Curatorial Principles
We don't only exhibit artists inspired by St Barth — we exhibit artists whose work embodies the identity of the island itself.
St Barth's identity is a story of balance between two seemingly opposing forces: openness and restraint.
On the one hand, the island is international, tolerant and filled with natural beauty and high quality experiences. On the other it's small, safe, discreet, and life is simple.
This unique balance has given life to quiet luxury: an island that values experiencing over showing, depth over spectacle, expression over decoration.
This same identity shows up in our artist and their work.
Their restraint shows up in a single technique held with discipline, a reduced palette, a body left anonymous or the light untouched. A form pared down until there's nothing unnecessary left to remove.
Their openness shows up in a horizon that dominates the photograph, a sculpture with more air in it than mass, the size, a universal meaning, or the location where the work is placed.
Balanced Openness and Restraint. It is the identity of the art, our gallery, and the island.
Social Luxury: a new phase for art and the island?
Social luxury is a relatively new luxury tourism model in St Barth that is focused on “showing off” or “being seen” rather than experiencing. This new model stands opposite to quiet luxury.
In art, this shows up as artworks that are loud, colourful, utilise multiple techniques and are unafraid to make social commentary. In this case, openness is not balanced by restraint.
Both these ways also show up within each one of us. A part of us desires to be seen while another is already content with who we are.
In our gallery, we deliberately show a number of artists that embody this contrasting new phase of St Barth.