Sophia Ostapenko 10/1/22 Sophia Ostapenko 10/1/22

UNGA French After Party at the Hall des Lumières presented by FIAF

To celebrate the kick-off of UN Week, Villa Albertine and FIAF partnered to present the UNGA French After Party at the Hall des Lumières.

Hall des Lumières, which has recently popped up in New York after its longstanding existence in France, has opened its immersive exhibit called, “Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion.” The digital exhibition, which features most of Klimt’s work throughout his lifetime, is a truly immersive experience for any art and technology lover.

Hall des Lumières also presented three additional exhibits alongside Gold in Motion: FRIEDENSREICH HUNDERTWASSER: In the Wake of the Vienna Secession, 5 MOVEMENTS: Contemporary Creation and RECODING ENTROPIA: Contemporary Exhibition. The exhibitions all take place before Gold in Motion comes on screen, allowing each visitor to submerge all of their senses into the art world.

The UNGA French After Party also featured a live DJ, traditional charcuterie boards and other sensory experiences which filled the rooms of 49 Chambers Street throughout the night.

If you’re interested in attending Gustav Klimt: Gold in Motion, please visit the Hall des Lumiéres website.

Sophia Ostapenko 3/3/22 Sophia Ostapenko 3/3/22

Upsilon Gallery Presents: Kaleidoscope

Upsilon Gallery, a leading art gallery and fine print publisher specializing in International postwar and contemporary art, has opened their new flagship location on the Upper East Side (23 East 67th Street) with their inaugural exhibition “Kaleidoscope” by artist Osvaldo Mariscotti on February 25th.

The gallery, which was founded by Director Marcelo Zimmler in 2014, has chosen Kaleidoscope as their first exhibition at it focuses on Mariscotti’s study of the symbol, both individually and as a group in the development of language. The artist’s work also dives deeper and explores the concept of time and how it relates to human maturity and self-consciousness.

In addition to “Kaleidoscope,” Upsilon Gallery plans on featuring contemporary artists in its cozy atmosphere, which is surrounded by the fine art and design museums and galleries.

Upsilon Gallery is open to art connoisseurs between Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, and Saturdays by appointment. Kaleidoscope by Osvaldo Mariscotti is available to view from February 25-April 16.

Divina Doveyo 7/22/19 Divina Doveyo 7/22/19

House of Showfields - The Most Interesting Store in the World

The convenience and ease of online shopping has meant a decline in the inconvenient and not always easy brick and mortar shopping. You know, the kind of shopping where you’re not really shopping, but just following someone around while they touch things and exclaim over how cute it is. It’s no surprise that people would rather shop in a way that doesn’t require them to walk around, or leave their house, or even get dressed....but the House of Showfields is here to change that. BIG TIME.

House of Showfields, monikered as “The Most Interesting Store in the World,” is a brick and mortar in Soho, NYC, that gives Brands a place to showcase their individuality. The store is chock full of cubicles and art dedicated to specific products from specially curated brands: Quip, Inkbox, Skura, NURIA, The Farmer’s Dog, and many, many more.

But what really makes Showfields “The Most Interesting Store in the World” is its aims to facilitate “deeper offline connections” between brands and consumers. What does that mean? It means that the employees at Showfields are fully decked out in their brands gear. It means insta worthy installations with demos. It means performance art and conversations with the artist. It means edible art that you can both taste and take home. Showfields is fully committed to shopping as an experience, rather than a chore. By appealing to the senses of taste and touch, Showfields reminds us of what internet shopping lacks: interaction.

For a full list of brands you can experience, check out HOUSE OF SHOWFIELDS on their site, http://www.showfields.com/, or their instagram, @showfields.

Photos by House of Showfields

Sophia Ostapenko 11/19/18 Sophia Ostapenko 11/19/18

The Essence of Lightness

On October 24, 2018, Nello Petrucci, an Italian artist from Pompeii, presented another one of his mesmerizing artworks: The Essence of Lightness.

