Pop and nostalgia at Nomad Capri: rough water and Andy Warhol’s analog photography
Andy Warhol’s photographs for the first time in Capri for the 14th edition of Nomad Circle – in conversation with the curators of the exhibition Jim Hedges and Martin Brûlé
Hedges Projects and Martin Brûlé Studio enhance Capri’s roughness
In Nomad Circle’s Capri edition, from July 4th to 7th, Hedges Projects, Martin Brûlé Studio and Cathy Vedovi create an iconoclastic Capri aesthetic, referencing Godard’s Le Mepris as well as the glamour of Valentino and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Andy Warhol’s point of view is infused into Grand Hotel Quisisana’s Sala Donna Lucia & Caffe Morgano’s terrace, reception hall and gallery space with Hedges Projects, Martin Brûlé Studio and Cathy Vedovi’s work. A project rooted in the roughness of the landscape that permeates the island.
Jim Hedges, “the roughness lies in Capri’s waters. This island is energetic. These waters ooze charm and danger at the same time: a rough uniqueness that has always touched me. Capri may be posh on the one hand, but its nature and thousand-year history make it a place where you feel you are part of a history.”
Martin Brûlé, “my creative process is instinctive. Even our Capri project has its own roughness. It comes from pure impulse. In Capri, I did not fall in love with the Piazzetta. It is the rocks on which the island stands, the uphill walks under the sun to reach historic villas with breathtaking views that have bewitched me. Here, there is a tension between utility, roughness and opulence. This dimension of walking is a kind of spiritual elevation amidst the sea and the wilderness.”
Jim Hedges and Martin Brûlé curate the Andy Warhol exhibition at the 14th edition of Nomad Circle
Nomad Circle is the first travelling showcase for collectible design and contemporary art. As Hans Ulrich Obrist writes in the catalogue of the first showcase edition, “Nomad aims at exploring unconventional destinations, rather than staying in the usual big cities.” This year Nomad returns to Capri. You are participating for the first time not as guests and fairgoers but as curators of a solo exhibition of photographs by Andy Warhol from the Hedges collection.
JH “Both Martin and I know Nicolas Bellavance–Lecompte, co-founder of Nomad. I have been to past editions of St. Moritz and Capri and have always admired their work. We talked and thought about collaborating together. I don’t have a gallery, I am a private dealer and I do not wish to act as a traditional gallery. So I was not sure how I could attend the fair. When we approached the Hotel Quisisana and admired their space, I realized that we could really participate in this edition of Nomad.”
MB “In my role as an interior designer, I have known Nomad for a long time. With my own New York and Paris clients, I have often gone to Sankt Mortiz. The opportunity to be in Capri comes from Jim, with whom I have worked often in the past.”
JH “the idea was to base our project in Capri on a collaborative effort. I appreciate Martin’s perspective on these Warhol photos. Being privileged to see photographs every day, it is exciting to work with someone who can make a selection and propose creative ways of presenting them. Our collaboration is based on their curatorial work.”
Jim Hedges’ commitment to creating the largest private collection of Andy Warhol photographs
JH “I grew up in Tennessee. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Interview Magazine. It was a drug that gave me ‘access’ to the art world and the New York life that fascinated me so much. Then, I spent 20 years in the investment business and collecting art became a hobby. From the beginning I looked at Warhol’s work. At the time, I was dating a guy who was the curator of the Whitney Museum. He was on the board of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for many years. When Andy died in 1987, his estate evolved into this foundation, which today is one of the most active in the world in supporting artists. I bought some works directly from the Foundation.
With Tim Hunt – former curator of the Andy Warhol Foundation – we spent hours going through Warhol’s photographs. He would tell me every detail behind each shot, the circumstances in which the pictures were taken and information about the people portrayed. Tim Hunt, together with Pat Hackett – editor of The Andy Warhol Diaries – were my teachers in this collecting journey. Over the years, I went from being an enthusiast to someone who chose to devote the next chapter of his career to working with these materials. The result is about 5000 shots of Andy Warhol, the largest private collection of his photographs to which many exhibitions are dedicated worldwide.”
Bringing Andy Warhol’s analog photography to Capri for the first time
JH “As far as research shows, Warhol has never been to Capri. He visited Pompeii, Ischia and Naples. Here he met Joseph Beuys at gallery owner Lucio Amelio’s initiative. Bringing his photographs to the island therefore has a peculiar significance for him.”
