Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art has always been a refuge for aesthetes, a quiet contrast with the kinetic atmosphere of the outside world. Current exhibition In Bloom goes a step further with a collection that celebrates the spring season of rebirth, renewal and rejuvenation. Open through Sept. 10, the 30 pieces range from small still lifes and landscapes to wall-length wonders and large-scale sculptures that collectively represent humanity, change and transformation.
Demecina Beehn, the art and culture director for MGM Resorts International, worked with the Tia Collection of Santa Fe, N.M., to create In Bloom. “We’ve been working with a consultant for a long time named András Szántó,” said Beehn during a tour. “He’s constantly traveling the world and was in Santa Fe for something else and was invited to tour the Tia Collection.”
Installation View of Salvador Dalí, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Dan Colen, and Alex Katz from In Bloom, 2023, Courtesy of Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
Amazed, Szántó contacted Beehn and connected her with the Tia team. The Tia Collection’s blend of 20th century art from the American Southwest and visions from contemporary, globally recognized artists provided a fertile pasture from which Beehn could curate an exhibition. Bellagio’s botanical department helped physically transform the gallery by covering every inch of surface in the foyer with an abundance of flowers that creates the impression that the environment guests are about to enter is indeed distinct.
A trio of oil paintings by early 20th century artists Nicolai Fechin, Ralph Meyers and B.J.O. Nordfeldt comes into view upon entrance, each complementing the other with their color schemes. Nordfeldt’s Still Life with Grapefruit creates the illusion of a table tipping while items on its surface seem to remain upright. Robert Mapplethorpe’s black-and-white Rose shares the wall but stands apart with a depiction of a single flower and its shadow.
Installation View of Nick Cave, James Lavadour, and Earl Biss from In Bloom, 2023, Courtesy of Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Nick Cave, Soundsuit 8:46, 2021. Tia Collection, Santa Fe, NM. © Nick Cave. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
A right turn leads to Michelangelo Pistoletto’s eight-panel Color and Light. A mirror nearly 6 feet high and 4 feet wide was divided into puzzle-like pieces that were attached to wood panels covered with different colors of jute fabric. The reflection of the viewer becomes part of the art.
Viewers may see something of themselves in Yinka Shonibare’s stunning Bling Painting as well. Twenty-seven round disks are mounted on a golden backdrop, each with an African fabric center encircled by variously themed bric-a-brac representing war, luxury and religion. A life-size bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland jumping rope by surrealist Salvador Dalí stands in the center of the room, positioned perfectly against a backdrop of a hauntingly gorgeous edge-of wilderness landscape painting by Dan Colen, Mother (Distant Town), that is one of a series inspired by Disney’s Lady and the Tramp.
While many additional visually arresting works are part of In Bloom, two sculptures are particular highlights. Nick Cave’s rococo Soundsuit 8:46, a response to the killing of George Floyd, stands tall in one room while Tamara Kvesitadze’s stainless steel Man and Woman consists of two figures sliced into horizontal layers that intersect with each other as they rotate on round platforms. It’s a spin on the cyclic nature of rebirth that fits very well with the diverse offerings of In Bloom.
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