The address, between the Flatiron and Gramercy districts, is well known to New Yorkers. 281 Park Avenue South is home to one of the city’s architectural gems: an extravagantly fronted five-story Flemish Renaissance-style building built in the late 19th century. Owned by religious and charitable organizations for decades, the former Church Missions House has recently become a cultural center dedicated to contemporary photography.
The former Church Missions House, the building taken over at the corner of 22nd Street by Fotografiska. Jesse David Harris
This new multi-concept museum space is none other than the New York extension of Fotografiska of Stockholm, designed by brothers Per and Jan Broman ten years ago. The renovation of the building – a historic site “with unlimited potential,” according to Geoffrey Newman, a broker-investor associated with the case – was entrusted to the CetraRuddy agency. “Their avant-garde approach to design and their respect for the building give life to a place capable of offering a cohesive experience, from the ground floor to the fifth floor”, poursuit Geoffrey Newman.
Not Yet Titled, 2019, by Anastasia Taylor-Lind, one of the leading photographers. Anastasia Taylor-Lind
Fotografiska, the photo from all angles
Higgins Quasebarth & Partners consulting firm brought its expertise to the restoration and preservation of historical elements, in particular the original stained-glass windows, which had remained hidden for a long time. In the spirit of the Fotografiska of Stockholm and Tallinn (inaugurated last June), the New York center will offer all genres in the field. “The Broman brothers have profoundly broadened the way of understanding photography”, estimates the director of the exhibitions, Amanda Hajjar, defector of Gagosian, famous international network of art galleries. A diversity that will dominate from the opening this winter in Manhattan: the sensual bodies of the famous German fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth will rub shoulders with the bare landscapes of the Swedish environmentalist Helene Schmitz; the portraits of Tawny Chatmon, notably from « The Redemption », the latest series by the African-American multimedia artist, and inspired by the “golden cycle” of the Viennese painter Gustav Klimt, will refer to the cinematographic staging of the Israeli photographer Adi Nes.
Beloved, série « The Awakening », 2018, de Tawny Chatmon. Tawny Chatmon / Courtesy of the Artist and Galerie Myrtis
Bathtub, 1996. Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss viewed by Ellen von Unwerth. Ellen Von Unwerth
New York Themes
The first exhibition will be produced in partnership with the magazine Time and will unveil the work of photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind on maternity. “We want to present themes that speak to New Yorkers, such as immigration, gender norms, wage inequalities or even childcare, explains Amanda Hajjar. Anastasia Taylor-Lind has investigated how child care arrangements are organized in New York City, from nannies (“nannies”) to nurseries. Incredible work. “ Eighteen to twenty-five exhibitions are planned each year on the three floors reserved for them. Fotografiska, which targets 500,000 visitors per year in Manhattan, “Is not only an exhibition space, it is also a multi-experimental space, says Amanda Hajjar. People come there for photography, as well as for its culinary offer and to chat. “
Untitled (Last Supper), 1996, d’Adi Nes. Adi Nes / Courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery
The first floor will host a restaurant designed by studio Roman & Williams – to whom we owe the revival of the Ace Hotel and Standard High Line in New York, as well as the renovation of the English galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The fifth and last floor will be dedicated to events and creative programming. The opening, initially scheduled for spring 2019, was delayed for several months due to the ambitious transformation work of 281 Park Avenue South, “A project of both preservation and renovation, recalls Geoffrey Newman, but also a complete redesign of this historic residence, so that it becomes a new destination for art, entertainment and restoration ”. London will experience an invigorating cultural breath in the coming months with the opening of a fourth Fotografiska.
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