This Saturday, March 20, Salon 94 will open its new flagship gallery in New York City at 3 East 89th Street with solo exhibitions of work by Niki de Saint Phalle, Derrick Adams, and Takuro Kuwata. Residing in the former National Academy of Design Museum, the space will serve as the home base for the gallery, as well as Salon 94 Design, and the new non-profit project S94+.
Measuring at around 17,500 square feet, the five-story Beaux Arts structure has been refreshed by the architect Rafael Viñoly to cater to exhibitions, offices, and private viewing rooms. With more than 10,000 square feet of space dedicated to exhibitions, performances, and permanent installations, visitors will find The Brick Room project gallery on the first floor and three additional floors dedicated to exhibition space—including the Stone Room overlooking The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum through tall, arching windows.
Photo by Jason Schmidt, courtesy of Salon 94.
Kuwata’s exhibition “Zungurimukkuri,” which translates to “Roly Poly,” fills the ground floor. Looking to his own 2019 exhibition at Kyoto’s Kiyomizudera Temple, the artist drew parallels between the space and ceramics studio as places for ritual. Tatami mats are used as pedestals for the ceramic works, which often allude to traditional teaware, inspired by the Japanese chanoyu tea ceremony.
Adams’s “Style Variations” features 10 large-scale portraits celebrating self-actualization and Black joy by examining themes of fashion and costuming. Inspired by the power of transformation found in the simple act of changing a hairstyle or a lipstick color, the monumental works draw from the salons and beauty shops found in Bed-Stuy, which he has observed and photographed during his 15 years living and working in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
Installation view of Derrick Adams’s “Style Variations,” photo by Jason Schmidt, courtesy of Salon 94.
And in the exhibition of the late de Saint Phalle, “Joy Revolution,” the gallery is presenting a compilation of pieces from private collections and historical works from the Niki Charitable Art Foundation, including works on paper, mosaic furniture, archival film, and more. Exploring the artist’s personal philosophy of radical joy, the works on view—like the colorful sculptural Bathing Beauty and pieces from the artist’s “Nanas” series—highlight de Saint Phalle’s contribution to revolutionary gender politics in art.
Inaugurating the new flagship space, all three exhibitions will remain on view for the public through April 24.
Installation view of Takuro Kuwata’s “Zungurimukkuri,” photo by Jason Schmidt, courtesy of Salon 94.