The piece, which was inspired by Petrucci’s life in Pompeii and background in the film industry, took up a full wall on the 45th floor of 3 World Trade Center. Surrounded by the panoramic views of New York City, Petrucci took over six months to complete the piece., even relocating here to dedicate all of his creative focus and direction into manifesting his work.

The artwork, which more closely resembles an installation due to its unusual size and location, remains true to Petrucci’s fashion of creating collages using movie posters, brush strokes and several layering techniques.

Just as with his previous work, The Pompeii Collection, Petrucci used film, concert and ad posters as a base for The Essence of Lightness. He walked around New York City and tore down old and new posters. After completing the collection process, he began the intricate layering process. Two or more additional images or posters were added, followed by strokes of paint. As with The Pompeii Collection, Petrucci included some parts of Pompeii within his work through photos of the Pompeii paintings on the surface, fusing them with the layers of posters.

Yet, what is unique about The Essence of Lightness is the continuous motif of butterflies. If looked at from a distance, an observer might not notice that there are butterflies spread out from the beginning to the end of the painting. However, once an observer gets closer, they will realize that the butterflies are flying through the painting, representing time.

According to Petrucci, the beginning of the artwork represents the past. It represents the history of Pompeii and various thoughts and experiences that we, as human beings, lost sight of. The middle of the painting represents the present. It is everything that we are experiencing at the moment, whether it is delight or worry, we are living in the moment. The butterflies get higher and spread wider as you approach the end of the painting. The end represents our hopes and dreams for the future. If the observer steps back and takes a look at the overall piece, it is reminiscent of the course of life and everything we have experienced, are going through and shall expect.

Overall, The Essence of Lightness was an innovative way to represent such an intense and magical piece. Surrounded by the night skyline of New York City, it becomes almost surreal and yet Petrucci managed to conquer it all and spill it on canvas.

The Essence of Lightness is not available to the public at the moment, but here is a short clip about the making of the fascinating installation.

Sophia Ostapenko 10/20/17 Sophia Ostapenko 10/20/17

Joshua Beamish and the MOVETHECOMPANY present: Saudade

On a cold and rainy Wednesday night, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Joshua Beamish, choreographer and the leader of the MOVETHECOMPANY, debuted his first full-length dance for New York dance admirers and critics. The piece was a direct reflection of it’s namesake,, “SAUDADE,” a derivative of a Portuguese word that refers to a feeling of longing or melancholy for a feeling of missing love.

Beamish managed to merge two completely different styles of dance, ballet and street-style, in order to pinpoint feelings that are often too difficult for individuals to express through words. The performance could be viewed as a confrontation between feelings that people are too often afraid to admit to unless they are left alone. What made the performance even more memorable was the fact that it was executed by an all-male ensemble, which included six dancers: David Norsworthy, Sean Aaron Carmon, Kevin Quinaou, Dominic Santia, Timothy Stickney, and Lloyd Knight. Although the 21st century has been making history for breaking down boundaries, it is still quite rare to witness an all-male cast perform such a delicate and tender choreography without a lady holding the lead.

As the audience took their seats, and the lights went dim, there was a feeling of suspense and excitement in the room. Although most of the audience knew the dance company and the choreographer behind the piece, no one really knew as to what to expect. However, as soon as the first dancer came out on stage, everyone moved to the edge of their seats. The performance created a storyline of several men, who experience jealousy, anger, madness, love, and passion, which were all expressed through body language and movement. As one solo performance ended, a duet followed, which eventually flowed into a group performance. It was fascinating to witness how complicated issues related to love, such as love triangles, would be expressed through movement without having the words being spoken, or even the music including any implications. However, dance is not just movement; it is also theatre, which was proved true by Saudade. Each segment within the performance, whether completed as a solo, pas de deux, or as a group, produced a stream of intricate emotions, which allowed the audience to be present and be engulfed by the performance. Just as convoluted and fragile as love, each dance portrayed a story that carried those sentiments within itself, resulting in a ride on a roller coaster of emotions.

