Cops Called On 700+ Artist Gallery, “The Patriot,” Opening-Night
Image via @evgrieve on Twitter
The Lower East Side was abuzz for the opening night of “The Patriot” on July 14th. “The Patriot” was an art exhibit for the art gallery O’Flaherty’s — a ten-month-old gallery spearheaded by artist Jamina Juliano-Villani. Juliano-Villani described the exhibit as “we literally took any piece of shit you brought in, whether it was awesome or total trash.” It was, according to Juliano-Vilna, intended to deconstruct the sophistication and structure of normative summer group shows. After the events of Thursday night when the cops were called, this idea was taken to a whole new meaning.
The exhibit was an open-call show in which all artists were accepted as long as they met the criteria set by the gallery: under 36×36 and no use of wet oil paint. Over the course of a few weeks, Juliano-Villani and her co-founders reviewed submissions. By the end of the process, there were a total of more than 700 pieces placed throughout the gallery — covering the walls from ceiling to floor.
Any spaces, including bathrooms and closets, were converted into gallery walls to display the artworks. The artworks, ranging in material, style, and skill connect through their lack of association.
Given flashlights, spectators weaved through the darkened rooms to view the art pieces. Sadly, only a few gallery-goers were able to make it into the building on 55 Avenue C. Snaking through the streets surrounding the O’Flaherty’s, an estimated 1,000 people attended the opening-night of “The Patriot” in Alphabet City.
By 8:30, only a half hour following the start of the show, cops were called in to disperse the group. After a few more reinforcements were summoned, the safety and fire hazard was quelled over the following hour.
This unorthodox gallery will be open until August 10, 2022. While the exhibit will be only viewable for a little less than a month, after its first opening-night, its message has been heard loud and clear.