Nir Hod’s "100 Years is Not Enough” at Kohn Gallery.
Photo: Kohn Gallery
The Artful Life: 6 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From Nir Hod’s latest show to new Rafael de Cárdenas–designed furnishings for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Installation view of Nir Hod’s "100 Years Is Not Enough” at Kohn Gallery. Photo: Kohn Gallery
1. Nir Hod Opens Striking Exhibition at Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles
Drawing upon personal memory and traumatic historical events, the Israeli-born artist Nir Hod creates poignant works that elicit subtle tensions between the viewer’s expectations and the material reality of the painting surface. His latest body of work explores the illusion that exists between the chromed, mirror-like surface and the physical substance of the painting. Highlights of “100 Years Is Not Enough,” Hod’s second show at L.A.’s Kohn Gallery, include a series of new sculptures that expand upon his signature themes of decay and nostalgia. I Miss You, for example, is a monumental 14-foot sculpture composed of 2,000 melted Shabbat candles. “The candle represents memories, prayers, and wishes; the wax of a single candle is amassed into a monolithic structure,” says the artist. Scratches of Butterfly, meanwhile, features a marble hand acting as a pin cushion for the lethal needle of a butterfly specimen. Another standout is the dazzling group of works inspired by Claude Monet’s water lilies, where thick impasto has been layered over the chrome to extraordinary effect. On view from March 18. —Lucy Rees
Rafael de Cárdenas’s new collection with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams includes the Stiletto side chair, Saturday sofa, Sunbeam chair, Lily ottoman, Honeymoon nesting table, and Lotus pedestal table. Photo: Courtesy of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
2. Rafael de Cárdenas Unveils Furniture Collection with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Already beloved by a creative crowd for his inspired residential interiors as well as his innovative spaces for style setters such as Ulla Johnson and Kenzo, Rafael de Cárdenas has generally operated on the upper echelons of the design industry. Now, the Galerie Creative Mind has introduced a sculptural 19-piece furniture collection with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams that brings his artful interpretation of living spaces to a wider audience. “I wanted to create an approachable, livable version of the furniture from the film interiors I was drawn to as a child—Demi Moore’s apartment in St. Elmo’s Fire and the restraint in Geraldine Page’s apartment in Woody Allen’s Interiors,” says the designer. “Also, Angelo Donghia’s apartment for Ralph Lauren in the ’70s and how incredibly contemporary and clean it felt for that moment. Then I think of that particular moment and what that could feel like. The effect I wished for is warm and casual, convivial and suggestive of play, in a slightly mannerist way.” The array spans every room of the home, mixing structured case goods and tables like the Full Moon chest, Darling console, and playful Lotus accent table with tactile seating, like the tailored Saturday sofa and sinuous Sunbeam chair, which can be customized utilizing MG+BW’s library of more than 500 fabric options. —Jill Sieracki
Arinzé Kene in Misty, The Shed, New York, March 3, 2023 – April 2, 2023. Photo: Maria Baranova; Courtesy The Shed
3. Genre-Bending Play Misty Debuts at The Shed in New York’s Hudson Yards
The energetic, unabashed play Misty, now showing at The Shed’s Griffin Theatre through April 2 in its U.S. debut, makes audiences question what theatre can be in a mesmerizing mash-up of performance art, concert, comedy, and more. This extraordinary work, written and performed by Olivier Award-nominee Arinzé Kene, practically bursts off the stage. As the focal point of the show, his charisma and stamina are astounding as he demonstrates his extraordinary abilities to convey story and emotion through live music, spoken word, and comedy. In the process, the audience is taken on a subversive exploration of issues such as gentrification, classism, and the creative process. Brilliantly, Kene finds just the right moments for pause to let an idea sink in and laughter when the intensity feels almost unbearable. His telling of the writing of the play is as equally riveting as his play-within-a-play set in East London. Not to give too much away—expect to find loads of balloons, reimagined recordings of President Barack Obama’s speeches, and thought-provoking feats of human endurance. —Jacqueline Terrebonne
Alec Soth photograph featured in the SIX.TWO Editions print sale. Photo: Alec Soth
Jack Davidson photograph featured in the SIX.TWO Editions print sale. Photo: Jack Davison
4. SIX.TWO Editions Launches Fundraiser for Earthquake Aid to Turkey and Syria
Over 200 noteworthy image-makers have united in support of disaster relief in Turkey and Syria, both of which were hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in early February. Organized by a small group of U.S.-based creatives, SIX.TWO Editions has launched a print sale featuring powerhouse photographers such as Alec Soth, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Joel Sternfeld, and Shirin Neshat, with the mission to raise funds for non-governmental organizations leading the way in urgent recovery efforts. “We knew something had to be done urgently, and that we had the ability to call upon our community for support,” recount the SIX.TWO Editions organizers. The sale, which will be live for a limited time, offers ten-by-twelve-inch archival prints created by Light Work, each priced at $150. All proceeds will be distributed to five non-profit organizations in partnership with the Turkish Philanthropy Funds. —Stefanie Li
illy x Pascale Marthine Tayou cup set. Photo: Courtesy of illy
5. Illy Debuts Latest Art Collection Cup Set By Pascale Marthine Tayou
A beloved fixture in the coffee industry since 1933, illy continues its 30-year series of special artist collaborations with a new set of cups featuring drawings by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou. Debuted at this year’s Frieze L.A., the full collection comes with six small teacups and plates, where Tayou chose a color palette that represents African landscapes. A stylized mask leaning against a tree can be found on each of the cups, while the plates depict branches growing eggs to symbolize birth and creation. —Shelby Black
"Fully Furnished" at "B" Dry Goods in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Photo: "B" Dry Goods
6. Buzzworthy Brooklyn Gallery Spotlights Artist Jeannie Weissglass
A new Brooklyn gallery that mixes art, design, rare books, and other ephemera has just debuted an exhibition featuring works by New York–based artist Jeannie Weissglass in conversation with a treasure trove of design pieces by a host of esteemed talents. Entitled “Fully Furnished,” the show is only the second to take place at “B” Dry Goods, the Crown Heights gallery founded late last year by dealer Gabe Boyers. Open through April 30, the exhibition presents works created by Weissglass during the isolated pandemic era, during which she created evocative canvases and works on paper that examined her quotidian surroundings, focusing largely on furnishings. Aptly, this show ignites a dialogue between this latest body of work and design treasures by Jean Prouvé, John Baldessari, and Alessandro Mendini, among many others. —Geoffrey Montes
Cover: Nir Hod’s "100 Years is Not Enough” at Kohn Gallery.
Photo: Kohn Gallery
