Zadok Exhibits Complement Miami Art Week

By Jenifer Mangione Vogt

The Zadok Art Gallery (ZAG), which opened in March 2010 in Miami’s Wynwood Art District, will present stellar exhibits to complement the plethora of art offerings that surround Art Basel Miami Beach. Zadok is dedicated to art from the post-World War II era to the present day and has quickly been recognized as a preeminent destination for artists and collectors.

One of Wynwood’s larger spaces, ZAG boasts an impressive 17,500 square feet of space that features 12 exhibit rooms. The gallery serves as a reference for the secondary art market and modern art but also provides a platform for emerging artists. For Miami Art Week, ZAG presents the work of Chen Man, Lewis Tardy, Lori Kirkbride and Hunter Jonakin.

Lewis Tardy, Photographic Memory, mixed media sculpture.

Chen Man’s “Curly Flower” vision series is on display for the first time. Man is a superstar of the Chinese fashion/photography world who works out of Beijing. She creates sumptuous photographic images that display a technical wizardry that belies her 28 years. In addition to collaborating with various international celebrities and luxury brands, Man’s works have been featured in numerous Chinese magazines such as Chinese Vision, Vogue China, Elle and Bazaar.

In 2008, Man was invited to participate in the prestigious “China Design” exposition in London, where one of her pieces was selected as the exposition’s feature advertisement. She has exhibited extensively throughout the world, and this year she was commissioned to create an advertising campaign for MAC cosmetics.

Lori Kirkbride, Pink, mixed media.

Lewis Tardy will present his sculptures, which weave recycled objects and scrap metals into complex, biomorphic designs. These works perfectly marry Tardy’s strong aesthetic eye with his intuitive level of mechanical craftsmanship. Tardy is a self-taught artist, having learned his craft in a traditional apprenticeship. An earmark of his work is his high degree of craftsmanship and surprising use of found objects.

Lori Kirkbride is an up-and-coming Brooklyn-based artist. Zadok Gallery will showcase her whimsical paintings that are filled with bold abstractions and playful floral designs. Utilizing acrylic polymer, resin and collage, she produces works of shocking color intensity, ranging in size from the intimate to the monumental. Her works-in their powerful simplicity-evoke a feeling of positivity.

Hunter Jonakin, Jeff Koons Must Die.

ZAG will also feature the innovative installations of Hunter Jonakin, who believes “technology has saturated our lives” and, as such, uses non-conventional material, such as micro-controllers, vintage game engines, fiberglass and custom built circuits, to craft elaborate and ironic digital installations. Taking the shape of traditional video games, his work explores the hybrid world of humanity and technology through neurological stimuli and changing viewpoints. Also exhibited will be an impressive outdoor installation by Jonakin in the gallery’s outdoor garden space.

Since its opening, ZAG has been committed to “serve as a preeminent destination for international artists and collectors who view art as an extension of political and social dialogue.” To date, the gallery has shown Italian artist Luca Artioli; esteemed French artist Marc Ash; well-known Miami pop culture artist Stephen Gamson; breakout mixed-media artist Karim Ghidinelli; acclaimed photographer Tomáš Loewy; China’s revelations, the Ta Men-THEY Group, Shi Lifeng and Shen Jingdong; accomplished Norwegian multimedia artist Stian Roenning; French sculptor Yom; rare works by Andy Warhol; and early paintings by Romero Britto.

ZAG was founded by Dror and Miriam Zadok, who met over 40 years ago in New York and decided after a honeymoon in Miami that this was the city to call home. The Zadok family shares in a belief that the Wynwood Art District is an important part of the cultural identity of Miami and South Florida. Longtime lovers of the arts and philanthropy, they hope ZAG will become a cultural icon that will also serve to benefit those in need.

Zadok Art Gallery. 2534 North Miami Ave. Miami, 33127. Phone 305 438 3737 / www.zagallery.com

Jenifer Mangione is an art writer based in Boca Raton, FL. www.fineartnotebook.com.