"The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion" by Olivia Cheng (Dauphinette).
Photo: Courtesy NYBG
The Artful Life: 5 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From never-before-seen furniture and textiles by Josef Frank to the opening of the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden
dj and ryan (2023) by Clifford Prince King. Photo: Courtesy the artist, STARS Gallery, Los Angeles, and Gordon Robichaux, New York
the fear of letting go (2023) by Clifford Prince King. Photo: Courtesy the artist, STARS Gallery, Los Angeles, and Gordon Robichaux, New York
1. Clifford Prince King Makes Public Art Fund Debut
Public Art Fund has partnered with Clifford Prince King to present the photographer’s debut public art exhibition, “Let me know when you get home.” Presenting a series of 13 new images on 330 JCDecaux bus shelters and newsstands across New York, Chicago, and Boston, the project captures intimate moments of the artist’s summer travels from 2023, showing his experience as a queer Black man. The installation also marks a nomadic period in the artist’s life, during which the people that surrounded him temporarily became his home. “The series serves as a visual journey tracing King’s summer travels, cumulatively revealing a meditative self-portrait,” says Public Art Fund Adjunct Curator Katerina Stathopoulou. The exhibition will be on view until May 26. —Stefanie Li
"The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion" by Hillary Taymour (Collina Strada). Photo: Courtesy NYBG
2. The Annual Orchid Show Opens at New York Botanical Garden
In anticipation of the upcoming spring season, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)’s annual Orchid Show has officially kicked off its 21st edition. Running through April 21, “The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion” highlights the beloved flower’s impact on many creative works, with whimsical fashion pieces made of flora by three female designers now on view at the institution’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Visitors will be welcomed immediately with a striking installation by Olivia Cheng (Dauphinette), set against the building’s picturesque waterfall and towering palm trees. After taking a tour through the tropical rain forests, Kristen Alpaugh’s (FLWR PSTL) towering piece made with mixed materials and (of course) orchids sets the tone for a circular display of retro-inspired pieces. Finally, guests can strut their stuff on the runway courtesy of Hillary Taymour (Collina Strada), who created garments made of succulents, Spanish moss, and rosettes donned by mannequins of creatures including frogs and geckos. —Shelby Black
Installation view of Svenskt Tenn's “The Clarity of a Room” exhibition in Stockholm, which includes the Josef Frank designed Table Klöver, Rug No. 20, and Armchair Liljevalchs. Photo: Erik Djurklou
Installation view of Svenskt Tenn's “The Clarity of a Room” exhibition in Stockholm. Photo: Erik Djurklou
3. Svenskt Tenn Mounts Exhibition Celebrating Centennial with Rare Works by Josef Frank
Included in the extensive collection of celebrated Swedish design brand Svenskt Tenn are myriad pieces of furniture and textiles first conceived by Josef Frank, whose pioneering style set the foundation for Modernist architecture. To commemorate its centennial, Svenskt Tenn dug into its archive of more than 3,000 of his sketches and drawings to introduce a selection of never-seen-before items as well as bring back a few forgotten favorites. Highlighting the array is the Stockholm cabinet, a classically shaped case on tall, lithe legs with a paper lithograph depicting an antique map of the city, limited to just 100 examples. Other notable works include the abstract Rug No. 20, a design originally conceived by Frank in the 1930s or ’40s and brought to production for the first time, as well as a reintroduction of the voluminous Armchair 608 Liljevalchs, Frank’s earliest piece for the brand. (Notably, it hasn’t been available for more than a decade.) First unveiled during Stockholm Design Week, the Frank designs are on display among other notable works from Svenskt Tenn’s collection in the exhibition “The Clarity of a Room,” on view through May 19. —Jill Sieracki
A work on view at "In the Night" at SAMoCA. Photo: Courtesy of SAMoCA.
A work on view at "In the Night" at SAMoCA. Photo: Courtesy of SAMoCA.
4. An Exhibition Exploring the Power of the Nocturnal Opens at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art SAMoCA
Nighttime has long served as a source of creative inspiration for artists, drawn to the darkness and solitude it offers. Through May 20, the newly opened Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA), Saudi Arabia’s first contemporary art museum, is presenting “In the Night,” an exhibition featuring 30 artists. Interpreting the richness of the nocturnal landscape are works by international talents such as Hiroshi Sugimoto, Anri Sala, and the late Hossein Valamaneshas, as well as local artists including Muhannad Shono. The museum had its official opening in November of last year. Nearby in Diriyah, a historic town just outside of Riyadh, the second edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is also now open, led by artistic Director Ute Meta Bauer and titled “After Rain.” —Lucy Rees
Centro Studi Archivi Ricerca Triennal. Photo: Delfino Sisto Legnani
5. UniFor Unveils Cuore Research Center at Triennale Milano
One of Italy’s leading design institutions, Triennale Milano, has teamed up with UniFor to create a permanent research center to house the esteemed museum’s extensive collections. Dubbed Cuore, the new 3,200-square-foot archive illustrates the Triennale’s commitment to making history and heritage more accessible, with over 300,000 physical and digital assets relating to architecture, design, and craftsmanship now expertly organized and proudly on display. The exhibition was masterminded in large part thanks to UniFor’s modular solutions (the brand is owned by Molteni) that include display cases, cabinets, and shelving, which were envisioned by Luca Cipelletti’s firm, Studio AR.CH.IT. Now, myriad photographs, objects, models, prototypes, fabrics, drawings, volumes, and posters can be easily located and accessed by the general public. The space provides a wellspring of inspiration. —Geoffrey Montes
Cover: "The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion" by Olivia Cheng (Dauphinette).
Photo: Courtesy NYBG
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