STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN’s Inaugural Exhibition Introduces Francesco Balzano

By / / Home & Garden / 2 minutes of reading


The allure of discovering a new restaurant, hotel, or café often lies in the promise of being transported by its space and environment. In the realm of art, founders Nacho Polo and Robert Onuska of STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN have applied this transformative principle to gallery spaces. Departing from the conventional stark white walls and sterile atmospheres that dominate most exhibitions, they have unveiled their inaugural solo showcase of Paris-based Francesco Balzano’s refined artistry. This exhibition invites visitors into a world where opulence meets simplicity, offering an immersive experience that transcends the traditional gallery visit.

A minimalist room with light wooden floors, a black coffee table, and a draped archway leading to a dimly lit hallway with a staircase.

Titled Inizio, the exhibition space itself becomes a work of art, transformed by Polo and Onuska’s visionary curation. The gallery’s original collection and historic architecture, draped in simple cloth, creates a cocoon of anticipation – a stage where Balzano’s works take center spotlight. The second series, Loci, explores the concept of place and its significance in shaping personal and collective identity. Balzano uses a mix of intimate and large-scale forms to examine how spaces – both public and private – can become symbols of deeply personal experiences. This series consists of six pieces that challenge the viewer to consider how they protect and honor the things they hold most dear.

A minimalist room with white draped curtains and fabric on furniture. A black bench with a black abstract sculpture sits in front of the draped fabric. Light wooden flooring is visible.

A modern black table stands on a wooden floor, surrounded by furniture covered in white sheets, in a minimalist, neutral-toned room.

Polo and Onuska continue by explaining: “The exhibition marks the end of the summer season, the beginning of life again in the city, and so the draped coverings become a seductive invitation for something extraordinary about to happen. It is a nostalgic recollection of the dust covers that were once ubiquitous in New York mansions when society families decamped to country estates for the summer. That reference honors the rich history of the Textile Building, which houses the gallery, whose opulence was designed by the same Gilded Age architect who gave us the Dakota and the Plaza. At the same time, it recalls the revelatory ingenuity of two of modern art’s great visionaries, Cristo and Jean Claude, whose wrapped buildings allowed us to see familiar forms anew and returned beauty to public spaces.”

A modern black bench with a wavy surface stands on a light wooden floor, with draped cloth-covered objects in the background.

A minimalist interior with a draped table, two black geometric chairs, a cat tree, and sheer curtains.

A minimalist black wooden chair is placed on a light-colored wooden floor in front of a backdrop of white curtains.

A dark wooden shelf stands against a light wall with a white cloth draped over its top corner. Light filters through sheer curtains in the background.

A minimalist room with a black wooden shelving unit, a light-colored cloth hanging on it, and a covered object on a low, cloth-covered table. Light wooden floor and sheer curtains in the background.

A modern dark wood shelf with several tiers stands in a minimalistic room. A red, furry figure hangs on a ring from the ceiling behind it near a large window with sheer curtains.

A minimalist room with a black coffee table, light wood flooring, sheer white curtains, and draped furniture in neutral tones.

Minimalist room with large windows, having beige curtains. A dark modern table with a book placed on it is situated near a covered object in the background. Light wooden flooring is evident.

A dark wooden sculpture with three vertical, curved panels mounted on a rectangular base placed in a room with white drapes and light wood flooring.

Three geometric sculptures in black, copper, and rose gold displayed on white pedestals in a minimalist room.

Two individuals in light-colored clothing pose in a minimalistic room with white draped fabric. One stands wearing a hat, and the other sits on a bench with a black geometric sculpture.

Balzano’s debut solo exhibition in New York is on display from September 4th to October 4th at STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN. For more information, click here.

Photography by William Jess Laird.



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About The Author

Avatar of Ebony Warren
Ebony Warren is a news writer for Bergen Newspaper Group, where she covers arts, entertainment, lifestyle, and home news. She's been writing for the site since 2019. Her favorite thing about writing is getting to tell other people's stories. She loves to get to know her subjects and hear their perspectives on their work—and then write about it in a way that makes them look like the best humans ever.

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