Kirsten Hassenfeld's 'Dans La Lune' Installation at Smack Mellon

Kirsten Hassenfeld's installation 'Dans La Lune' was on view at Smack Mellon in Brooklyn from January 17 to February 22, 2009. The work transformed the industrial gallery space using humble materials like white vellum and foam core, creating a constellation of hanging spheres that evoked keepsakes and heirlooms. Individual objects within the installation, such as a shepherd with a lamb crafted through quilling techniques, demonstrated virtuosic craftsmanship. Despite its flimsy components, the piece achieved monumental scale, occupying about a third of the gallery's central area while leaving significant negative space that became integral to the viewer's experience. Hassenfeld's approach avoided irony, instead conveying warmth and care through references to family and memory. The title translates loosely to 'head in the clouds,' yet the installation left viewers feeling grounded. The venue's raw physicality at 92 Plymouth Street in Brooklyn was subdued by the delicate, phantasmal quality of the work.