Features
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The Other Art Fair Opens This Week at the Brooklyn Expo Center
TOAF Keri Oldham Patchwork Notable Art Show of The Week
This week The Other Art Fair will return to the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint from November 9 – 12, 2017 for its second U.S. fair. This notable show is different in that it lets the creator/artists take charge, by selling directly to the public without the barrier of a dealer or gallery. While New York City plays host to multiple art fairs like Frieze and TEFAF, geared to wealthy art collectors, the Other Art Fair is unique in that it offers access to tomorrow’s next art star at accessible prices starting at under $1000! A selection of local artists of note includes Ilisa Katz Rissman, Gaius Cruz, Evan Paul English, Thomas Hammer and Karen Inglehart to name a few.
Alicia Noelle Jones Environmental Importance 
Xan Padron, Time Lapse -Keep Moving, Color on Paper The Other Art Fair is presented by Saatchi Art and is the U.K.’s leading art fair for discovering emerging artists.Fun Facts about the fair:
Over 130 international, local and female artists will be showcasing their art. The Fair features over 130 international, local and female artists whose work will appeal to both eagle-eyed collectors and a new generation of art lovers.
Dates and Times
Opening Night $30 (benefits Free Arts NYC)Thursday, November 9th, 6:00pm-10:00pmGeneral Entry $15 ($13.50 Students and Seniors)Friday, November 10th, 12:00pm–9:00pmSaturday, November 11th, 11:00am–7:00pmSunday, November 12th, 11:00am–6:00pmLocation
72 Noble Street, BrooklynAccessible by the G Train Greenpoint Avenue Stop. The East River Ferry India Street stop. -
ApArt Makes its New York Debut On The Upper East Side
ApArt – The story of how a private gallery made its public début in New York City
High End Weekly™: Tell us about ApART, your background in art and how it led you to launch apART?
Thais Marin, Co-Founder of apArt: The gallery started because my husband is an artist and creative from the advertising industry (Leo Macias, CCO of DDB Colombia) and I felt that is was necessary to have a space to share and showcase his artwork. One day we decided to buy a bigger apartment that would allow us to build an art studio inside the apartment. One day, as we were traveling to Berlin, we discovered Christian Boros and the way he would let people into his own home to view his art pieces. This brought us insight. We decided not only to have an art studio but instead build an art gallery inside our apartment and have people come into the apartment to see the art exhibitions. The successes then came when people discovered the art displayed in an art gallery inside of a private residence!
I grew up watching my mom paint and that inspired me with creativity. Plus, I always would decide to draw instead of watching TV with my brothers. That led me to a career in the advertising industry where I could use my creativity. I was once an account and interactivity professional in the advertising and marketing industry and handled several brands such as Disney. McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Avon, Embraer, Carregour, Extra, iG Internet, Bradesco Bank, among others on a global, regional and local level. I also worked on strategic campaigns involving global licensing with DreamWorks, Turner, Nickelodeon, Fox, Viz, Imagius, Televisa, Paramount, Mattel, Wild Planet, 4kids, LucasFilm, Marvel, Sanrio, Lego, Hasbro, DicComics, and WarnerBros. Recently, I’ve worked for The Walt Disney Company as a Sales Promotional manager where I improved my experience in marketing.
Being a multitasking, avant-garde professional, I wanted to go beyond creativity. So, I developed a creative art concept based on developing new artists, especially from the advertising industry. I built the first art gallery in a private apartment in Brazil, that is now is taking place in other cities such as New York and Bogota. Through this creative economy concept, I can be in closer contact with creative professionals, whom I believe may be able to inspire me in some type of way. Creative writing is another one of my passions, and I had published two young adult fiction books from a trilogy called “Wild Horses”, which have already been distributed in Brazil and Portugal.
From Left: apArt’s director Maria Ines Moraes, Marcello Serpa, Leo Macias, and the co-founder, Thais Marin. High End Weekly™: What makes your gallery unique? Tell us about your first show here in New York City.
ApArt: Besides being an art gallery built inside of a private apartment, another differentiation of apart is the artists. We celebrate artists! We present them to the world of art. We assist them until they are prepared to be a real artist. They feel so overwhelmed with gratitude to have this opportunity that they never imagined they would have. We prepare them for the conventional galleries. We believe the reason apArt is so sought after is that we’re doing business with generosity, we’re giving people a way to see art and experience it in an unconventional way. We’re giving them the opportunity to buy their first piece and to the artist the opportunity to sell their first art piece.
