The Return of the Real

Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
521 W 21st Street
Appointment required
New York
Chelsea
Jul 14th 2020 — Aug 28th 2020

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For its first on-site exhibition post-lockdown, Tanya Bonakdar unveils “Return of the Real” as a group show that celebrates the restored possibility of viewing art in-person, in a public context.

The presentation brings together a mix of mainly sculptures, paintings, and photographs conceived by more than a dozen artists, including Olafur Eliasson, Sarah Sze, Gillian Wearing. Some contributions—from Tomás Saraceno, Ernesto Neto, and others—will go on display later this summer.

As a whole, the selection of work imparts significance primarily through elements like scale, lighting effects, subtle textures, and other qualities similarly invoking sensory dimensions accessible only to those in near enough proximity to a given piece. This ultimately requires viewers to exist alongside it—namely, within a shared physical space—to experience it fully.

Olafur Eliasson, Return of the Arctic light sphere, 2020 (installation view). Stainless steel rods, Fresnel glass, Rimex, Lamberts Glass (Blue to white), powder coated aluminum, 55.1 x 55.1 x 55.1 inches. Courtesy Tanya Bonakdar Gallery.