Pearl River Mart, the Asian American Arts Alliance, and Chelsea Market are proud to present this solo exhibition from acclaimed Chinese American artist, Arlan Huang, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
With a career spanning nearly six decades, Huang’s work spans a wide variety of mediums including acrylic paint, glass, and multimedia installations. His abstract works are informed by memories and everyday life, trying to capture what American poet Allen Ginsberg calls “the dearness of the vanishing moment.”
This exhibition of Huang’s abstract works was inspired by Wong Kar-wai’s classic film, “In the Mood for Love.” Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the film is about romantic longing and fleeting moments, meaningful glances and unheard secrets. Like the iconic scene in which two almost-lovers cross paths in a narrow passageway under bare lights, Huang’s work can be found in Chelsea Market’s winding halls. Paintings such as Ember (2019) and Even in the Dark with My Eyes Closed (1990) are steeped in the hot potential of an intimate encounter: whether romance, friendship, or political solidarity.
This initial connection echoes the feeling of shared experiences and confidences evoked by Huang’s concurrent exhibition at the Pearl River Mart Gallery in SoHo, “Just Between Us: From the Archives of Arlan Huang.” Featuring works from his vast collection of Asian American art, “Just Between Us” is built on the ideas that art should circulate outside the nefarious concerns of the market, that it should not seek approval from heteropatriarchal white institutions, and that a secret language in the form of gossip and complaint forges the most precious and intimate of friendships.
Where “Corridor Glance” is the spark that begins the connection, “Just Between Us” is the ongoing solidarity.
“Corridor Glance” is on view throughout Chelsea Market until May 31. “Just Between Us” is on view at Pearl River Mart’s SoHo gallery at 452 Broadway from May 4 through August 27 with an opening reception on May 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.
About the Artist
Arlan Huang is an artist based in New York. As an active member in Godzilla: Asian American Art Network, Huang has been a key player in broadening opportunities for Asian Americans in the arts and Asian American activism more broadly. His murals have dotted various public spaces in New York, and he has placed permanent installations in New York and San Francisco.
About the Curator
Danielle Wu is a writer and curator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is currently Communications & Database Manager at Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and was previously a Digital Fellow at Democracy Now! Her reviews have been published in Art in America, Artforum, Frieze Magazine, and The Offing. Notable curatorial projects include Ghost in the Ghost at Tiger Strikes Asteroid, New York, with scholar Anne Anlin Cheng (2019) and Water Works at International Studio & Curatorial Program, New York (2022).
About the Presenters
Celebrating its 52nd anniversary, Pearl River Mart was founded as a “friendship store” in 1971. The iconic Asian emporium has locations in New York City’s SoHo district and the popular Chelsea Market with both a retail outlet and Pearl River Mart Foods. From home furnishings to fashion to snacks and everything in between, the store features one-of-a-kind items imported from Asia, as well as innovative merchandise designed and created by AsianAmericans. A beloved destination for people from all over the globe, Pearl River has become symbolic of the uniqueness, authenticity, and multiculturalism of New York City.
Asian American Arts Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, andopportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building.
Arlan Huang: Corridor Glance will be on view until May 31, 2023 throughout Chelsea Market located at 75 Ninth Avenue, NYC.