South Street Seaport Welcomes Artion Gallery with Carmen Molina’s “Undercurrents” Photo Exhibition

By: Kayla Baken

Artion is a family-owned gallery that started in Greece, and over the last 25 years, it has won a dominant role in American, European and Middle Eastern markets.

On December 6^th, Artion Gallery opened its New York headquarters at 275 Water Street, the first art gallery to open in the South Street Seaport and yet another sign of the resilience of Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

Gallery owner Konstantino Manolakis is proud to feature Colombian photographer Carmen Molina’s “Undercurrents”, a deeply personal series of self-portraits motivated by a dark period in Molina’s life and her liberation from it. In transferring her emotions onto paper, they become clear, visible and in a sense tangible. This release allows her to return to a state of emptiness that allots space for healing and growth.

Molina created the exhibition’s 17 aesthetically beautiful pieces by using a technique she developed herself that she refers to as “photo layering”, in which she blends and transforms photographs of color, light, shape and texture to capture a reality her eye can’t see. The impactful effect communicates an intense self-examination.

“Undercurrents” is sponsored by the Colombian consulate and is raising funds for Caring for Colombia, the New York-based nonprofit that mobilizes resources to support vulnerable populations through art, health and education programs in Colombia.

Kayla Baken is 24 years old working as a publicist in New York City. She graduated from Indiana University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. An art enthusiast at heart, she was extremely excited to work with Carmen Molina on her “Undercurrents” exhibition.