Folding and twisting, folding and twisting, around and around. That’s what Jason Hackenwerth will be doing for over a week as he builds The Titan and the Fireflies, opening on Friday October 30 at the Skybox at 2424 Studios.


Inspired by the dramatic turn-of-the century industrial space, Curator Eileen Tognini invited Hackenwerth to create his monumental – scale biomorphic sculptural creatures made from balloons to evoke a spirit of wonder and fascination. The use of familiar and ordinary objects, yet unconventional by classical standards of art materials to create art, have long been a personal interest of Eileen’s. It’s my goal to introduce artists who use unexpected materials that will expand the definition of “what is art”.


“The ephemeral nature of an installation is an unmistakable reflection of our own lives. Because of its delicateness, it is difficult to predict how long it will last,” Jason notes about his own work, considering his medium as a metaphor for the way artists make their way into the art scene.


A New York City based artist, Jason has been exhibited internationally including the Venice Biennale, SCOPE Art Fair in London, Jang Heung Art Museum in Seoul, Korea and The San Diego Children’s Museum. Most recently Jason finished among the Top 10 competing for the largest art purse from The ART Prize in Grand Rapids Michigan where he competed amongst 1262 artists entries to win based on popular vote.

Show: The Titan and the Fireflies
New Work by Jason Hackenwerth
Curated by Eileen Tognini
Opening Party: Friday, October 30, 2009 7 – 10 pm
Exhibition: October 31- November 28
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday
12 – 6 pm

Five Dudes, Artwork and Booze

Opening Reception: September 4, 6-9PM
Artists: Noel Hefele, Ron Johnson, Shane Leddy, Matt Maloney, and Michael Xander.

There are a lot of myths about the evils of art, and all of them are true. Art is insidious: One minute you’re at a Sherman Williams comparing wall tiles and the next you’re having tentacle sex in a Japanese rowboat. Why else would a child cry at a museum but for art? They can see into the madness to the truth of the thing, like on that show Quantum Leap. Remember? Dean Stockwell played the hologram?
Showing no regard for the concerns of philistines and Dean Stockwell, five Philadelphia artists will untether the bonds of polite society by displaying a collection of their work for “Five Dudes, Artwork and Booze” an exhibit hosted by 2424 Studios on September 4th, 6-9pm.
Noel Hefele’s evocative meditations on nature and society, the stillness of a Ron Johnson painting, Shane Leddy’s patchwork of the subconscious mind, Matt Maloney’s carnival dread of sadness and mortality, and Michael Xander’s sequential narrative art, a dance between Eastern and Western influences. Their paintings and illustrations will all be on display.
So if you are a fan of things like creativity, available alcohol, and music of questionable import, then this event is for you. See you in hell, as depicted during the Renaissance.

Mark your calendars: The afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 26 is the date for for The First-Ever Philebrity Record Fair here at 2424 Studios! There’s going to be refreshments and entertainment as well (more info on this soon), but in the meantime, if you’ve got music-related wares you’d like to sell, get at us at tips[at]philebrity[dot]com with “RECORD FAIR” in the subject header. Table charge is only $25, and we’re looking for everything from pro collectors to stores to labels to Etsy-ers who do music-related stuff to… whatever, so long as it’s music related. Can you dig it? We knew that you could.

Click here to start your tour!

Thanks to the folks at Fisheye Virtual Tours, you can now check in with us to see how construction is going here at 2424 Studios. We’ll be updating the tours, periodically, but check out this early version to see how far we’ve come already — and how far we’ll be going as the weeks progress. Since we made this one, the building has already come a long way!