frosch&portmann is pleased to present “Parallel Lines”, Raffaella Chiara’s first solo show with the gallery.

Prior to her exhibition, the Swiss artist (living in Bern, Switzerland) spent one month in New York City; this metropolitan territory became her laboratory — a humble downtown apartment her studio. Chiara’s discoveries and vast inspirations are consolidated within the defined area of the gallery space.

She responds to her New York experience with an illuminated mountain/cave sculpture, large-sized drawings and a collection of smaller works pinned together to a personal map of the city.

This exhibition originated in conjunction with the New Museum’s Festival of Ideas for the New City. frosch&portmann is proud to participate as one of the festival’s project partners.

The Festival of Ideas for the New City (May 4-8, 2011) is a major new collaborative initiative involving scores of Downtown organizations, from large universities to arts institutions and community groups, working together to affect change. The Festival is a first for New York and will harness the power of the creative community to imagine the future city and explore the ideas destined to shape it. The Festival of Ideas was initially conceived by the New Museum three years ago as a natural outgrowth of its ongoing commitment to public education and civic outreach. It will take place in locations around Downtown Manhattan in an area spanning East to West including the Lower East Side, the East Village, Soho, Nolita, and Chinatown—and will serve as a platform for artists, writers, architects, engineers, designers, urban farmers, planners, and thought leaders to exchange ideas, propose solutions, and invite the public to participate.

The Festival of Ideas for the New City is organized around three central programs: A three-day slate of symposia, lectures, and workshops with visionaries and leaders An innovative, minimal-waste, outdoor StreetFest will take place along the Bowery. Over a hundred independent projects, exhibitions, and performances, which expand on the Festival’s themes.

May 7 – June 26, 2011 Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, noon – 6pm