Portal: Governor’s Island, formerly known as Governors Island Art Fair, was launched from its namesake location off the southern tip of Manhattan after 15 years at the site. THE Trust for Governors Island (TGI) rejected two proposals from the organizers of the show 4 headsan arts collective led by artists Jack Robinson and Nicole Laemmleto be one of the organizations in residence for the season 2023.
“We’re very sad not to be there,” Robinson told Artnet News. “It’s a great place and I’m very proud of the work that 4heads has done with TGI to build a cultural island.”
In a city known for its white cube art spaces, the island’s unique and charming backdrop abandoned houses Made for Made for serves for serves for a refreshing way meet the art— and interact directly with the artists who made it. “Our thing was that we could always do great things with very few people – that’s what we did well,” Robinson said.
For the 2023 season, 4heads had written two proposals, one for a series of artist residencies with open studios, where participants would show their work in progress over the summer, and a more traditional fair at five of the artists’ homes. Colonels Row. , organized on weekends in October.
Anne Muntges, Chained, at Portal Governors Island. Photo: Sarah Cascone.
In the end, both proposals seem to have taken up too much space on an island now in high demand by New York’s cultural institutions.
This year, TGI had 22 units available for residents and received a record 40 applications. He accepted the proposals of 28 of themincluding the Museum of Contemporary Arts of the African DiasporaTHE New alliance of art dealers (NADA), and the West Harlem Art Fund.
When 4heads learned he was not among them, he requested a meeting with TGI, suggesting alternate locations, such as the former hospital Or Liggett Hall, where it held exhibits in 2017. TGI said both would need to be refurbished before they could be activated by residents, and suggested some sort of outdoor exhibit instead. 4heads said no.
Liggett Hall, designed by architects McKim Mead and White, on Governors Island hosted part of the Governors Island Art Fair in 2017 but now needs renovations before it can be activated for public use. Courtesy of the Trust for Governors Island.
“We appreciate 4heads’ history with the island, and despite their choice not to present programs with us in 2023, we expressed that the door is open to respond to future open calls and opportunities,” said Sarah Krautheim. , spokesperson for the TGI, to Artnet. News in an email.
4heads, which is known for its work with emerging artists, hopes to find a new host for future events. Over the years, he’s bounced around different spots on the island, including stays at Fort Jay and Castle Williams, which are overseen by the National Park Service, not TGI, and could offer a potential route to the island.
“There are a few other organizations that we have had conversations with to get a good space. We just see what fit is going to be good for us,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be fall.”
Before the pandemic, Portal attracted some 40,000 visitors to the 2019 edition of the show– the highest attendance, according to Robinson, of all the art and culture exhibitions on the island. In total, Portal has shown the work of nearly 1,200 artists, starting with just 52 to its first editionwhich came together in about eight weeks.
“Most of the artists we presented were not represented by galleries. A lot of them took off, and hopefully we played a small part in that,” Robinson said, noting that he often noticed group shows after the fair with lists of artists suggesting the merchants had spotted emerging talent on the island.
The elders understand Sui Parkwho now shows with Sapar Contemporary At New York; Shiri Mordechaypresented in New York Spring/Break Art Exhibition in 2022; And stickymongerwho had a stall sold out To Miami Beach Untitled Art in December.
Sui Park, thought bubbles at the 2014 Governors Island Art Fair. Photo: Sarah Cascone.
For many, the fair still holds a special place in their hearts.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that 4heads will not be enjoying arts programs on Governors Island this year,” Gretchen Scherer, who participated in 2010, 2011 and 2013, wrote in an email to Artnet News. “They have always encouraged the most innovative works, not influenced by the art market, but by their interest in unique and sincere art. Their support allowed me to become the professional artist I am today.
Today, Governors Island is essentially New York’s biggest playground, 172 acres of rolling hills and historic buildings attracting nearly a million visits throughout the year.
But in 2008, when 4heads first arrived on the island, hardly anyone knew about it. Governors Island was a military installation until 1996 when the US Coast Guard finally closed its operations there. The federal government declared 22 acres of the island a national monument overseen by national parks, but sold the rest to the city. It opened to the public in 2006.
Installation view at Castle Williams at the 2016 Governors Island Art Fair. Courtesy of Rain Ambuscado for Artnet News.
But despite being one of the first resident arts organizations on the island, the others were sculptors guild And Invention—Portal has received a smaller physical footprint in recent years as TGI has worked to house a larger and more diverse group of organizations. In some ways, the fair seems to have become a victim of its own success.
“4heads has helped promote this island,” Robinson said. “We worked a lot on the fair and on bringing the arts to the island. We helped make it a safer space for more cultural organizations to come out.
More trending stories:
Why Andy Warhol’s “Prince” is actually bad, and the Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith is actually good
The Art Angle podcast: James Murdoch talks about his vision for Art Basel and the future of culture
Sculpture depicting King Tut as a black man sparks international outrage
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
