Art exhibition “Heaven” by Alex Israels at Aspen Mountain

Aspen Mountain will become a meeting place for art and skiing in 2025. The Aspen Art Museum is opening the art project “Heaven” by renowned artist Alex Israel in collaboration with Aspen One. From March 7 to 16, the historic “Ruthie’s Cabin” will be transformed into a unique ski-in, ski-out art exhibition.

A paradise of art and nature

For Alex Israel, whose work often deals with popular culture, celebrities and entertainment, Aspen Mountain is a special place: “Aspen has always been a paradise for me—because of the altitude, the beauty and the joy I have experienced here.” With the exhibition “Heaven,” he wants to invite viewers to perceive their surroundings in a new way.

The exhibition features over thirty life-size portraits of deceased personalities who have become social media icons since the launch of Instagram in 2010. Painted on aluminum structures, the portraits pay homage to pop culture and its figures.

Lift tickets as works of art

However, the “Heaven” art project goes beyond the exhibition. Alex Israel has also designed the 2024/25 season ticket for Aspen One. The words “Your Ticket to Heaven” on the trail of wildlife in Botswana” against a bright sky turn every lift ticket into a work of art.

The design takes up the logo of a legendary 1970s cult store in Los Angeles, “Heaven – The Supermarket of Pop Culture”, and thus combines art with nostalgia and pop history.

Art on the slopes—the ArtUP program

The exhibition is part of the 20th anniversary of “Art In Unexpected Places (ArtUP)”. This program brings contemporary art to the ski resorts of Aspen One in a creative way. From lift tickets to sculptures and installations, artists such as Takashi Murakami and Friends with you have been celebrated in the past.

“ArtUP stands for accessible art,” says Gabby Cohen, Chief Brand Officer of Aspen One. ”Our guests experience the intersection of art and nature—spontaneously and at eye level.”