Beyond the Looking Glass Curated by Zuzanna Ciolek June 25 – July 31, 2021 403 Foothill Road, Beverly Hills, CA OPENING RECEPTION: FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 5-8PM Special DJ performance by SOSUPERSAM ARTIST TALK: SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 12 PM Moderated by Zuzanna Ciolek Firelei Báez Tawny Chatmon Charlotte Colbert Kim Dacres Florine Démosthène Genevieve Gaignard Sanam Khatibi Klara Kristalova Shannon T. Lewis Jesse Mockrin GaHee Park Hiba Schahbaz Kiki Smith Jessica Stoller “How do we connect to our ‘self,’ while disconnecting from stories and religions we have been taught?” — Florine Démosthène BEVERLY HILLS— UTA Artist Space is pleased to present Beyond the Looking Glass, a group exhibition of surrealist takes by women about women. Beyond the Looking Glass is curated by gallery director Zuzanna Ciolek, one of the first members of the UTA Fine Arts team when it was established in 2015. The ambitious exhibition fills all three gallery spaces with bold works by a cross generational group of fourteen woman-identifying artists: Firelei Báez, Tawny Chatmon, Charlotte Colbert, Kim Dacres, Florine Démosthène, Genevieve Gaignard, Sanam Khatibi, Klara Kristalova, Shannon T. Lewis, Jesse Mockrin, GaHee Park, Hiba Schahbaz, Kiki Smith, and Jessica Stoller. SOSUPERSAM will DJ at the opening night event. “While organizing this exhibition, I enjoyed poking holes in traditional standards of beauty in art and pop culture,” said exhibition curator and UTA Artist Space director Zuzanna Ciolek. “And within that playful and provocative framework, the show aims to explore contemporary femininity and representation.” Beyond the Looking Glass presents a new lens for representation through surreal and uncanny artworks that address sexuality, race, and identity— radically defying solely ornamental representation. Taking inspiration from Alice in Wonderland, the title Beyond the Looking Glass is a twist on Through the Looking Glass, moving beyond a world where women are being seen as purely ornamental. The exhibition pulls viewers into an unexpected world filled with surrealist characters such as an elephant girl, a pink “C-section” vessel equipped with breasts, and a woman riding a reptile. While disrupting traditional portraiture of the Western Canon and confronting stereotypical representations of women, the figures portrayed transcend these societal constraints. With these archaic indicators of femininity stripped away, the surreal and expressionist imagery allows her to break out, expanding beyond the body. ABOUT UTA ARTIST SPACE UTA Artist Space is an exhibition venue designed by Ai Weiwei in the heart of Beverly Hills that is committed to showcasing art by globally recognized talent. Since its establishment in 2016, UTA Artist Space has presented notable exhibitions with interdisciplinary artists and creatives, including Derrick Adams, Myrtis Bedolla of Galerie Myrtis, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Essence Harden, Larry Clark, Petra Cortright, Conrad Egyir, Amanda Hunt, Mariane Ibrahim, Arcmanoro Niles, The Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery, The Haas Brothers, and Ai Weiwei, among others. UTAArtistSpace.com [facebook.us14.list-manage.com]. COVID-19 SAFETY All visitors will have to acknowledge both the health and safety guidelines and their health status before they visit. All visitors must wear a mask at all times. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available on site for guest usage. Guests must practice social distancing. There is ample signage throughout the space including arrows on the floor that tell guests which way foot traffic is flowing. Restrooms will be closed to guests and the Artist Space will be deep cleaned on a regular schedule following the close of business each day. PRESS CONTACTS Marcella Zimmermann Vice President, Cultural Counsel marcella@culturalcounsel.com Thomas High Account Coordinator, Cultural Counsel Thomas@culturalcounsel.com Featured Image: Tawny Chatmon Remnants/ All of the things that Effie handed down, 2021 24k gold leaf, paper, acrylic on archival pigment print Framed: 46 x 34 inches