A Duo of Dzine Shows

Dzine is Carlos Rolón. He is a Chicago-based artist (yes, they exist) best known for the wild ways he melds styles and mixes influences, with art world boundaries seemingly collapsing in his wake. This month he has two new shows — one in Berlin, the other in New York — that promise visitors a visual feast and good fun.


In conjunction with his show at New York’s Salon94, Dzine has organized a pop-up nail salon, a performance called “Get Nailed,” in the lobby window of the New Museum on the Lower East Side. For the next three Saturdays in September, a team of nail artists will paint one-of-a-kind designs for manicure-seeking visitors. No appointments are necessary, but arriving early is a good idea. The performance is co-sponsored by the ever-cool Standard Hotel. And for the more nail-forward among us, the gift store will be selling a limited edition of 40 unique 24kt gold-plated pinky nails starting at $250. Practical, no. But awesomely ghetto fabulous? Yes.

Across the pond, “The Beautiful Struggle,” Dzine’s first solo exhibition in Germany, will open in Berlin at Gestalten Space. The main attraction of this exhibition is a bike-centric mixed-media installation called Voodoo, which takes inspiration from Dzine’s residency on the the Dutch island of Curaçao. While living there in 2010, the artist became fascinated by the way local teens would customize bicycles (for many, a primary mode of transportation), their creations becoming symbols of style and status, as well as vehicles for a unique kind of showmanship. Dzine’s sculptures — chariot-like bikes gilded in 24-karat gold leaf and bedazzled with Swarovski crystals — are monuments to the gods of bling. Like ‘em or loathe ‘em, there’s certainly nothing quite like them.

“The Beautiful Struggle” will run September 15–October 15 at Gestalten Space, Sophienstraße 21
 in Berlin.

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