Another service that we brought to Brazil that turned out to be a huge success was the art rental. People become very curious about it, and to our own surprise, we’re the first gallery to bring it to Brazil. We plan on growing the art rental in New York as well.
The big challenges are to turn new buyers into future collectors and to make time for all the artists that deserve to have their work exposed. We believe the reason apArt is thriving is that we’re doing business with generosity. We’re giving people a way to see art and experience it in an unconventional way. We’re giving them an opportunity to buy their first piece and giving the artist the opportunity for them to sell their first piece.
High End Weekly™: Why New York?
ApArt: New York is a place where people really watch what is going on. We believe that by investing in New York we can help show people the message of art. Because apArt’s concept is to provide opportunities to new artists, specifically from the advertising market, we decided to have it here because it’s one of the most important areas for the advertising market. Also, New York is a great place for opportunities in the art industry!
From left: apArt co-founder, Thais Marin, and the director Maria Ines Moraes. High End Weekly™: What is the first artwork/artist that captured your attention?
ApArt: I use Instagram, and I believe it is a great tool to see art, to see great photos. I follow Marcello Serpa on Instagram and was surprised to find out that he’s an artist. I watched him my whole career and never realized that. His art has a presence and a great mix of colors that are very ludic. People look for this kind of art. Art that takes them to another world, another fantasy world. Marcello’s art is also very family friendly. We sold almost every piece and pretty much all the buyers have a family and children.
High End Weekly™: What type of art does ApART focus on? And what do you look for in an artist?
ApArt: Our main goal is to be recognized as the type of art gallery that prepares artists for the conventional galleries and builds more collectors. We look for art that represents the beauty, the beauty inside and out, and that really shows the artist’s soul. The artist should be a beginner in the art world but should have a passion to create inside and out.
High End Weekly™: When did you realize that the business of art was something you wanted to be the cornerstone of your life?
ApArt: Diane von Furstenberg once said, “Generosity is the best business if you do it, they all come back to you.” Everything that I heard that day from her was fitting to me and the path that I was on to develop apArt. All the work we do stand for the artists. To help them begin their career and aid them from start to finish, and then we let them free. Free to start their own path, but we never abandoned them. We follow them and keep selling their art as much as we can. We become fans.
High End Weekly™: Do you believe that smaller galleries can innovate in order to survive the age of “Mega-Gallery?”
ApArt: Yes, I do believe that. There are so many ways, one of them would be building new collectors. There is so much to be done.
High End Weekly™: When is your next show here in New York, and what do we have to look forward to?
ApArt: Our next show will be a Japanese one. We are looking to find artists that have an eye for Japanese art.
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Bunny Mellon at The National Gallery of Art
Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend Are you in DC this weekend, and happen to be a huge fan of Bunny Mellon, like we all are here at High End Weekly? Then we strongly urge you to head over to the East Building Auditorium of the National Gallery of Art.
Here are some tidbits of the upcoming book signing – as per the museum’s website.
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Bunny Mellon: The Pursuit of Perfection
- October 15 at 2:00 pm.
East Building Auditorium - Meryl Gordon, director of magazine writing, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, New York University, and author of The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark (2014) and Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach (2008)
Rachel Lowe Lambert Lloyd Mellon (1910–2014), also known as Bunny Mellon, was an American gardener, horticulturalist, philanthropist, and art collector. She represented the epitome of American aristocratic self-taught taste. With an unerring eye and an unlimited budget, she brought a modern sensibility to the extraordinary art collection that she and her husband Paul Mellon amassed, which included many works now in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Acclaimed for designing the White House Rose Garden for her friend John F. Kennedy and famed as a garden designer and fashion trendsetter, Mellon was press-shy during her lifetime. To write Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend, the first biography of this influential woman, author Meryl Gordon drew on Mellon’s journals and letters and interviewed more than 175 people. In this lecture, Gordon discusses the interplay between the public and the private Bunny Mellon, as well as her close friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
A book signing of Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend follows.
