Inspired by the space of a former beauty salon in Chinatown, this site-specific exhibition, organized by participants of the 2013 NLE Curatorial Lab, offered a very different form of interaction from the typical stylist-customer relationship.

Artists across multiple disciplines reflected on modes of exchange that question social, physical, and economic constructs. At the same time, they investigated the formation of cultural identity as it related to their own differing conceptions of place. Previously, this salon embodied physical and cosmetic transformations, elements that are also evident in Chinatown—an area with rich historical layers and cultural roots.

For five weeks, this former parlor at 24 Rutgers Street became a site for participatory engagement, inviting visitors to reflect on the changing neighborhood and explore relationships between the individual and public space.

Featured artists: Heather Hart, Lin + Lam, Sonia Louise Davis, Amos Mac, Miao Jiaxin, Jaye Moon, Megan Mosholder, Shelly Silver, and Betty Yu.

NLE Curatorial Lab participants: Shlomit Dror, Anna Harsanyi, William Helfrecht, Alexis Heller, Hyejung Jand, Hanlu Zhang. More about them here

This NLE Curatorial LAB was administered with the curatorial guidance of Sara Reisman, Director of Percent for Art, NLE Chief Curator Manon Slome, and Independent Curator Sarah Corona.

For more about the NLE Curatorial Lab, click here.