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DUH FRIDAYS at Hotel Americano

Brought to life by rapper Alex Chapman, Joe Grun, and Zac Sebastian, Prôject 518 is now in its third week of creating a fresh alternative to the downtown New York party scene. More popularly known as Duh Fridays, the party resides in the basement of Chelsea’s Hôtel Americano, famed for its minimalist urban ryokan aesthetic.  The party has had a strong start thus far with performances from the likes of rappers Junglepussy and Le1f, along with DJ sets by musician Theophilus London, fashion photographer Leslie Kirchhoff, and host Alex Chapman himself. A home base for downtown personalities to unwind with their friends, ‘Duh Fridays’ has an unparalleled intimate energy.  With next week’s lineup including a DJ set by creative director Vashtie alongside host Frankie Sharp, the party has a promising future that is sure to become a permanent installation for New York partygoers.
Words by Leila Samïi — Photos by Zac Sebastian

Yayoi Kusama New York exhibition: I Who Have Arrived in Heaven at David Zwirner gallery.
Following the success of installations at the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art and The Tate Modern, Yayoi Kusama joins the David Zwirner gallery for her exhibit I Who Have Arrived in Heaven.  The exhibit spans over all three of the gallery’s spaces and includes twenty-seven new large-scale paintings, two infinity rooms and a video installation entitled Manhattan Suicide Addict.  From the biomorphic shapes presented in the paintings to the polka dot laden tentacle formations in the second infinity room, the exhibit functions as an animated playground in which the viewer can consider their own existence in relation to their surroundings. Transcending pop art and minimalism, Kusama’s frenetic work fulfills the question of life and death by means of alluding to autobiographical content and exploring ones place within a given cosmic realm.
Words and picture by LEILA SAMII

David Zwirner Gallery
525 W 19th St
New York, NY 10011
November 8 – December 21, 2013

WWW.DAVIDZWIRNER.COM