Aicon Art Rebrands as AINA Gallery, Opens in Chelsea with 'Other Stories' Exhibition
On October 1, from 6–9 PM, AINA Gallery, which was previously known as Aicon Art, will launch at 550 West 29th Street, New York. The gallery, designed by studioMDA, will highlight modern masters from twentieth-century South Asia alongside contemporary artists from South Asia, Africa, and their diasporas. The term AINA translates to "mirror" in both Persian and South Asian languages, symbolizing reflection and international dialogue. Founder Prajit Dutta stressed the importance of clarity in showcasing non-Western modernisms. The opening exhibition, titled 'Other Stories — A Genealogy for the Present,' will showcase works by Peju Alatise, Rasheed Araeen, and Francis Newton Souza, with curatorial guidance from Atreyee Gupta, linking it to Araeen's 1989 exhibition. More details can be found at www.ainagallery.com and @ainagallery.ny.
Key facts
- Aicon Art is rebranding as AINA Gallery and opening a new space in Chelsea.
- The grand opening is on October 1, 6–9 PM, at 550 West 29th Street, New York.
- The gallery was designed by studioMDA.
- AINA's program focuses on twentieth-century South Asian modern masters and contemporary artists from South Asia, Africa, and their diasporas.
- The name AINA derives from the Persian and South Asian word for mirror (aina).
- Founder Prajit Dutta stated that non-Western modernisms and Global South artists remain underrepresented in New York.
- The inaugural exhibition is 'Other Stories — A Genealogy for the Present.'
- Curatorial advisor Atreyee Gupta noted the exhibition takes Rasheed Araeen's 1989 Hayward Gallery show 'The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post War Britain' as a point of departure.
Entities
Artists
- Peju Alatise
- Khadim Ali
- Rasheed Araeen
- Faiza Butt
- Avinash Chandra
- Victor Ekpuk
- Rachid Koraïchi
- Ernest Mancoba
- Veer Munshi
- Surendran Nair
- Saad Qureshi
- Krishna Reddy
- Rekha Rodwittiya
- Sujith S.N.
- Mohan Samant
- Anwar Jalal Shemza
- Francis Newton Souza
- Aubrey Williams
- Zarina
- Prajit Dutta
- Atreyee Gupta
Institutions
- AINA Gallery
- Aicon Art
- studioMDA
- Hayward Gallery
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Chelsea
- South Asia
- Africa
- United Kingdom