Stroll into a historical financial building in Tribeca and enter a macabre fantasy. The New York Mercantile Exchange building is currently hosting an elegant, unusual exhibit presented by the Malborough and Steinitz galleries.
The unique show is the collaboration of artists, Thierry Despont, Manolo Valdes and Claudio Bravo. The show is intended to be a multi-layered experience to evoke wonder in the viewer. It features a mix of opulent antiques, like Napoleon Bonaparte's Empire table, giant preserved insects, fantasy creatures made of found objects, artfully arranged animal skulls.
Had I had to room to do so, I would have twirled around the floor, but the gallery was filled with the glitterati like Princess Firyal of Jordan and a Baroness...Maybe even aristocrats have a dark side...
The multiple rooms had the Gothic ambience of Victorian mystery and scientific whimsy of Steampunk. Gilded, but aged walls. Treasures with a dark edge.
The exhibit runs until January 31, 2012. It is located on the 2nd floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange Building at 6 Harrison Street. Admission is free and open to the public.