Building:

HomeBase II was housed at Broadway Gallery, an open space for experimentation founded on the collaboration between artists, curators and writers. Broadway gallery aims to reach outside the traditional gallery ‘white box,’ providing an ever-evolving dialogue on the contemporary art world. The space also houses office space and an adjoining residence. The space consists of 2 connected gallery spaces, with a open attic space in the back gallery.

 

Landlord:

Abraham Lubelski, Landlord, Artist and Director of Broadway Gallery

 

Neighborhood

 

The SoHo neighborhood—bounded roughly by Houston Street on the north, Lafayette Street on the east, Canal Street on the south, and Varick Street on the west—rose to fame as a neighborhood for artists during the 1960s and 1970s, when the cheap spaces vacated by departing factories were converted by artists into lofts and studios. During this period, which lasted into the 1980s, living in SoHo was often of dubious legality, as the area was zoned for light industrial and commercial uses rather than residential, and many residents had to convert their apartments into livable spaces on their own, with little money. However, beginning in the 1980s, in a way that would later apply elsewhere, the neighborhood began to draw more affluent residents. This led to an eventual exodus of the area's artists during the 1990s, leaving galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and young urban professionals behind.*

 

* Majority of historical information provided taken directly from Wikipedia.

 

About:

HomeBase II took place on the 7th floor of a residential building in SoHo, in conjunction with the Israeli art week and the NY Armory show. A Group of 6 Artists, from Israel, German and American descent, were invited to work in the space and to create in it a site specific work related to the notion of Home. This exploration reflected on the characteristics of the building, the multi-functional aspect of the space, being at once a Gallery, Office and Residential unit, the commercial SoHo neighborhood, and the personal interpretation of Home.

 

Community:

Public events included opening and closing receptions, interactive performance by dancer/choreographer Ella Ben-Aharon, and artist talks.