SONIA DELAUNAY: LIVING ART

Bard Graduate Center, New York, 23 February – 7 July 2024

A new exhibition at Bard Graduate Center (BGC) in New York turns a spotlight on the prolific artist and designer Sonia Delaunay, whose work spans some of Europe’s most tumultuous decades between the wars and into the 1960s. Curated by Laura Microulis and Waleria Dorogova, the exhibition Sonia Delaunay: Living Art includes objects that are exhibited for the first time alongside the more recognisable work of the artist. Although Delaunay’s work has been collected and shown in galleries worldwide, Microulis and Dorogova paid attention to rarely discussed aspects of her career, like her crossdisciplinary production methods and studio life.

Part of an esteemed research institute for decorative arts and design history located in a discrete townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, BGC’s museum is a challenging exhibition space. The exhibition is spread across three floors, with each floor further divided into two smaller rooms. This unique setup does not easily lend itself to narrative shows, yet, the curators and designers cleverly capitalised on the partitioned and intimate room setting to underline Delaunay’s unparalleled creativity, innovation, and business acumen, as well as her seamless transitions across disciplines and mediums.