Last night on a cold, quiet New York evening, the art world descended in throngs upon DUMBO, Brooklyn for the opening of BlackBook Presents, a new experiential art gallery. The cobblestone streets and gallery were filled with art world glitterati, goths, cool kids, fashionistas, collectors, techies, and suits.
BlackBook Presents’ first gallery exhibition featured works by Francesca Galliani, Andy Warhol, Peter Beard, Irving Penn, Bob Tabor, Diane Arbus, Hugh Arnold, Christopher Tennant, Brian Alfred, and Daido Moriyama, amongst many others. One prominent Manhattan gallery owner said, “the level of BlackBook’s first exhibition is comparable to any first exhibition I’ve been to in fifteen years.” It was indeed a unique opening, as the entire exhibition echoed BlackBook’s signature hi-low voice. The works of both emerging talent and famous masters are for sale at the gallery through the 2018 holidays, and on until the end of January 2019.
The exhibition also includes mixed media installations, featuring an experiential room of erotic photographs by Giampietro Favero projected onto a large cloth-covered wall. Additionally, scattered throughout the gallery are the unique works of artist Christopher Tennant, which consist of dioramas with bizarre nature scenes lit from within their eerie wooden boxes. Art world guests liken them to a cross between Damien Hirst and Joseph Cornell.
BlackBook Presents entered the gallery scene last night attempting to do a low-key opening; but by 8pm the exhibition overflowed onto John Street. Chris Blackwell’s signature brand Blackwell Rum provided endless Black & Stormy cocktails, with nibbles courtesy of the indomitable Luc Levy and his timeless classic Café Gitane (the best café in Manhattan and Brooklyn). The new gallery and events space is one of the most unique and beautiful in the city, designed by Mark Zeff from an old DUMBO loading dock.
The BlackBook Presents Gallery will feature art exhibitions and programming through 2019, with events and parties planned around each exhibition. It is also available for rent as a white box events space for clients, with full events production and services offered.
BlackBook Presents is a partnership with BLACKBARN, and is located at 20 John Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn. The opening exhibition is up through January 2019, with works selling from $2,500 to $600,000. For information, sign up for BlackBook’s newsletter at www.BBook.com or go to:
Instagram: @BlackBookPresents
Instagram: @BlackBookMedia_
www.BBook.com / Info@BBook.com
