We are pleased to announce the grand opening of Eli Klein Fine Art. The striking and newly renovated space is over 3500 square feet and situated in the heart of SOHO at 462 West Broadway, between Prince and Houston. With the New Museum for Contemporary Art opening on the Bowery in December, Eli Klein Fine Art promises to be the first of many galleries changing the face of the arts downtown.
The inaugural exhibition, curated by Rebecca Heidenberg, is Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Modern and Contemporary Art. This group show brings together 24 diverse artists from modern masters to emerging artists: Jean Arp, Bo Berkman, Alexander Calder, Amilcar de Castro, Daniel Chadwick, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Monique Van Genderen, Jean Gorin, Jean Hélion, Barbara Hepworth, Carmen Herrera, Shirley Jaffe, Judith Larsen, Fernand Léger, Micah Lexier, Clement Meadmore, Joan Miró, Graeme Patterson, Joel Perlman, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, José de Rivera and Yves Tanguy.
With Alexander Calder as a springboard for exploration, the exhibition creates interesting new perspectives and interpretations of one of America's most important artists. Calder’s work is the focus of exhibitions at many important museums and galleries in the upcoming year, including the current show at MOMA, the Met with a show on Calder’s jewelry, and an exhibition next summer at the Centre Georges Pompidou, which will also travel to the Whitney.
In the exhibition at Eli Klein Fine Art, the context of Calder’s work is recreated by looking at the Parisian avant-garde and Calder’s closest friends such as Miró and Arp. Beyond that, we include a group of artists in Calder’s wider circle of influence such as the surrealists Man Ray and Yves Tanguy, along with Picasso, Gorin and Hélion. Furthermore, the show underscores Calder’s continuing relevance by including an interesting selection of emerging artists who cite Calder as an influence on their work. Please see the enclosed catalogue for an essay on the exhibition and selected images.