New York, NY, March 31, 2010 – Larissa Goldston Gallery is pleased to present “Teaching a Chicken How to Fly III,” featuring artist Gandalf Gavan in collaboration with clothing designer Layla Abramowitz, visual artist Nicola Lopez, and video/sound artist Ronnie Bass.

teaching_chickens

For his second solo exhibition with the gallery, Gavan has created an interactive environment that introduces mainstream formats such as a couture collection with his established installation work.

Gavan’s work questions the widely held idea of art as a cultural reflection or representation of the contemporary state of humanity while examining the basic idea of how to be creative.

“To what extent does the process of consumption/acquisition influence and diminish the realities of creativity and individuality. The show poses the question of ‘Who is consuming who;” and “Is freedom possible?”

The chicken becomes a self portrait; Gavan is the domesticated chicken learning how to fly. Thus, his process includes collaborating with other artists from different systems of logic. For this point, he collaborates with Layla Abramowitz, a fashion designer from New York to develop a fashion line for the show while dressing other artists.

As fashion is not normally accepted as a form of high art, the work questions the fundamental base of what is considered art in academia. As fashion is centered on business, the work questions the logic as to what is considered fashion, walking along the tension of a fine line between one kind of materialism and another.

The six distinct mixed media installations and clothing line will be on view from April 2nd through May 2nd, 2010. There will be an opening reception and live performance by the artist on April 2 from 6pm – 8pm. There will be an additional performance on April 17 from 4pm – 6pm.

Gandalf Gavan, an accomplished young contemporary artist from Berlin, Germany, received his MFA from Columbia University and is currently an adjunct professor there. He has exhibited at galleries around the world, including the PS1 Moma and Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Oaxaca.

Layla Abramowitz, a New York based fashion designer received her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology, specializing in fashion art and knitwear. During her career, she has worked for various designer companies, among them Ports1961 and Zac Posen, living and working in Europe, China, and New York. Her work has been varied, from couture to mass through her exploration of the various facets of the fashion industry.