The performance left the audience in an uneasy state, due to the great reveal of feelings, and how deep and profound the piece was not just to the dancers, but to the viewers as well. The feelings it carried made you reminisce the lost love that once might have existed, but has never really gone quite right. Yet, it had its magic which was worth remembering through the performance just one last time, almost as if it was the final closure.

Performance photos by Ani Collier

Event photos by Jared Siskin/PMC

Andrina Voegele 3/8/17 Andrina Voegele 3/8/17

The Armory Show 2017

The Armory Show is a renowned international art fair that has been taking over Pier 92 and Pier 94 annually for over two decades. The fair runs for four days and features art from the 20th and 21st Century, offering a mixture of well-known contemporary pieces and new emerging artists who are just beginning to establish themselves in the world of visual arts. It is an opportunity not just for art lovers who wish to lose themselves within the many high quality pieces on display, but also a chance for collectors to connect with galleries from all around the globe, meeting curators and art professionals alike.

Five unmistakable exhibitor sections help you find your way through nearly two centuries of international art. This year the Show was divided into Galleries, Insights, Presents, Focus and Platform. The highly anticipated Platform debuted this year and features large-scale, sometimes interactive, installations, art works and commissions.

Wandering around the 250 000 feet area that the exhibition has occupied, you get to see people from all walks of life coming to enjoy art. It is as eclectic as the pieces themselves; everyone from college students working on an assignment over families enjoying a day out to polished art professionals are strolling around. And just as many languages can be heard, which is not surprising since the Armory Show boasts works from over 200 galleries from 30 different countries all around the world.

Every so often you stumble across a Champagne Lounge, where people are wandering about between the white walls separating the different galleries, enjoying something sparkly and chatting up a storm. The entire atmosphere of the show is relaxed and welcoming, which is probably a part of the reason it attracts about 65,000 visitors every year. Everyone can find their niche, everyone will find something amongst the vast space that captures their eye and their hearts, lingering with them long after they have left the Armory Show.

Photos courtesy of Teddy Wolff and BFA

Ryn Walling 6/27/16 Ryn Walling 6/27/16

Prix Canson Awards 2016

In the ever-evolving world of technology, it can be easy to forget our roots. For artists this means paper; paper is used in printmaking, photography, and sculpture, as well as other art forms, all of which are centuries old. Paper is incredibly versatile and has a colorful history that spans history and cultures.

Due to the rich history of paper, the Prix Canson was created to celebrate artists the world over who show a truly spectacular skill with paper, and this year’s finalists were as unique and diverse as paper itself. The winner of the Prix Canson wins a solo show exhibition, publications in mainstream and specialist press, 10,000 euros of Canson paper, and the purchase of one of the works of paper art by the Fonds Canson pour l’Art et le Papier.

ruby onyinyechi amanze was born in Nigeria and now works and lives in New York. Her works use pencil and ink to depict a world of amanze’s own creation.

Bethany Collins is a US native who uses classroom materials – such as paper and graphite – to explore how language and race interact.

David Shrigley is from the UK and is known for the satirical comments he puts in his art. Many of his submissions were oil stick and gesso on paper.

Lucy Skaer is also from the UK. Her art moves fluidly between dimensions and mediums and includes geometric themes.

The winner of the 2016 Prix Canson is artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. She combines drawing, painting, and photo transfer on large-scale paper compositions to create a complex reflection of her transcultural identity. These submissions used photos from Crosby’s archive, anything from photos of friends and family to photos of popular Nigerian musicians, which she used as a backdrop for her characters. She mimics classical western painting styles to create these characters so that these works reveal the overlap and intermingling of cultures and the influence that has on people who live away from their homeland.

All of this year’s finalists were absolutely spectacular. It was really encouraging to see the diversity of the artists and their works. It really goes to show that paper isn’t just for drawing on; it can be used by anyone in any way. New and recent works by the finalists are on view at the Drawing Center through July 1st.

Special Thanks to Kristy from Nadine Johnson & Associates Inc