Chris Wolston’s Gingersita Chair and Primavera Chair installed at Hotel Bel-Air.
Photo: courtesy hotel bel air
The Artful Life: 6 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week
From Doyle’s new gallery space in Charleston to Chris Wolston’s whimsical pieces installed at Hotel Bel-Air
Doyle’s new Charleston gallery. Photo: Abby Murphy Photo
Vintage jewelry and an Andy Warhol print at Doyle’s Charleston gallery. Photo: Abby Murphy Photo
1. Doyle Unveils Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina
With its picturesque streets dotted with glorious examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Victorian architecture, fantastic culinary scene, and a burgeoning art market, Charleston, South Carolina, lures a creative crowd looking for good food, good fun, and great art. Now, venerable auction house Doyle has opened a location on King Street, adding further prestige to the city’s cultural cachet. Tapping local talents Julia F. Martin Architects and landscape architect Glen R. Gardner to reimagine the 2,800-square-foot space, the auction house opened with a preview of pieces from the October 26 Important Jewelry sale; also on view are works included in the November 1 “80s NYC” event, including artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Andy Warhol. Afterward, Doyle will mount the American Sale on November 8 and 9, featuring works by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney as well as pieces from the artist’s estate, followed by a dispersement of Impressionist & Modern Art and Post-War Contemporary Art. —Jill Sieracki
An installation view of “Chris Wolston at Hotel Bel-Air,” which includes Earthly Delight Vessel 01, Margarita Love Seat, and Earthly Delight Vessel 02. Photo: courtesy Hotel Bel-Air
2. Chris Wolston Installs Whimsical Furnishings at Hotel Bel-Air
Winter might be nearing, but the storied Hotel Bel-Air is in bloom. Colombia-based artist and furniture designer Chris Wolston has just unveiled his latest exhibition at the Dorchester Collection property’s sculpture garden, where it will remain on view through Valentine’s Day 2024. The captivating show, which features Surrealist-inspired vessels and planter chairs adorned with floral motifs, was produced in partnership with The Future Perfect and curated by James Hedges, the hotel’s curator of the arts. Highlights include Wolston’s newest explorations in terra cotta as well as two pieces from his renowned Nalgona series of cheeky wicker chairs. —Geoffrey Montes
Leather working at Serapian Madison Avenue. Photo: Courtesy Serapian
3. Storied Milanese Leather Goods House Serapian Opens Madison Avenue Boutique
As quiet luxury continues to be a driving force in style, Serapian, the Milan-based leather goods house, has opened its first stateside boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue. With craftsmanship and quality at the heart of everything they do, it makes sense that this fashion insider favorite, beloved for its discreet beauty, seamlessly combines product, heritage, art, and design all in one 1,600-square-foot jewel box. Inspired by the paintings of Giorgio De Chirico, a Serapian family friend, the boutique’s design has marble accents and golden arches, which recall the brand’s flagship in Villa Mozart, an Art Deco masterpiece by architects Piero Portaluppi and Aldo Adreani. All of this, of course, makes for the most extraordinary backdrop to showcase Serapian’s bags (especially its signature Secret tote), wallets, and belts. But the real magic happens in the Bespoke Salotto, which allows clients to choose from over 44 colors of nappa leather to have woven into infinite woven combinations for its one-of-a-kind Mosaico pieces. –Jacqueline Terrebonne
4x4x4 (2021) by Jen Stark. Photo: Courtesy of ProjectArt
Childhood artwork by Jen Stark on view at "My Kid Could Do That." Photo: Courtesy of ProjectArt
4. ProjectArt Launches Exhibition to Benefit Arts Education
Dedicated to providing free art classes in public libraries nationwide, ProjectArt will host a one-day exhibition on Thursday to celebrate childhood creativity and raise funds for arts education. The nonprofit has curated a stellar group of artists to participate in “My Kid Could Do That,” on display at the Greenpoint Loft for one day only. Spotlighting rare childhood artworks by artists such as Daniel Arsham, KAWS, Sarah Cain, Dan Colen, Jen Stark, and Darryl Westly, the exhibition showcases where these renowned artists got their start. The exhibition is open to the public from 12-4PM, followed by the gala filled with live music, passed bites, and cocktails hosted by Emmy Award–winning broadcast journalist Michelle W. Park. —Stefanie Li
Installation view, Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago, the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston, (2023). Photo: Mel Taing
Installation view, Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago, the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston, (2023). Photo: Mel Taing
5. Artist Guadalupe Maravilla’s Traveling Installation Kicks Off Texas Tour
Known for crafting sculptures that break the boundaries of space and sound, New York–based visual artist and choreographer Guadalupe Maravilla will showcase his largest sculpture to date, Mariposa Relámpago, across the Lone Star State. The monumental installation serves as a testament to the artist’s life story, in the form of a school bus purchased in his home country of El Salvador as a way to re-trace his migration route from there to the United States, and later reimagined through added chrome plating as well as fringe made of cutlery. Throughout the vehicle are an assortment of objects such as sculptures of children’s torsos, Indigenous symbols, and gongs and other tonal objects—all of which are linked to spiritual, political, and medicinal meanings attuned to Maravilla’s practice. The sculpture, which the artist has labeled a “vibrational healing instrument,” was originally commissioned by ICA Boston in May 2023 and will now tour through Texas from November 4 through March 16, 2024, making stops at Ballroom Marfa, The Contemporary Austin’s Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria, and finishing its run at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. Each stop will be accompanied by a series of programs hosted by the institutions. —Shelby Black
The cover of Thom Browne, published by Phaidon. Photo: Courtesy of Phaidon
Pages inside of Thom Browne, published by Phaidon. Photo: Courtesy of Phaidon
6. Thom Browne Releases Major Monograph Celebrating 20 Years of Namesake Fashion Label
Marking the 20th anniversary of the company’s founding, a handsome new monograph published by Phaidon is the first book on Thom Browne. The American designer is known for modernizing the essential staple in anyone’s wardrobe today: the suit. Specially commissioned photography by Johnny Dufort features more than 200 looks from past seasons. An introduction by his husband and costume historian Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu curator in charge of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and creative director of this title, sets the tone for this beautiful tribute to a creative genius, while the book ends with a tableau of runway installation images. Fittingly, the book is enclosed in a clamshell box with translucent vellum pages featuring the brand’s signature four stripes and the signiature striped grosgrain ribbon to round it out. —Lucy Rees
Cover: Chris Wolston’s Gingersita Chair and Primavera Chair installed at Hotel Bel-Air.
Photo: courtesy hotel bel air