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Exploring Louise Bourgeois’ Creative Side
Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010). Arch of Hysteria. 1993. Bronze, polished patina. 33 x 40 x 23″ (83.8 x 101.6 x 58.4 cm). Collection The Easton Foundation. © 2017 The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, NY. The last few weeks of summer is dwindling away. And even though we still have our eyes on chic summer travels, and rooftop parties, we’re also putting together an amazing list of this fall’s top museum exhibitions. The first one that came to mind is Louise Bourgeois: An Unfolding Portrait at MOMA. The show explores the prints, books, and creative process of the celebrated sculptor Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010).
Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010). Lacs de Montagne. 1997. Engraving, etching, aquatint, and drypoint. Sheet: 23 13/16 x 29″ (60.5 x 73.7 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the artist. © 2017 The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, NY. Bourgeois’s printed oeuvre, a little-known aspect of her work, is vast in scope and comprises some 1,400 printed compositions, created primarily in the last two decades of her life but also at the beginning of her career, in the 1940s. The Museum of Modern Art has a prized archive of this material, and the exhibition will highlight works from the collection along with rarely seen loans. A special installation will fill the Museum’s Marron Atrium from September 24, 2017, until January 28, 2018.
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Throwback To Bridgehampton, Spring 2017
Dan Flavin Art Institute 
Edwina von Gal 
The South Hampton Art Museum 
Dan Flavin Art Institute where we were all in awe of the permanent installation of Flavin’s plus a special exhibition, Icons 
Toni Ross’ studio in Bridgehampton 
Touring Toni Ross’ studio, and exploring her latest sculpture Images courtesy of Richard Lewin.
Back in the spring of 2017, we took a memorable artsy trip to The Hamptons, and explored The South Hampton Art Museum, took a private tour of the Dan Flavin Museum, and visited the artist studios of Toni Ross, and Bastienne Schmidt. And let’s not forget the fabulous lunch we all enjoyed at Toni Ross lovely home.
At the South Hampton Art Museums, we were given a thorough tour which highlighted the works of Philippe Cheng, Louise Eastman with Janis Stemmermann, Christopher French, Saskia Friedrich, Mary Heilmann, Toni Ross, Bastienne Schmidt, Michelle Stuart, Edwina von Gal and the Perfect Earth Project, and Almond Zigmund. Some of the exhibitions may still be there for the summer. Have a look at the museum’s schedule by visiting their website.
Are you visiting The Hamptons this summer? Then we highly recommend that you tour Dan Flavin Art Institute where we were all in awe of the permanent installation of Flavin’s plus a special exhibition, Icons. Bridging the mediums of painting and sculpture, Dan Flavin completed a series of eight works known as “Icons” between 1961 and 1964. They connect the work that he made early in his career to the sculptures in light for which he is remembered for. The Icons exhibition illustrates the leap that he made from painting to working in pure light.
Bastienne Schmidt’s Photography book 
Touring the peaceful landscape surrounding Bastienne Schmidt’s home 
Bastienne Schmidt 
Touring the peaceful landscape surrounding Bastienne Schmidt’s home 
A minamilist point of view: Bastienne Schmidt’s home 
Philippe Cheng Photos by High End Weekly. All Rights Reserve.
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Public, “The People’s Hotel” Opens its doors in The Lower East Side
A lush and inviting courtyard at Public. Ian Schrager’s Transformative Hotel in The Lower East Side Luxury for the masses. That’s what PUBLIC (with its $150 per night entry price point on rooms) the new hotel by the man who pioneered the boutique hotel concept, Ian Schragger plans to bring to the trendy lower east side on June 7, 2017. PUBLIC was designed by award-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, and it boasts a restaurant and grab-and-go marketplace helmed by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Guests will no doubt enjoy their experiences in the “LUXURY FOR ALL” hotel the moment they arrive in the lobby which serves as a “community” space, encouraging work and social activities, a modular, multimedia venue that can serve as a nightclub, art gallery, cultural center, performance space, screening room or intimate concert venue, a nightclub and terrace, and a serene outdoor garden designed by Madison Cox.
Public Arts, the first new idea since Studio 54 forty years ago and the embodiment of a nighttime renaissance, is another new and creative offering at the hotel. It’s a progressive, avant-garde multimedia performance space like no other, that will be home to the most cutting-edge cultural programming including film screenings, theatrical and dance productions, intimate musical performances, art exhibitions, lectures, talks, readings, product launches, comedy and amateur nights, and even hot sweaty dancing!