The analog grain: pop and nostalgia through Warhol’s photographs
MB ”we selected the photos together. It was an instinctive process. I discovered Capri thanks to this project. I had never been there before. The theme of pop and nostalgia also emanates from the island itself. The photographs exhibited in Capri date back to the time when iconic personalities lived here in the 1970s. Looking at these photos evokes a feeling of fascination and melancholy for an unrepeatable lifestyle.”
JH “There is a sense of celebration in these photographs. Andy Warhol and Grace Jones at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wedding, Tina Chow dancing, C. Z. Guest riding a horse. An American opulence that bonds with Capri, so beloved by Americans. Warhol’s elegance and glamour are mirrored by Martin’s design objects that recall the taste of 1960s-1970s Capri.”
The collectible furniture and design masters from Brûlé’s Collection at Grand Hotel Quisisana
FJC The solo show of Andy Warhol photographs from the Hedges Collection curated by Jim Hedges and Martin Brûlé, runs in parallel with a salon-style installation of rare collectible furniture and objets d’art from Brûlé’s Collection: Arte Povera to Jean Garçon’s 1960’s radical metal furniture, anchored by a quintessential Capri terrace designed by Cathy Vedovi.
MB “the main installation is a complete salon by industrial designer Jean Garçon. He originally worked in advertising, and this aspect links him to Warhol’s aesthetic. The set we will exhibit consists of a bed, four chairs, two stools, and a console table. Garçon’s was a pioneer in steel design. Such a set was in the 1960s part of Karl Lagerfeld’s apartment furniture. Also featured are sculptures by Jean Hans Arp.”
The Quisisana Hotel
FJC For nearly 150 years, the Hotel Quisisana has been a favorite of politicians and poets, royalty and rock stars since 1845. Outside on the terrace, guests relax while watching the crowds of Capri visitors pass by. An oasis of peace and tranquility where chandeliers, marble floors, mirrors and objects transport guests to another dimension. Capri has been an international intellectual center for decades, and the Quisisana hosts this exhibition, strengthening the link with Nomad, the world of art and design.
MB ”We reopened the Quisisana side terrace that dates back to the 1970s. Thanks to the hotel’s archives we could see how it was set up at the time and try to enhance this iconoclastic style of Capri.”
JH “this terrace is located to the right of the hotel entrance. It was unused space for many years. We created a private and special environment where we display part of the works. Usually, people know the main terrace of the Quisisana, but in this case the one we could access is much more discreet and private.”
Andrea P. Mc Leod shares with Lampoon the origins of this project at the Quisisana
“Among my clients, there is the Quisisana. I have been attending Nomad since the first edition three years ago in Capri and I have always wanted to bring art to this hotel. I immediately thought of Jim and how Warhol’s work is still relevant today. I actually met Jim at the Quisisana. Talking then with Nicolas, Martin turned out to be a perfect connection to the world of design. This exhibition brings together different personalities and is the only one that will be outside the main spaces of the Certosa di San Giacomo during this edition of Nomad.”
About Jim Hedges
Hedges Projects, LLC serves as an art collecting, art dealing and art production arm for the Jim Hedges Collection. Jim R. Hedges IV has been an active art collector and patron for over 30 years. He is currently a private art dealer, cultural producer and curator. In addition to his work with the world’s largest private collection of Andy Warhol photographs, he is also Curator of the Arts for the Hotel Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows in Los Angeles. He also serves as President of The Hedges Family Charitable Foundation. Hedges has been an active promoter of artist installations and producer of artist editions across mediums and in venues as diverse as The Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, The Grand Palais in Paris, France, and The Aspen Institute. Hedges lives between Los Angeles and Paris.
About Martin Brûlé Studio
With an international perspective, an unconventional background, and a reverence for nature’s unpredictable beauty, Martin Brûlé Studio has developed an approach that is at once steeped in history yet free of rules or restrictions. While early 20th century motifs play heavily in his work, Brûlé looks towards the future rather than reimagining the past. Brûlé and his team understand the importance of creating drama within a space – and that drama can come from restraint. His interiors are opulent but quietly so. For Martin Brûlé Studio, functionality and design are at times the real luxury.
About Nomad Circle
For summer 2024 the 14th edition of Nomad will be held for the third time at the Certosa di San Giacomo in Capri – the oldest historical building on Capri. It was built in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to Queen Giovanna I. Nestled in the emerald-green landscape just above the jagged, rocky cliffs, from where you can admire a breathtaking view of the Faraglioni and shimmering Mediterranean sea, the fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery is located only a few steps away from the island’s central square, La Piazzetta.
