Artistic collaborations commence: The High Line Art and Chanel Culture Fund partner with promising talent Frank Wang Yefeng.
High Line Art and Chanel Culture Fund Partner for Annual Commissioning Cycle
The High Line Art in Manhattan and the Chanel Culture Fund have joined forces to initiate an annual commissioning cycle, aimed at supporting new art projects and offering a "breakthrough moment" for both artists and passersby.
This partnership, part of the broader Chanel Culture Fund launched in 2021, will provide financial backing for diverse artists and projects, with a focus on underrepresented voices in art and culture.
High Line Originals Film Series Debuts in September
The commissioning cycle will be showcased through the High Line Originals film series, set to debut on September 8 and 9. The series will feature the U.S. premieres of Cao Fei's DUOTOPIA 2, Lu Yang's DOKU Pieces, and Triglav of Berl Berl by Jakob Kudsk Steenson.
The film series will be hosted in the High Line Channel, a covered passage at 14th Street. The series will continue with the fourth cycle officially kicking off on September 10, with the premiere of Groundless Flower - ཨ by Frank Wang Yefeng.
Groundless Flower - ཨ: A Cultural Exploration
Groundless Flower - ཨ, titled after the Tibetan letter "ཨ," signifying the "beginning of all things," is expected to provide viewers a glimpse into the artist's deep dream, with cultural motifs from the East and West, as well as images from the artist's nomadic journeys, churning and colliding.
The work will play daily on loop until November 2025, after which it will screen in London as part of the Window, the Chanel Culture Fund’s site-specific public art program.
Embracing Digital and Time-Based Media
The partnership will co-commission rising artists working in digital and time-based media for High Line Originals. Taylor Zakarin, the High Line curator, believes that this format can be particularly challenging for people to approach but encourages audiences to embrace it, as encountering art in a public setting like the High Line can empower those who might feel out of place or intimidated in a traditional gallery setting.
Petra Cortright's wet sunlight Paradis 'pomme de terre' 3D, which first screened at the Window, will be shown in an upcoming High Line Channel group show in November 2025.
In conclusion, the partnership between High Line Art and the Chanel Culture Fund integrates a yearly commissioning framework that backs fresh artistic creations, including a feature film series debuting in September 2021, as part of Chanel’s cultural philanthropy network.
- The High Line Art and the Chanel Culture Fund collaboration, part of the Chanel Culture Fund launched in 2021, focuses on supporting diverse artists and projects, particularly those underrepresented in art and culture.
- The commissioning cycle will be exhibited through the High Line Originals film series, which will debut on September 8 and 9, showcasing various artworks such as Cao Fei's DUOTOPIA 2, Lu Yang's DOKU Pieces, and Jakob Kudsk Steenson's Triglav of Berl Berl.
- One of the works to be featured in the High Line Originals series is Groundless Flower - ཨ by Frank Wang Yefeng, a piece expected to provide viewers a cultural exploration encompassing East and West motifs, nomadic images, and the artist's dreams.
- Taylor Zakarin, the High Line curator, encourages audiences to embrace digital and time-based media artworks presented in the public setting of the High Line, as it can empower those feeling out of place or intimidated in a traditional gallery setting.
- Petra Cortright's wet sunlight Paradis 'pomme de terre' 3D, initially showcased at the Window, will be displayed in a High Line Channel group show in November 2025, as part of the ongoing partnership between High Line Art and the Chanel Culture Fund and their integration of digital and time-based media in their programming.
