Red Bull Arts New York Presents Artist Eric Wesley's 'The Bell, Mannahatta' At NADA

Red Bull Arts New York and the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) are pleased to present the The Bell, Mannahatta, a site-specific solo presentation by artist Eric Wesley at NADA New York 2018 as part of the fair's programming. The exhibition is on view during fair hours through Sunday, March 11.

The project marks the first partnership between NADA and Red Bull Arts New York, as well as the first off-site presentation of an artist by Red Bull Arts New York.

"NADA embraces new models which support artists and foster our gallery community. We admire Red Bull Arts New York's experimental and ambitious programming and look forward to having them as a partner for the first time," said Heather Hubbs, NADA Executive Director.

The Bell, Mannahatta is installed at the center of the fair as a self-contained structure. Referencing present day New York, The Bell, Mannahatta comprises intersecting facades of a Taco Bell and Pizza Hut that form a cruz, or cross. A KFC bucket-shaped bell completes the trifecta of Yum! Corp. Visitors will also see - and be seen by - two crows, Heseeus and Sheeseus. At times there will be cake.

"This off-site project is new territory for us, but we wanted to push the boundaries of Eric's project both physically and conceptually," said Max Wolf, Chief Curator of Red Bull Arts New York. "The orientation of the work presents an opportunity for The Bell, Mannahatta to intervene and engage with NADA New York's energized community in a way that would have been impossible in our space or any exhibition space for that matter."

Part-sculpture, part-performance, the project was conceived as a sequel to The Bell, Cahokia (2016), a project from Bortolami's Artist/City program that transformed a former Taco Bell in Cahokia, Illinois into a venue for art and performance. For the second rendition of the project, the focus is dessert. "Eat your cake and have it, too" becomes literal - a formalist statement on matter, infinity, and general physics. The Bell, Manahatta extends the legend of The Bell.

The seventh edition of NADA New York takes place at Skylight Clarkson Sq, from March 8-11th, 2018. NADA New York continues to showcase the best of contemporary art, with 117 exhibitors representing 36 cities from 19 countries.

Eric Wesley (b. 1973, Los Angeles) lives and works in Los Angeles, and received his BA from University of California Los Angeles. He has had solo exhibitions in galleries internationally as well as MOCA, Los Angeles and Foundation Morra Greco, Naples, Italy; 356 Mission Road in Los Angeles; Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis. Among others, Wesley's work has been included in exhibitions at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Musée d'Art Contemporain, Bordeaux; Fundación/Colección, Jumex, Mexico; Museo d'Arte, Benevento, Italy; the 2004 Whitney Biennial; The Prague Biennial; Institute of Contemporary Art, London; MoMA P.S.1, New York; and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Upcoming exhibitions include a solo-exhibition at Redling Fine Art, Los Angeles. Wesley won the Artists for Frescobaldi competition in 2016. He is one of the founders of Los Angeles' Mountain School of Arts.

Red Bull Arts New York is an experimental, non-commercial arts space dedicated to offering new opportunities to local and International Artists by supporting bold ideas and ambitious projects. Red Bull Arts New York focuses on extending the boundaries of exhibition making; supporting the production of new work by emerging and established artists; presenting historical surveys and large-scale presentations; and exploring the intellectual and philosophical provocations of our contemporary ethos. Past exhibitions include Sarah Meyohas: Cloud of Petals (2017), Ugo Rondinone: I ? John Giorno (2017), Bjarne Melgaard: The Casual Pleasure of Disappointment (2017), TOTAL PROOF: The GALA Committee 1995-1997 (2016), and BIO:DIP (2015), a two-person solo exhibition by Nicolas Lobo and Hayden Dunham curated by Neville Wakefield, among others.

Founded in 2002, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) is a not-for-profit 501c(6) collective of professionals working with contemporary art. Its mission is to create an open flow of information, support, and collaboration within the arts field and to develop a stronger sense of community among its constituency. Through support and encouragement, NADA facilitates strong and meaningful relationships between its members working with new contemporary and emerging art. In addition NADA hosts two fairs a year, NADA New York, and NADA Miami.