Le Cabinet de Curiosites | Assouline

Conceived and curated by Thierry W Despont, in cooperation with Marlborough and Steinitz galleries, Le Cabinet de Curiosités was a unique installation in which contemporary art converged with antique furnishings and architecture to create a setting both old-world and otherworldly.The exhibition presented work by Marlborough artists Despont, Manolo Valdés, and the late Claudio Bravo (the first posthumous exhibit of his work), as well as an eclectic array of rare objects from the Steinitz COLLECTIONS. An immersive environment of furnishings and antiquities from Steinitz, interspersed with Valdés’s trompe-l’oeil Libreria sculptures, Bravo’s hyperrealist paintings, plus Despont’s Nebula paintings of imaginary celestial orbs and his fantastical sculptural creatures assembled from found objects and tools, all combined to create a multisensory experience evoking a sense of wonder and fantasy. Thierry W Despont is an architect, designer, and artist who has worked on many high-profile projects, including the Statue of Liberty, the Frick family mansion, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.Born and raised in France, Despont is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts, holds a masters degree in urban design and city planning from Harvard University, and is a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor and of the Arts and Letters. His artwork has been seen in numerous solo and group exhibitions in New York, Paris, London, Monaco, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, and Venice.Despont has written several books, including Masks, Studio, Insects, and Planets, published by Assouline.Fred A. Bernstein studied architecture at Princeton University and law at NYU, and writes regularly about both subjects.He has been published in Departures, The New York Times, and Architectural Digest, amongst others. He resides in NewYork City.Laziz Hamani has worked for clients including Harry Winston, Dior, and Tag Heuer, and has contributed to books including The Grand Bazaar Istanbul, Anti