Heist/Eisenberg Grocery & Deli Celebrates Artist Ryan Watkins-Hughes' "Yes We Canned"

by CAROLINA FRANCESCA · April 23, 2009

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    Looking for some Miller High Life? Well Eisenberg Grocery & Deli may advertise it but as a party favor they gave out Colt 45s to sip on. Heist Gallery's Talia Eisenberg hosted the reception for Ryan Watkins-Hughes' "From Gallery to Grocery: Yes, We Canned" exhibition. As we mentioned, Heist Gallery transformed itself into a local bodega for this provocative show.

    The cans of Colt 45 were wrapped in brown bags that actually had information about the show screen-printed on them. The guests were surrounded by "faux bodega paraphernaila" and objects like "the ubiquitous canned food items that serve as inspiration for Watkins-Hughes" and is ongoing project Shopdropping

    "Shopdropping", which is essentially the reverse act of shoplifting where the artist buys cans of food and replaces the label with his original images. Retaining the functional barcodes, he drops the cans back onto the grocery shelves. The result is a disruption of the regulated continuum of the commercial activity within the store. The artist explores the order and dynamic flow of the grocery store by infiltrating its giant operational structure

    For evey work by Ryan Watkins-Hughes purchased, Heist Gallery will match it with a donated can to the Food Bank of New York City....all food items in the exhibition will be donated once the show closes.

    For more information visit www.heistgallery.com