Art Exhibit Comes to the Glamorous Gstaad
Mnemosyne: de Chirico & Antiquity in Gstaad
The popular and unique exhibition Mnemosyne: de Chirico & Antiquity recently closed at the Helly Nahmad Gallery in New York City on January 30th. Juxtaposing twentieth century paintings by Giorgio de Chirico with Greek and Roman antiquities from Phoenix Ancient Art, the exhibit challenged artistic boundaries and introduced unique ideas to its viewers.
The exhibit was able to continue to impress and enlighten in Europe, as it was recently brought to Gstaad. There was an opening event and cocktail hour on Friday, February 12th at 7pm and the exhibit was open daily from 11am until 8pm through February 17th.
The idea behind the location was to bring the exhibition to the EU, to a location for VIPs, where they could enjoy the powerful display. Nestled in the Swiss Alps, Gstaad is a unique get-away and the exhibit took place at the Gstaad Palace, an exclusive five star hotel.
Amidst the fine dining, the ski opportunities, the spa and more, the Mnemosyne: de Chirico & Antiquity exhibition was a feast for the eyes. It revealed the aesthetic impact Classicism had on twentieth century Modernism as shown through Giorgio de Chirico’s work. While most know of him as a Surrealistic expert, this exhibition focused, instead, on his less-known series of neoclassical paintings done after a stylistic shift in the 1920s. His painting incorporates the major themes of the time period including deserted valleys scattered with ruins, gladiators clad in armor and horses along sweeping landscapes, Greek gods and others.
Mnemosyne: de Chirico & Antiquity in Gstaad
Pairing these works with antiquities from Phoenix Ancient Art, the viewer was challenged to understand the paintings in a new light, and to see the antiquities in a new way. The exhibition included 22 de Chirico paintings and 40 antiques, displayed together to evoke feeling and to touch on similar themes.
Certainly, both Phoenix Ancient Art and the Helly Nahmad Gallery were pleased to renew the collaboration they had in New York, this time in the elegance of Gstaad.