HELL GATE GALLERY

Three plus years ago, we set out to redefine the spaces in which art can be viewed and enjoyed, especially in New York City. The majority of us are photographers, and “art enjoyers”--as to say, we have been in every white walled gallery with perfectly hung photographs, with free PBR’s and wine coolers being handed to you. Not to say that isn’t great–but we wanted to push it a step further–what if we had our work be appreciated in a place it’s inspired by and that speaks volumes about our ethos, methods and overall journey as creatives.

We offer the opportunity for our viewers to infiltrate these forbidden spaces with us in order to get into our DIY gallery. We turned a train bridge, Hell Gate Bridge, into a space where twelve different photographers could showcase their work. The point being, we wanted the same rush we felt taking these pictures, to be experienced by our guests through their entrance into the gallery itself. This also made it more than just a collection of art–but also a performance art piece unto itself.

The exclusive and rare nature of what we did is partially what made the original gallery such a success. We thought it would make sense to take a step back and appreciate the work and experience by recontextualizing the show into a publicly accessible exhibition at Superchief Gallery NFT in New York. The same physical prints that were in the bridge during the original Hell Gate Gallery were showcased, along with replicating some of the key moments from the original show. We wanted to give all ages and audiences an opportunity and lens into what an Urban Explorer or Street Photographer feels like and we believe we achieved our mission.

The reception also featured work from Josh Charow (@Flashing.Lights on Instagram), in the form of a documentary that he shot during the original Hell Gate Gallery show. Josh is a New York City based photographer who has done work with Canon, Reebok, FYFW and the NYC Tourism Board. We believe that the documentary helps the viewer understand the sights, sounds, and sense of community of that night to an even stronger tier, when accompanied with the work present.

It is an honor to present our work at Superchief Gallery NFT as they have been a huge supporter of our work and of urban exploration based photography. The following artists were featured in the show: @abusivone @tomdurante @light.feet @_mynamesjeff @corey._.gunzz @undetectd @zxnd.r @grid.lock @lu.be @Striclysam @whatarewedoingtoday @phaser @gbergphoto @rollstein_33 @flashing.lights @illogiicall