Conceived as a sequel and expansion of “Tulips” from 2019, Kapp Kapp’s current show “Tulips” is a multi-generational exhibition marking the fifth anniversary of the Tribeca gallery run by twins Sam and Daniel Kapp. The show features pieces from recent Kapp exhibitors Louis Osmosis and Thomas Blair, as well as Kapp friendlies Sam McKinniss, Anthony Cudahy, Alicia Adamerovich and Justin Liam O’Brien—all of whom participated in the first iteration “Tulips”—and finally, Cynthia Hawkins, Julien Ceccaldi and last but not least, legendary photographer Stanley Stellar, known for his influential work documenting the AIDS crisis in New York City, whom Kapp Kapp recently presented in a solo booth in the Focus section at Frieze New York. It was the gallery’s first time at the May art fair.
Inspired by the Sylvia Plath poem of the same name, the show refracts the written work’s blend of sublimity, innocence and despair through painting, sculpture and other mediated approaches to contemporary life. Sharing some great memories connected to the show, Sam Kapp told Observer:
“The second iteration of ‘Tulips’ feels like a perfect time to reflect on what we’ve built over the last five years. Though only a small number of artists in the show are represented by the gallery, a vast majority are artists we’ve known and maintained friendships and working relationships with over the years, which feels like a testament to our gallery’s ethos, which has always been connected to our community. I remember sitting around a family-style table at Effie’s, a local Greek restaurant near our original Philadelphia location, eating dinner after our first ‘Tulips’ opening with Justin O’Brien, Sam McKinniss, Anthony Cudahy and Luke O’Halloran. Five years later, I look around at our 2024 ‘Tulips’ dinner celebration with many of the same faces and many new faces, too, and it’s a moment to recognize how far we’ve come.”
Kapp Kapp opened in Philadelphia, before relocating to New York in 2020 and later pivoting to a space in Tribeca in 2022. Queer Thoughts gallery (which closed in 2023 in what seemed like a tsunami of notable art gallery closures) attracted them to the neighborhood, and a similar sense of queer optimism informs all of their work, whether through rising, established or hidden talents. The duo’s love of art and culture didn’t come out of nowhere: their great-grandfather David Kapp founded the now-defunct Kapp Records, which counted Cher, Louis Armstrong, Elton John, Françoise Hardy, Miriam Makeba and Eartha Kitt on its roster. (David’s brother, Jack, was behind the legendary Decca Records).
Despite the market dip over the past year, the young gallerists remain optimistic and future-focused: “The last five years have taught me a lot about art, both the optimism and power of translating an artist’s practice, which can often mean connecting dots and creating context for an artist’s work, but I’ve also learned, especially given the influx of gallery closures, to appreciate the ephemerality and temporality of art and gallery exhibitions,” Sam said.
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Though he freely admits that very few galleries withstand the test of time, he has also found joy in embracing the legacies Kapp Kapp is building for artists, and he’s happy to make time to acknowledge what they’ve already built.
“Both Daniel and I remain optimistic about the art industry and about art generally,” Sam continued. “Our gallery is founded on a principle of optimism and our outlook is rooted in abundance; which is not necessarily ideal for creating scarcity-based sales tactics but has created an infrastructure for the artists we work with to maintain connections beyond the walls of our gallery.”
The brothers are committed to staying open at a time “where the art market has clearly left some businesses rattled.” The gallery’s focus will remain squarely on its artists—a recipe for success that has carried Kapp Kapp this far.
“Tulips” runs through July 26 at Kapp Kapp Gallery in Tribeca (86 Walker St 4th Floor, New York).
