Gaetano Pesce Unframed, now open at architect Lee Mindel’s Galerie56 in TriBeCa, is a new exhibition of 60 of the Italian architect and designer’s drawings as well as a selection of the maestro’s quirky resin furniture and objets. This marks the first time the fantastical drawings—relating to both existing built architecture and interior projects as well as unrealized spaces and projects—have been shown together. The works reveal Pesce’s idiosyncratic imagination, as well as his skill as a fine artist and draftsman. They offer a unique insight into his creative process.
Some works, like the drawings of his resin bookshelves, are accompanied by small-scale examples in resin. Some of the drawings are displayed behind sheets of plastic, secured to walls and columns with black tape. Mindel explains that this was Pesce’s preference for how the works should be displayed. The works are crafted with commonplace materials such as paper, mylar, and cardboard, attesting to his ability to ‘defy categorization’ and connect with a wide range of viewers. A common theme in Pesce’s work, many of the drawings and sketches incorporate humanoid features—exaggerated eyes and lips, hands, feet.
“One of the greatest conceptualists of our time, Gaetano Pesce is one of the most important living figures in architecture and design today,” says Mindel. “His concept of the world and sense of materiality is uniquely characterized by a profound sense of humor. We are honored to showcase his drawings that exemplify the thought behind some of his most significant projects.”
Galerie56 is Mindel’s recently opened cultural space located at street level in the Herzog & De Meuron-designed 56 Leonard, also known as the Jenga building. The space is flanked by the new Anish Kapoor sculpture that has been in the works for several years and was finally revealed in February. The space, which Mindel conceived as a civic gesture meant to extend the seemingly private world of art and architecture into the context of the city, is encased in floor-to-ceiling glass, giving it an openness that is unusual in a traditional gallery space.
“Galerie56 reflects deeply American values of openness, transparency, and desire to welcome all international cultures to be part of a democratic discourse accessible to all,” Mindel explains. “Through establishing a dialogue with Anish Kapoor’s sculpture, the space not only acts as a physical node on Church Street but also as a larger metaphorical node within the vast network of artists around the world.”
Gaetano Pesce Unframed will run through May 8, 2023, at Galerie56, 56 Leonard Street.
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