Three-day pop-up brought together 21 contemporary artists and nearly 400 guests around discovery, creative independence and the freedom to encounter art on its own terms.
NEW YORK, NY – The Bishop Gallery concluded “RESPECTFULLY,” a three-day group exhibition presented Sept. 24–26 in Chelsea during New York’s Armory Week, bringing together Vingt Sept and 20 contemporary artists whose distinct practices explored art, culture, identity, design and visual storytelling.
Presented as a Chelsea pop-up at 508 West 26th Street, the exhibition created a space where artists and audiences could encounter work beyond a single aesthetic, discipline or point of view. Nearly 400 guests, including members of New York’s art, music and entertainment communities, attended the VIP and media preview before the exhibition opened to the public.
Curated by Luz Harmon, “RESPECTFULLY,” was built around a simple premise: give artists room to be discovered on their own terms.
That idea was reflected in the exhibition’s title. The comma in “RESPECTFULLY,” is intentional — signaling that what comes next remains open, unfinished and still being written.
PUTTING THE WORK BEFORE THE ARTIST
Among the artists featured, Vingt Sept / XXVII offered a particularly direct expression of that philosophy.
The artist intentionally maintains a degree of anonymity, placing the work ahead of personal identity and inviting viewers to engage with the ideas, materials and symbols within the artwork rather than the personality behind it.
Vingt Sept’s presentation anchored the exhibition with 10 works, including All These Things and Covet (Minyoti) from the artist’s three-part All These Things series.
In Covet, the second statement of the series, a 64-inch round canvas is rendered almost entirely in deep shadow. Bands of intricate linework are contained within the dark field, while a singular, totemic form rises at the center. Rose-pink portals, an inverted triangle and jewel-toned forms in orange, magenta, yellow and blue create points of color against the darkness.
The work explores the tension between desire and reverence, what happens when something is singled out from a totality and wanted for itself. The title, minyoti, the Amharic word for “covet,” connects the work to a specific language and cultural tradition while reinforcing XXVII’s broader exploration of humanity, consciousness, materiality and the origins of desire.
Working across abstraction, sacred text, object design and philosophical inquiry, XXVII’s practice uses semi-anonymity as part of its artistic language.
“Meaning gathers in every mark” is a central philosophy of the work.
A CONVERSATION ACROSS DISTINCT PRACTICES
While Vingt Sept provided one compelling perspective within the exhibition, “RESPECTFULLY,” was ultimately about the conversation created by bringing distinct artistic voices into the same space.
The exhibition brought together artists working across different visual languages and creative disciplines, allowing audiences to move between abstraction, contemporary expression, cultural commentary, identity, design and visual storytelling without being confined to a single aesthetic.
The participating artists were Alim Smith, Ava Maria Brock, BlissArmyKnife, Rajuma Bey, Destiny Branay, King David, Dee Dwyer, Sermon Green, Luz Harmon, Jabari Jefferson, Traci Johnson, William Kennedy, Lex Marie, MarCarson, Daniel Tagbo, Dimithry Victor, Virgil Warren, Esteban Whiteside, Will Watson and Vingt Sept.
For The Bishop Gallery, the Chelsea pop-up also represented an opportunity to place artists in the center of one of New York’s most active contemporary art corridors during a week when collectors, curators, artists, cultural leaders and creative communities converge throughout the city.
Rather than presenting a single artistic point of view, “RESPECTFULLY,” allowed the work, and the audiences encountering it, to determine what came next.
ABOUT THE BISHOP GALLERY
The Bishop Gallery is committed to creating platforms for artists and developing meaningful connections between contemporary art, culture and community.
With RESPECTFULLY, The Bishop Gallery brings together a compelling group of artists for an exhibition centered on creative expression, discovery and cultural dialogue. Visit thebishopgallery.com/respectfully/ for more information.
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Press / Media Inquiries:
Rob Love
Launchpad Worldwide
Info@Launchpadww.com
917 418 1708
The Bishop Gallery × Vingt Sept × 20 Artists
Contact:
Rob Love
Launchpad Worldwide
Info@Launchpadww.com
(917) 418-1708
Tiffany Sondergaard
–ts Brand Elevation
(610) 349-3671
tiffany@tsbrandelevation.com
