Referencing Alexander Calder
A Dialogue in Modern and Contemporary Art
September 29th – November 15th, 2007

We are pleased to announce the grand opening of Eli Klein Fine Art. The striking and newly renovated space is over 3500 square feet and situated in the heart of SOHO at 462 West Broadway, between Prince and Houston. With the New Museum for Contemporary Art opening on the Bowery in December, Eli Klein Fine Art promises to be the first of many galleries changing the face of the arts downtown.

The inaugural exhibition, curated by Rebecca Heidenberg, is Referencing Alexander Calder: A Dialogue in Modern and Contemporary Art. This group show brings together 24 diverse artists from modern masters to emerging artists: Jean Arp, Bo Berkman, Alexander Calder, Amilcar de Castro, Daniel Chadwick, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Monique Van Genderen, Jean Gorin, Jean Hélion, Barbara Hepworth, Carmen Herrera, Shirley Jaffe, Judith Larsen, Fernand Léger, Micah Lexier, Clement Meadmore, Joan Miró, Graeme Patterson, Joel Perlman, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, José de Rivera and Yves Tanguy.

With Alexander Calder as a springboard for exploration, the exhibition creates interesting new perspectives and interpretations of one of America's most important artists. Calder’s work is the focus of exhibitions at many important museums and galleries in the upcoming year, including the current show at MOMA, the Met with a show on Calder’s jewelry, and an exhibition next summer at the Centre Georges Pompidou, which will also travel to the Whitney. In the exhibition at Eli Klein Fine Art, the context of Calder’s work is recreated by looking at the Parisian avant-garde and Calder’s closest friends such as Miró and Arp. Beyond that, we include a group of artists in Calder’s wider circle of influence such as the surrealists Man Ray and Yves Tanguy, along with Picasso, Gorin and Hélion. Furthermore, the show underscores Calder’s continuing relevance by including an interesting selection of emerging artists who cite Calder as an influence on their work. Please see the enclosed catalogue for an essay on the exhibition and selected images. Eli Klein Fine Art has an exciting program for the upcoming year. The exhibitions will highlight new ideas and aesthetics in emerging art markets. Our next show, opening November 17th, looks at contemporary Chinese art. China is generating a lot of attention for their growing contemporary art scene. As the country faces a dramatic transformation, Chinese artists are reacting with a rich and challenging creativity. Artists include Wang Guanyi, Liu Ye, Li Wei, Zhang Dali and Zhang Hui among others. The following exhibition, which will open in January, will look at contemporary Canadian art and features Theresa Sapergia, Cathy Daley and Elena Willis among others. In March, we will have a show focusing on Brazil, which will coincide with the launching of a new book on contemporary art in Brazil, a country bursting with artistic innovations.

For more information, please contact the gallery at [email protected] or (212) 255-4388.