Finding The Hollows was not intentional. I was up late one night Craigslist surfing (hey, the “etc” jobs sometimes can be very entertaining to read) when I came across “Seeking Artists for a Permanent Ceiling Piece in Bushwick Art Space”. Now, I am no muralist, let alone consider myself an artist, but I am for sure one thing – perpetually curious. So a few emails and a text later, I arrived at an apartment building nestled quietly on Bushwick Avenue and was transported into the magical world of live/work/art space The Hollows.
The Hollows gallery. “We would like for The Hollows to act as a facilitator that brings creative people together,” says Jessica.
The Hollows is the brainchild of Pırıl Gündüz and Jessica Kingdon – two individuals who had the same vision. The two, who met at the New School, bonded during a class called “Art After Deleuze”, a philosophy course focused on Gilles Deleuze’s writings on art. “I think we both had the idea before we met each other, which was at this class,” Pırıl explains, “Reading for that class helped a lot with art theory but also opening our minds for doing things differently, even business things, such as The Hollows.”
Armed with their passion, creativity and artistic backgrounds (Pırıl interned at a major New York-museum and Jessica is a filmmaker) they worked together to (impressively) transform their Bushwick split-level apartment into a gallery space – complete with a few permanent pieces that will remain a constant even as exhibitions change. Their first show opens this Wednesday October 1 and will include the work of close to 20 artists.
The giant watercolor stairwell piece is by Andre Eamiello, a Connecticut native who uses a unique painting process that combines watercolor and earth ephemera.
Pırıl and Jessica hope to make The Hollows international by collaborating and partnering with spaces around the globe. “The very first partnership will be at the end of 2014 in Berlin,” Pırıl explains, “The next stop will be most likely in Istanbul where I spent my college years. Currently our hub is in Bushwick but we’re looking to branch out and are open to seeing where it takes us.”
The ceiling piece, a swirling mural created using Sharpie ink, is by Brazilian artist Talita Zaragoza who is inspired mainly by nature and landscapes, silence and echo.
Besides partnering with international art spaces, both Pırıl and Jessica plan to work with artists of all backgrounds and disciplines, from emerging creatives to those more established. “We prioritize the relation between the pieces of course,” Pırıl says, “But also, since it is a non-conventional art space, we’re keeping an eye on finding interesting spaces to exhibit art. For example, a friend donated an Israeli artist’s sculpture that is a right-foot shaped figure. Right before climbing our stairs, there is an almost-calculated-for-this indented space that allowed us to place the sculpture. Putting that piece there creates new meanings immediately if you want to think about all the eastern tradition of taking your first step into a space with your right foot as a negotiation with your destiny, or whatever that is for you.”
The Hollows founders Jessica Kigdon and Piril Gunduz. “The Hollows is meant to evoke potential. A hollow is a negative space which allows for anything to occur. We want to provide a space which can be filled with multiple possibilities,” they explain.
Their first show opens this Wednesday, October 1st, with an opening reception from 6 to 10PM. This exhibit will run through October 26th and be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11AM-6PM. Check out their website, as well as see the complete list of participating artists.
