News
Gallery Met Exhibits New Yorker Magazine Artists in New Show, Hansel and Gretel, Opening November 16
Exhibition features original art inspired by the Grimm Brothers fairy tale; new Met production of the opera opens December 24
October 29, 2007
New York, NY (October 29, 2007) — In a unique collaboration between the Metropolitan Opera and The New Yorker magazine, Gallery Met brings together artists from the esteemed publication, plus a few special guests, in a colorful exhibition of new, original artworks titled Hansel and Gretel. The exhibition features renowned
New Yorker artists, including: Roz Chast, Ian Falconer, Jules Feiffer, Ana Juan, Ed Koren, Anita Kunz, Lorenzo Mattotti, Christoph Niemann, Lou Romano, Owen Smith, William Steig, Gahan Wilson, and Bob Zoell. The exhibit also features new works by well-known contemporary artists John Currin, George Condo, and William Wegman—also inspired by Hansel and Gretel.
Organized by Gallery Met Director Dodie Kazanjian in collaboration with the New Yorker’s Art Editor Francoise Mouly, Hansel and Gretel is inspired by the Met’s holiday presentation of Humperdinck’s operatic version of the Grimm fairy tale, premiering at the Met on Monday, December 24. The exhibition opens Friday, November 16, and runs through February 2008. Gallery Met is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on performance days (closes at 6 p.m. on non-performance days) and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
The New Yorker’s witty and insightful artwork has been a hallmark of the publication since its founding in 1925, yet it is rare to see these artists shown together in a gallery setting. In the November 5 edition of The New Yorker (available on newsstands beginning October 29), Hansel and Gretel is previewed in a five-page portfolio that includes works from the exhibition by Ana Juan, Gahan Wilson, Lorenzo Mattotti, Lou Romano, Christoph Niemann, George Condo, John Currin, and William Wegman.
Dodie Kazanjian says, “The Hansel and Gretel story is one of our darker fairy tales. Its complex and often frightening overtones have fascinated both children and adults for centuries. On the occasion of the Met’s new production of the Humperdinck opera, I thought it would be intriguing to invite these artists, whose range and originality is so justly famous, to offer new visual interpretations of the old story.”
Francoise Mouly, adds, “The New Yorker artists are known for their wit and sophisticated approaches to visual narratives. They are the perfect choices to bring out the charm and humor lurking in the dark recesses of this deeply resonant fairy tale.”
About Gallery Met Director Dodie Kazanjian
Dodie Kazanjian, editor at large for Vogue, has been covering the international art scene since 1989. She has identified and written about many of the most promising young artists—among them Cecily Brown, Maurizio Cattelan, John Currin, and Wangechi Mutu—while also profiling and conducting in-depth interviews with such modern masters as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Cy Twombly. Ms. Kazanjian curated Gallery Met’s inaugural exhibition, “Heroines,” which helped launch the company’s opening night gala events last year. In 2007, she co-chaired the Met’s first “Art for Opera” contemporary art auction, which was held on the Met stage and raised more than $1.8 million to support new opera productions.
About The Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met
The Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met is a showcase for contemporary works of art that reaffirms the company’s long history of groundbreaking relationships with major visual artists. Located in the south side of the lobby of the opera house, the Gallery was made possible through a $1 million donation by Marie Schwartz, an Advisory Director on the Metropolitan Opera’s Board. In the spring of 2008, the gallery will display Chuck Close’s images of Philip Glass to celebrate the Met premiere of the composer’s Satyagraha on April 11.