Not opening his gallery in Chelsea was a deliberate decision on Deepak Talwar’s part. Instead, he chose the prime and pricier location of Union Square. Although Talwar may lose the foot traffic of Chelsea’s gallery-lined streets, he hopes visitors will absorb more of the art if they do not have 10 other exhibits to hit in a lunch hour. As owner and curator, Talwar opens his doors with the photography of London’s Zarina Bhimji, which fulfills the basic concept of the space–to support Southeastern Asian artists without being cornered into a niche of exotica or cliché. Bhimji’s ethereal series of formal English gardens captivates viewers, urging them to discover the layers of interpretation. (Images such as Where As a Black Servant Boy is a haunting reminder of the immigrant past connected to these stunning landscapes.) Though this is her first New York solo show, Bhimji has exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Walker Center in Minneapolis, and the Johannesburg Biennal, winning her international recognition. (Something Concealed, 1998, above.) From September 20 to October 27.
-Pameladevi Govinda