“PUBLIC’s fundamental premise is LUXURY FOR ALL. It is built on four key pillars: service, style, unique experience, and value. However, it’s not luxury as we traditionally know it, but luxury reflecting a new definition. Luxury is no longer about things or how much something costs. It is not a business classification, a price point or based on scarcity. Luxury is now about experiences and how something makes you feel. Luxury is being democratized and is now for everyone”. “I wanted to create a hotel for my generation, not my parents’, and one that reflected my tastes and sensibilities as well as popular culture at the time. I was responding to cultural shifts that were emerging. I see the exact same opportunity now. That is the reason for PUBLIC,” says Ian Schrager.
“Times change. People change. Culture changes. Luxury as we once knew it has changed. Hotels have not. A new way of living requires a new kind of hotel. There has not been a new idea in the lifestyle hotel space since Ian Schrager’s Morgans, Royalton and Paramount hotels over 25 years ago. Every hotel since then has been derivative of those. The time is right, in this new milieu, for a disruption in hospitality as there clearly is a dislocation in the market. It is the same type of dislocation and void that led Schrager to conceptualize Morgans back in 1982 which created a cultural revolution and changed the industry”.
The 3 bars, Diego, The Roof and Lobby Bar each have their own unique vibe and personality so depending on the time, you might end up hitting all three on the same night or just one, depending on your mood. Lushly landscaped gardens, multiple communal workspaces, and private event rooms, both indoor and outdoor atop the building with jaw-dropping 360-degree unobstructed views of the city, the spaces provide the ultimate in socializing, entertaining, working and even just people watching. “Service and comfort are at the heart of PUBLIC and were completely rethought for this new brand response to new desires and needs. PUBLIC captures a vast array of today’s UNIVERSALLY APPEALING SERVICES with great precision while doing away with those that are obsolete and superfluous”.
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Jeff Koons’ “Seated Ballerina” takes center stage at Rockefeller Center
Seated Ballerina is the latest public art project by famed artist Jeff Koons. Rockefeller Center: May 12 – June 2, 2017. (Photo by Michael McConkey/My New York Diary) Art is notably more fun when the public gets to enjoy it, and so it’s been proven that thousands of New Yorkers have reveled in the beauty of Jeff Koons’ “Seated Ballerina” when they got their first glimpse of the installation last Wednesday. The enormous ballerina, prominently placed in front of the city’s landmark, is a 45-foot-high inflatable sculpture that depicts a metallic female figure in a powder blue leotard and tutu adjusting her slippers. The piece marks the third time Jeff Koons has displayed one of his monumental work at Rockefeller Center, and it was officially opened by the artist himself on Friday, May 12, 2017.
“Created in conjunction with beauty brand Kiehl’s and the Art Production Fund, a firm that produces ambitious public art projects, the work is intended to bring awareness to National Missing Children’s Month, as well as the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC)”. Jeff Koons is a board member of the ICMEC, Koons helped co-found The Koons Family Institute on International Law & Policy, an initiative that researches the status of child protection legislation around the world.
Peek a boo: Jeff Koons ambitious “Seated Ballerina” wows the crowd at the iconic New York Landmark. 
Details of “Seated Ballerina”, the third gigantic public art installation by famed artist, Jeff Koons. On view until June 2, 2017 at the Rockefeller Center. 
New Heights: Jeff Koons “Seated Ballerina” depicts a metallic female figure in a powder blue leotard and tutu adjusting her slippers. 
Seated Ballerina by Jeff Koons – Rockefeller Center from May 12 – June 2, 2017. (All Images by Michael McConkey/My New York Diary) -
TEFAF New York: Editor’s Top Picks
TEFAF NEW YORK SPRING 2017
The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), the Netherlands-based enterprise, will hold their Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Fair at the Park Avenue Armory from May 4th through May 8, 2017. This will mark the veteran art fair second showing in New York City since their début last October. Judging from the impressive list of exhibitors (Applicat-Prazan, DeLorenzo, Demisch Danant, Galerie Jacques Germain, Phoenix Ancient Art, Helly Nahman, Hans P. Kraus, to name a few) TEFAF Spring 2017 is a true showstopper. After an early preview of the show, here are a few exceptional highlights of the ‘Best in Show.
