Paddle8′s current exhibition, Taking Sides, closes today. The exhibition opened up a dialogue between many things: it brought up the division of opinions of war, whether humorous, ironic, or poignant, it introduced us to a diverse array of international artists, and as a result we saw their brilliant visual content created as a reaction and reflection to war. We end each show with a behind the scenes perspective from some of the staff, including a lovely statement about Zak and Robin, from our own, Alexander Gilkes.
“Having first visited the Williams’ stunning ranch in Sonoma a few years ago, I felt privileged to discover at first hand their impeccable collection of contemporary art, and to have unearthed a personal passion that few were aware of. In the years since, Zak and his wife, Alex, have opened a Chelsea Gallery and Robin continues to collect with curiosity and fervor. It was to our great delight that they decided to share such a personal story with Paddle8: Taking Sides” is another feather in the cap for this brilliant family and the exhibition is testament to their discerning taste in contemporary art.”
— Alexander Gilkes
“I love the online and offline activities revolving around the artists – seeing Seher Shah’s show at Scaramouche Gallery, working with Scott King, Michael Rakowitz, Jananne Al-Ani, Trevor Paglen, Raqs Media Collective and Eko Nugroho on their dossiers and seeing the conversational sparks fly between Michael Rakowitz, Trevor Paglen and Seher Shah at our panel discussion.”
— Andrea Hill
“I felt the diversity of the artists available to us, and their immediate and honest reactions to war to be the most interesting. By far, my favorite piece from the exhibition was AJ Fosik’s ‘Reason is the Oracle (Redux).’ I appreciated the vivid colors and craftsmanship, mythological symbols, and the direct and indirect references it made to so many cultures.”
— Kenneth Chau
We hope you’ve enjoyed Zak and Robin Williams’ Taking Sides, the artists, the members of the 8.
Immateriality curated by Marina Abromovich opens October 26