Natural order
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| French Kiss (2006) © The Hilton Brothers |
The Hilton
Brothers, New York based photographers Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg, present next 31st August at Waldorf Astoria in Berlin the New York stories exhibition,a selection of portraits of iconic characters of New York including such nightlife fixtures as Debbie Harry, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, and Alone Together, a new show that will
open September 10th, 2016 at the historic 16th Century Palazzo Cozza Caposa in
Bolsena, Italy. Alone together features
works from their solo projects as well as from their collaborations during the
last 12 years as The Hilton Brothers. One of them is their most recent We the People project which consists in
an exploration of the USA / China parallels.
What’s the
concept behind the current exhibition Alone
together?
As with all of our projects, we rely more on natural
order than on strong will. And seeing Palazzo Cozza Caposavi in the town of
Bolsena, we saw a perfect collaboration and contradiction, of our contemporary
work collaborating with the perfection of this national monument, Palazzo Cozza
Caposavi.
You present the
series We the People from your exploration
on the USA / China parallels. What was the origin of this project?
The old world is new and the new world is old. China
is young again, full of wonder and surprise, while the United States is
maturing into its “second term”. Both China and the United States have
parallels they share, due to their size and the trappings as a superpower. In
We the People, we are exploring these parallels.
How was its
creation process?
The process is quite intuitive, It actually began on
the studio floor. I was working on proofing some horse photos, and Paul was
working on his first flower project, and the collaboration just appeared, from
then on we just started experimenting with the idea of a narrative between
different subject matters.
What are your
conclusions after that experience?
We are always surprised ourselves with what happens when
we start to work on a new project, like our new series called, “We the People”
which explores the similarities between American Culture and the USA.
Has this series
been exhibited in China?
What we are showing both in Berlin and Bolsena, Italy,
some of the works have been shown in Beijing. Especially “Andy Dandy” number
10, which has a red rose, a color that speaks to the Chinese.
The title We the People makes me think on the
political situation around the world, but mainly in the western societies and
the political effects of the economical crisis. How do you see the evolution of
democracy?
The title of the whole show is “Alone Together”, and
it really refers to the notion that Solberg, Makos, and the Hilton Brothers
have managed to create works that both speak to our own sensibilities, but also
appeal to the moniker of the Hilton Brothers. It really refers to the freedom
of expression, which is a major tenant to the notion of what is democratic, and
what democracy needs to, wants to aspire to.
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| Two Chickens (2016) © The Hilton Brothers |
What are your
future projects?
We are continuing to work on the comparison between
cultures, like the US and China, called “We the People”, and have started the
exploration of the Western culture in the United States, as it relates to the
Native American peoples from the Najavo Indian to the tribes of the Hopi Nation.
New York Stories
Works by Christopher Makos, Paul Solberg & The Hilton Brothers
(1- 7 September 2016)
Waldorf Astoria, Hardenbergstr. 28, 10623 Berlin
(1- 7 September 2016)
Waldorf Astoria, Hardenbergstr. 28, 10623 Berlin
The Hilton Brothers: AloneTogether
(10.9. - 31.10.2016)
Palazzo Cozza Caposavi
Bolsena, Italy
An interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Photographs by The Hilton Brothers
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