The allure of discovering a new restaurant, hotel, or café often lies in the promise of being transported by its space and environment. In the realm of art, founders Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska of STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN have applied this transformative principle to gallery spaces. Departing from the conventional stark white walls and sterile atmospheres that dominate most exhibitions, they have unveiled their inaugural solo showcase of Paris-based Francesco Balzano’s refined artistry. This exhibition invites visitors into a world where opulence meets simplicity, offering an immersive experience that transcends the traditional gallery visit.

Titled Inizio, the exhibition space itself becomes a work of art, transformed by Polo and Onuska’s visionary curation. The gallery’s original collection and historic architecture, draped in simple cloth, creates a cocoon of anticipation – a stage where Balzano’s works take center spotlight. The second series, Loci, explores the concept of place and its significance in shaping personal and collective identity. Balzano uses a mix of intimate and large-scale forms to examine how spaces – both public and private – can become symbols of deeply personal experiences. This series consists of six pieces that challenge the viewer to consider how they protect and honor the things they hold most dear.

Polo and Onuska continue by explaining: “The exhibition marks the end of the summer season, the beginning of life again in the city, and so the draped coverings become a seductive invitation for something extraordinary about to happen. It is a nostalgic recollection of the dust covers that were once ubiquitous in New York mansions when society families decamped to country estates for the summer. That reference honors the rich history of the Textile Building, which houses the gallery, whose opulence was designed by the same Gilded Age architect who gave us the Dakota and the Plaza. At the same time, it recalls the revelatory ingenuity of two of modern art’s great visionaries, Cristo and Jean Claude, whose wrapped buildings allowed us to see familiar forms anew and returned beauty to public spaces.”

Balzano’s debut solo exhibition in New York is on display from September 4th to October 4th at STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN. For more information, click here.

Photography by William Jess Laird.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.