Last updated: 27 October 2026
Cory Arcangel is the artist and composer who hacks video games, software and pop music to show how odd digital culture is. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 show in Norway and where he has shown.
Our take on Cory Arcangel
Arcangel is known for “hacking technological systems in order to comment on absurd and humorous aspects of digital cultures”, as the Stavanger Art Museum puts it. His a couple thousand short films about Glenn Gould (2007) stitched together more than 1,100 clips.
He trained as a classical guitarist, and music runs through the work. “Music is about attention. So you have to be aware of it,” he says on Lisson Gallery’s page.
In 2014 he started Arcangel Surfware, which the museum calls a “non-aspirational lifestyle brand”, and the next year he moved to Stavanger, Norway, where his first Norwegian solo show opens in November 2026.
Cory Arcangel: the essentials
- Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1978; moved to Stavanger, Norway, in 2015, according to the Stavanger Art Museum.
- Studied music technology at Oberlin College and Conservatory, Ohio.
- In 2011 became the youngest artist to have a full-floor solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
- Represented by Lisson Gallery.
- Works as an artist, composer, curator and entrepreneur; founded Arcangel Surfware in 2014.
Cory Arcangel exhibitions
- Coming up: Family Office, Stavanger Art Museum, Norway, 14 November 2026 to 29 March 2027. His first solo show in Norway.
- Errors and Omissions, Lisson Gallery, Shanghai, 2024.
- Future Shock, Lisson Gallery, New York, 2023.
- Here Comes Everybody, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, 30 November 2010 to 28 August 2011.
Cory Arcangel FAQs
What does Cory Arcangel make?
Art that hacks video games, software, the internet and pop music, plus music and the clothing brand Arcangel Surfware.
Where is Cory Arcangel based?
Stavanger, Norway, since 2015. He was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1978.
Which gallery represents Cory Arcangel?
Lisson Gallery.
Where can I see Cory Arcangel’s work next?
Family Office opens at the Stavanger Art Museum on 14 November 2026 and runs to 29 March 2027.
More from CoolCuration
- Analogue Pocket review: retro gaming hardware for anyone who likes old consoles.
- Ha Chong-Hyun at Lisson review: another artist from his gallery.
- The Art of Disruption: a book about making things differently.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Cory Arcangel in his studio. Photo: Bennett4senate, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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