With prices ranging from $8 to $8,000, the selection of fixtures within Head Hi‘s second annual lamp show illuminate a spectrum of creativity, ingenuity and accessibility. This two-part exhibition (running through 20 March) at the hybrid bookshop and espresso bar saw more than 50 open-call submissions from artists and designers who are local and global, amateur and professional, and of all ages. To walk from piece to piece in the slender venue means stepping from one curious vision to the next. It’s whimsical functionality at its finest.
“I tried to make a lamp right before we opened Head Hi,” Alexandra Hodkowski, co-founder of the venue, tell us of the show’s origins. “It totally failed. When we opened, I thought a lot of people must be experimenting with this—and we want people to participate with Head Hi. A lot of what we do is community-oriented. So we thought, let’s have a lamp show.”
“We also wanted people to experiment with materials and technology,” Mösco Alcocer, Head Hi’s second co-founder adds as he points to a tall creation sprouting from a stump sourced from the Catskills, another composed entirely of found components and one 3D printed. Visiting after the sun sets, of course, enhances the experience; it allows the functional capacity of each sculpture to shine, glow or even morph like a series of clouds. But regardless of the light level streaming into the art-oriented store, every piece is worthy of closer inspection, as details continue to unfold as your eyes adjust.
Images by Jonathan Hökklo, courtesy of Head Hi