Fotografiska, founded by Jan and Per Bromanin Stockholm in 2010, the NYC branch opened right before the pandemic, only to close several months later. They reopened in August 2020 and the New York City cultural scene and art crowd have taken notice. The Chairman of the Board, Yoram Roth, is working hard to make it one of the largest private museums in the world and several new locations are slated to open soon. The museum recently announced expansions to Berlin, Shanghai and Miami, with locations already in Tallinn, (Estonia) and, of course, Sweden.
Fotografiska
Exhibitions have included the work of Andy Warhol, Sarah Moon, Miles Aldridge, Ellen Von Unwerth, Janette Beckman and Hassan Hajjaj (one of my favorites, and known as the “Warhol of Morocco”). Fotografiska’s event space is wonderful, and I have been to at least 10 events there, including rare music from The Velvet Underground, and Subatomic Sound System, a panel for Janette Beckman’s new book “Rebels From Punk to Dior,” a pop-up exhibition for the film House of Gucci written by Becky Johnston. They also hosted a book launch for Ruth Orkin’s “A Photo Spirit” and a film screening for “Little Fugitive (1953)” It is well worth a membership to be able to attend events all year, and at the very least, worth a visit to browse the bookstore or have a coffee or wine in the first floor cafe.
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Hassan Hajjaj Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
5 Things to Do in Flatiron NYC
Mary Engel’s musts in NYCs Flatiron district while visiting Fotografiska Museum
Novita
102 East 22nd Street
Terrific staff and waiters (mostly from Naples, Italy) who are always charming and gracious.
Isabelle’s Osteria
245 Park Avenue South
Chef James Tracey’s — who I was fortunate to meet — menu is amazing. Specialites of the house include my favorites: a unique cauliflower dish, grain salad, Branzino, and everything else on the menu!
Union Square Market
Open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Not to be missed and a great location for taking photos! There is so much fresh produce and offerings, and it’s always exciting and busy. It’s really just a thrill to walk through and look at everything. I select breads for morning coffee and a rugalah — but my favorite is the egg sandwiches.
Edo
9 East 17th Street
Ennju
20 East 17th Street
My favorite go-to Japanese restaurants are located on the same block as my archive.
I was thrilled with the recent show of my mother’s life’s work that celebrated her centennial titled: Ruth Orkin Expressions of Life (9/3/21 – 12/5/21) curated by Maria Sprowls. Maria was wonderful to work with and so passionate and interested in my mother’s work; as a result, it was more creative and complete than most shows.
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
She used large scale vinyls with oversized photos and contact sheets, and the early scrapbook pages of the bicycle trip were mounted on the wall, so the images could be looked at closely and even touched. This is not something normally encouraged, but it made the entire show much more accessible. There were also lightboxes which added a nice touch, and a case with some of Ruth’s early cameras. The show was a survey of her work (not a complete retrospective) with a total of 65 photos.
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
Ruth Orkin Exhibit | Photo by Ceslie Armstrong
The response to the show was terrific, and I loved giving tours to friends, relatives, clients, school groups, women’s groups and other impromptu ones. We are hoping the show will travel to other museums in the United States in the near future, and a European traveling exhibit of the work (organized by Anne Morin of DiChroma Photography) opened in Bassano, Italy and will be up until early May 2022. Look for additional shows in San Sebastian, Spain and Cascais, Portugal this year.
