A lot of people turned up last evening for the chance to see the inside of 190 Bowery and look at the Aby Rosen/Vito Schnabel-backed group exhibition titled "First Show/Last Show."
However, the whole thing was called off before the show even started … much to the surprise of people who arrived at the landmarked building at Spring Street.
@evgrieve the #germaniabankbuilding isn't open to the public today - they're saying invite only. Lame!
— Gillian (@GillianEK) May 16, 2015#190Bowery is a total fiasco. Hundreds of art fans getting stuffed by 6 security guards letting in about a dozen middle-aged Art snobs
— Scott Heins (@scottheins) May 16, 2015According to artnet, the show "has been abruptly closed to the public for reasons unknown."
Now what?
"The show will be open by appointment May 18 – 29, Monday through Friday from 12-6 p.m. Closed Memorial Day. Please respond with your requested time and we will do our best to accommodate you."
You have to RSVP here.
Per artnet:
The original invitation didn't even require an RSVP, so it's not surprising that Rosen, Schnabel, and their coterie of rich and famous friends got a little spooked by the prospect of the unwashed masses showing up to rub elbows with the art elite.
As for the exhibit, the Observer pointed out:
Titled “First Show/Last Show,” Schnabel’s exhibition brings the work of seven auction-approved white male artists together under the cryptic rubric that their art “immediately conveys its significance,” a super power that is obviously absent from any artwork authored by a woman or a person of color.
Photographer Jay Maisel bought 190 Bowery in 1966 for $102,000. He recently sold it for a reported $55 million. A still-unnamed creative agency has leased floors 2-6. The groundfloor retail remains on the market.
Photos by Scuba Diva … H/T Gothamist
Previously on EV Grieve:
Take a last look inside the mysterious 190 Bowery
