundry Assistant, Ed Zmarzly, Light Sculpture Works (Cleveland, OH)
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2018, They Push Things to See Where They’ll Go, Wave Pool Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
2016, At Capacity, 840 Gallery (Cincinnati, OH)
HOT TAKE PRESS (2017-2021)
Hot Take Press is a collaborative risograph book-press based out of Cincinnati, OH. The press was run by five emerging artists, centered on artist-books and print editions. All members contributed equally to the design, production, and distribution of the editions.
2020, “Bad Conez,” New York Public Library, 10 x 10 Photo Books (New York City, NY)
2020, “Bad Conez,” Printed Matter Inc., Collected Publication (New York City, NY)
2019, Limited Press, PRINTED MATTER, HTP Feature for LAABF (Los Angeles, CA)
2019, Limited Press, Jordan Tate for PMLAABF: Pictureesque Snot: Polemics of the the Landscape (Los Angeles, CA)
2019, Limited Press, Mark Albain for PMLAABF: Oh, to see without my eyes, for Hot Take Press (Los Angeles, CA)
2019, Limited Press, Carmen Winant for CAVE: WAR, Poster Editions, Carmen Winant for HTP (Detroit, MI)
2019, Limited Press, Archive As Action, Exhibition Catalogue, HTP for the Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Publication, “Bad Conez”, Aubrey Theobald for HTP (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Limited Press, “Disconnect,” Jesse Ly for HTP (Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Limited Press, “The Intersection of Spaces,” Hannah Brown for HTP(Cincinnati, OH)
2019, Limited Press, HTP Poster Series, Sophie Danin, Jesse Ly, Aubrey Theobald, Mark Albain, & Bri Hicks
2019, Publication, “Year Book I,” Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2018, Workshop, Risograph & Book Making Workshop, Out Alliance, HTP for George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY)
2017, Publication, “Year Book I,” Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
2017, Collection, “Hot Take,” collected by Franklin Furnace Archive (New York, NY)
2017, Publication, “Hot Take,” Hot Take Press (Cincinnati, OH)
PRESS
2026, Collage Feature with Revue Collé (Anticipated)
2025, “Carnegie Art Curator Sso-Rha Kang Visualizes Outside the Box,” Essay by Michele Day
2021, “Curator Sso-Rha Kang Continues Affective Investigation,” Essay by C.M Turner
2021, “In Regards to Nostalgia,” Accompanying Essay by Art Academy of Cincinnati
2021, “Love, Grief and Loss Build Community at Elephant Gallery in Nashville,” Accompanying Essay by Alive Hospice
2018, “They Push Things to See Where They’ll Go,” by Wave Pool Gallery
2018, “The Small of Her Lower Back,” Accompanying Essay by Lydia Rosenberg
2018, “Sanctuary” Accompanying Essay by Maria Molteni
2018, “Open Source” Accompanying Essay by Maria Seda-Reeder
2018, “Open Source” by Miami University
2018, “The Carnegie Galleries to Host Open Source 1.2” by Northern Kentucky Tribune
2016, “Out of Body DAAP Exhibition” Accompanying Essay by Samantha Hall
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES
Scope BLN, Sculpture Acquisition
Cranbrook Museum Library Archives, Book Acquisition
New York Public Library, Book Acquisition
Franklin Furnace Archive, Book Acquisition
10 x 10 Photo Book , Book Acquisition
Printed Matter Inc., Book Acquisition
Robin Osler Private Collection, Painting Acquisition