By Annie Armstrong,
Every week, Artnet News brings you Wet Paint, a gossip column of original scoops.
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A ROYAL OUTING IN NEW YORK
This one goes out to my fellow warriors who remained stateside during Basel this year. Think reverence for nobility in the art world belongs only to Anglo-European countries? Think again! In New York City, Ethan Cohen Gallery just opened up a show of artwork by His Royal Highness Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark in their Chelsea gallery. The exhibition, curated by Marilena Koutsoukou, is on display in their Chelsea gallery until July 13.
“I want people to know that this is not my hobby, this is what I do, and what gets me out of bed in the morning,” the Prince told me over the phone. His show, titled “Nostos,” pays homage to his Greek heritage via black-and-white landscape photography cast on to pristine white Grecian marble slabs. The gallery is selling the works for between $18,000 to $65,000.
“I used to do a lot of portraits photographs, then I switched to landscape. I always say, tongue-in-cheek, that the landscape doesn’t complain when it sees wrinkles,” HRH told me of his practice. “But the truth is I have a very close relationship with nature, particularly wide, open spaces like deserts and the sea. It’s a very spiritual experience to photograph nature like that.”
If you’re not already familiar, Prince Nikolaos is the third child of the late former king of Greece Constantine II. European tabloids nicknamed him the “Playboy Prince”, and his recent high profile divorce from Princess Tatiana made headlines (Their union back in 2010 was commonly referred to “Mamma Mia with Aristocrats”—delightful!).
The Prince assured me that he was not counting on his royal status to get New Yorkers into the door. In fact, the tough audience in New York was part of what motivated him to show in Chelsea. “That’s why I love New York! There’s so many different walks of life, with colorful backgrounds. Nothing phases New Yorkers.”
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