Guild Hall Inaugurates Newly-Renovated Galleries with New Exhibitions

Finishing out the summer season with an escape to East Hampton, NY? Whitewall recommends paying a visit to Guild Hall to view its latest exhibitions—two solo shows by the artists Leo Villareal and Renée Cox—which are the first to inhabit the art center’s newly-renovated galleries. Open through September 4, Cox’s “A Proof of Being” is a survey featuring her most renowned photographs. Meanwhile, Villareal’s “Celestial Garden” displays the artist’s new light sculpture in a presentation open through October 15.

Best known for her performative self-portraits, Cox’s photographic practice is built around affirmative representations of the Black diaspora, in which she creates and re-creates art history through imagery that challenges destructive stereotypes. In “Proof of Being” at Guild Hall, curator Monique Long has selected some of Cox’s most recognizable imagery to represent the evolution of Cox’s work and practice.

“Renee Cox’s work underscores the importance of examining visual culture, and we are pleased to work with her along with Monique Long to present this survey of Renee’s work as the first exhibition in our newly renovated galleries,” said Guild Hall Director of Visual Arts, Melanie Crader.

Featured are selections from the artist’s “Yo Mama” series, the 4x7-feet digital chromogenic print entitled The Signing (which sees a crowd of Black individuals in decorative historical garb from various eras), and the recent video experience Soul Culture, which immerses viewers in an encompassing room of moving pictures, where the figures of Black models are employed in the making of entrancing, mandala-like visuals.

Entitled Celestial Garden, Villareal’s newest light sculpture is a monumental, site-specific installation made from custom computer-generated algorithms and materials like LED lights and stainless steel. The awe-inspiring piece measures more than 10 feet in height and 28 feet in width, hypnotizing viewers with colors and visuals evocative of astrological bodies and life not of this dimension. Accompanied by ambient sound, the video falls at the intersection of art and technology, following Villareal’s interest in combining technical and mathematical frameworks with elements of chance. 

“I am honored to have an opportunity to exhibit my latest work, Celestial Garden, at Guild Hall,” said Villareal. “I very much appreciate Guild Hall's history, which embraces a long-term interdisciplinary program as well as civically engaged interactions with the community. As a resident of Orient, NY, I am inspired by the deep creative legacy of arts on Long Island and am happy to be part of this legacy.”