Twas the night before Spoleto, and some people just couldn’t wait to start celebrating. The Halsey, in partnership with Spoleto USA, hosted the opening reception for Call and Response: Africa to America.
The joint exhibit between Nick Cave and Phyllis Galembo is stunning, particularly Cave’s huge Soundsuits, worn by life-like mannequins and displayed on a runway of sorts in the front room of the gallery. The mannequins are so realistic, in fact, that we took a step back — these are some imposing, slightly creepy, but beautiful, creations. Cave used everything from twigs to bird figurines to colorful fur to create the pieces.
In the adjacent room, Phyllis Galembo’s vibrant photographs of West Africans in masquerade are haunting and striking.
A surprising number of guests responded to the call to dress up for the event. Some didn’t quite seem to get the theme — like Spiderman and Frankenstein — while others fashioned their own wearable art inspired by the exhibit. Check out the online exhibition here, and be sure to stop by anytime through June 26 to see the art in person. Also, don’t miss the (free) opportunity to tour the exhibit with the artists themselves on Sat. May 29 at 2 p.m. (Galembo) and 3 p.m. (Cave).
See a slideshow of the opening here.
Video by RJ Lawrence
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