HERTHA HILLFON (Swedish 1921–2013) Ceramic, stoneware and white glaze 
Halle Suenson Brass, lacquered brass and opal glass 
Tomás Sánchez (Cuba, 1948) 
Kehinde Wiley (Los Angeles, 1977) Bronze 
Piano di Tavolino, Mixed media on glass and walnut 
Pablo Picasso Ceramic 
Paulin Multimo Sofa 
Gilded Arm Of An Equestrian Graeco – Roman, (1st century B.C. – 2nd century A.D.)Gilded bronze 
JOAN MIRÓ (1893-1983) Soirée snob chez la princesse, 1944 
Bakota, Shake people Wood, copper, brass and bone 
Alexandre Noll (Reims 1890-1970 Fontenay-aux-Roses) Mahogany 
Pieter Laurens Mol (Breda, 1946) Circa 1984-1994 
Lucio Fontana *Rosario 1899-1968 Varese) Terracotta 
Gustave Le Gray (Villiers-le-Bel 1820-1884 Cairo) Albumen print from a wet collodion negative mounted on paper 
Jean Prouvé (1901-Nancy-1984) Painted steel tube, aluminum and oak -
The Best of AIPAD 2017
The Photography Show: A New Year, A New Space
Structures of Identity: Photography from The Walther Collection A fresh look at AIPAD reveals that the iconic show organized by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers, known as the longest-running and foremost show dedicated to the photographic medium, still holds the power to draw photo lovers from its previous location at The Park Avenue Armory to its new home at Pier 94.
J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Suku Sinero, 1974. Printed 2010 
Manuel Alvarez Bravo 
A special exhibition presented by AIPAD With well over 100 galleries, book dealers, publishers, special exhibitions, AIPAD Talks, and photography-related organizations, this year show presented another great opportunity to discover new artists, explore new photographic techniques by surprisingly old artists, and getting re-acquainted with photographers like Robert Doisneau, Herb Ritts, William Silano, Man Ray, and Manuel Alvarez Bravo. While attending AIPAD Talks during the last day of the exposition, I finally got to meet the seasoned photography collector Artur Walther, after the discourse. What a moment that was.
Based on the reported attendance, and sales (the highest in AIPAD history; more than 15,000 visitors came to Pier 94, up from the 12,000 who attended last year’s Show at the Park Avenue Armory) the show was a success. As an art broker, I was enthralled with AIPAD’s new format. It is true that the new venue is less intimate than the Park Avenue Armory, but interestingly enough, that played to its advantage. Furthermore, I was thoroughly pleased to see how photography continues to have a significant amount of power in our busy day-to-day lives. MVSP
This story was originally reported by Vyna St. Phard at www.arteighty8.com.
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Monaco’s Song Qi Restaurant – Curating Food as Art
Song Qi is a gourmet Chinese restaurant in Monaco. The establishment is well-known for its intimate surrounding. The decor is a great example between modernity, luxury and timelessness. Much have been written about Alan Yau’s restaurant (Michelin-starred chef of Hakkasan fame) Song Qi since it opened its door in Monaco back in 2014. Yes, it is true that the establishment was named one of the best 17th restaurant in the world by Casa Vogue Brasil. Yes, it’s also true that the scrumptious Chinese gourmet food found at Song Qi is unique in the sense that it is the first of its kind to be opened in the principality.
Song Qi is the brainchild of two of the world’s top restaurateurs: Alan Yau and Riccardo Giraudi. But little has been said (until now) about how their elevated cuisine is able to transform Asian flavors, and Mediterranean products into edible works of art.
Alan Yau and Riccardo Giraudi’s artful collaboration brought to Monte-Carlo the only offer that had not yet been created: a luxurious Chinese gourmet restaurant with quality cuisine. 
Song Qi was named one of the 17th best restaurant in the world by Casa Vogue Brasil.
Song Qi’s signature dishes, include their famous whole Peking duck, with homemade pancakes, cucumber and spring onion. That particular dish requires 45 minutes of preparation. 
Gastronomy paradise: Once can relish in the superbly presented dishes at Michelin-star chef Alan Yau’s restaurant Song Qi. 
Homemade Dim Sum, jasmine tea smoked pork ribs, mango crispy beef fillet, honey roasted char sui pork, crispy dragon shrimps are all in the menu at Song Qi. 
Part of the experience of dining at this restaurant (besides savoring their delicate artful dishes), is their glamorous surrounding. The decor, sleek and luxurious, reflects the spirit of Shanghai’s golden age of the 1930’s.
