Incollect Magazine - Issue 15

52 www.incollect.com When the Room Has Another Job During the day, the Trimper Gallery Lounge at Kanopi hosts private gallery viewings from 9 a.m. – 5p.m. by appointment. In the evening, the same space becomes Bar XI, an exclusive, members-only lounge. The art remains in place while the lighting, sound, service, and viewers change, and that shift influences how the works are placed. Their installation must allow close examination during an appointment and still feel at home when the lounge fills at night. Scale, framing, and sightlines matter from across the room as well as up close. At Kanopi, furniture, lighting, views, service flow, and sound are part of the experience. A photograph that holds a wall in the restaurant may behave differently in the bar area. A work that feels intimate during a private appointment may sit less comfortably in a space filled with guests — scale, color, surface, framing, and sightlines all influence where the art belongs. That context offers a useful way to consider a work, showing how it behaves alongside furniture, changing light, and the ordinary activity of a room. A guest who notices a work over dinner or at Bar XI can arrange a viewing appointment with Trimper Gallery, which handles questions about the art and its acquisition. Kanopi remains responsible for the hospitality experience, and the gallery remains responsible for the art. The arrangement brings Trimper Gallery the opportunity to reach an audience that did not necessarily arrive intending to see art. Kanopi gained a visual program that changes over time and gives guests a reason to explore the venue. The gallery’s involvement also means that curiosity can lead to a conversation with someone responsible for the work, rather than ending with a glance at the wall. The conventional contemporary gallery “white cube” presentation makes the room recede, while this presentation offers a different setting. The art gallery, the hospitality business, and the art lover all gain from this new approach to appreciating art in an unconventional context. Alejandro E. Trimper Owner alex@trimpergallery.com Remy Sosa Manager remy@trimpergallery.com (203) 622-0500 www.trimpergallery.com www.kanopitherestaurant.com