David Zwirner - Platform: New York

As galleries in New York City and across the world have been forced to close their doors in recent weeks, it is clear that dealers have redirected their energy into sharpening their online infrastructure. This is no different for David Zwirner; the New York/London based blue-chip gallery who's already pre-existing ‘online viewing rooms’ have been quickly revamped to present their newest online show; “Platform: New York.”

Although “Platform: New York” ambitiously brings together artists from 12 different New York galleries, the depth at which viewers are able to engage with the work is incredibly perfunctory. With a thin selection of work and a brief two-sentence statement, I’m left wanting more. This was particularly evident for artists such as Brandon Ndife, whose built up, worn down and almost weathered rendition of domestic/ interior objects left me feeling like I needed to know more about the artist -or at least see these two pieces in the context of a wider body of work - to really be able to connect with it on a level that would do the artist justice.

With this in mind, it is interesting to consider how commercial galleries like David Zwirner have adapted to the current circumstances compared to larger non-profit museums, whose primary interests lie in connecting the public to their collections rather than flipping the work. It is clear that this show serves David Zwirner’s buyers and collectors before it serves the public as the space clearly reflects that of an auction room rather than a gallery. With that being said, I do recognize that simply being part of an auction space connected to a reputable gallery like David Zwirner would be an incredibly important support system for some of these younger artists during such economically trying times.