Mana Exposition: All The Best Artists Are My Friends (Part 1)
Exhibition design by Richard Meier
Curated by Ray Smith
Eugene Lemay, President of Mana Contemporary, announces the debut this spring of Mana Exposition, a new addition to the Jersey City art complex to be held in the Mana Glass Gallery, one of the largest galleries in the United States. Designed by architect Richard Meier, the column-free exhibition space spans 50,000 square feet. The inaugural exposition will run from May 10 to August 22 and will feature works with a market value of over $10 million, signaling a new commercial endeavor at Mana Contemporary. Mana Exposition will also embody Mana Contemporary’s goal of fostering a sense of community in the art industry, and will encourage artists to realize monumental works to exhibit and sell.
Lemay says “We view Mana Exposition as an opportunity for artists to present their work in a more relaxed and aesthetic environment, without white boxes or cubicles. Each Mana Exposition will have a prominent curator or curatorial team working directly with artists.”
The first Mana Exposition is curated by artist Ray Smith, who titled the show All The Best Artists Are My Friends, Part 1. Mana approached Smith knowing he would assemble a show that evokes the kinship in the community of artists at Mana Contemporary. Among the three-dozen artists included in the inaugural exposition are Rita Ackermann, the Bruce High Quality Foundation, Phong Bui, Francesco Clemente, Alex Katz, Julian Schnabel, Shelter Serra, Max Snow, Swoon, Meyer Vaisman, Angel Vergara, and Ai Weiwei. Many of the participating artists have created work especially for this show.
Richard Meier says the walls he designed for the Glass Gallery “make the space divided but also fluid … as you move around the space, you see the different relationships between the art shown here … It’s a phenomenal exhibition space. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Lemay adds “Galleries are facing a daunting number of fairs each year, often in far-flung locations. We believe that Mana Exposition projects will be welcomed by the community of galleries as an exciting series of shows that does not tax gallery resources.”
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