Chiron by Adelita Husni-Bey

New York City, 2019

Chiron, Adelita Husni Bey’s (b. 1985, Milan, Italy) first solo exhibition in the US, is a film featuring lawyers working for UnLocal, an organization dedicated to providing pro-bono legal representation to undocumented immigrants and their families facing deportation in New York.

Twenty-six textile banners emblazoned with extracts of immigration acts from 1882 – 2017, form the large scale, site specific installation Chiron. Created with a special developed version of Kvadrat’s Frost with reflective yarn, creating a ghostly, three-dimensional setting that viewers traverse through as they approach the film itself. The collaboration is the second commission in the three-year partnership between Kvadrat and the New Museum.

In her practice, Husni-Bey makes use of noncompetitive pedagogical models to organize workshops and produce publications, radio broadcasts, and archives that form the basis of her exhibitions and films. For Chiron, she has created a new site-specific installation that incorporates several of her most significant films to date, including the premiere of a major new work.

Njusja de Gier, Senior Vice President Marketing Kvadrat: “When we started the three-year collaboration with the New Museum, our aim was to encourage artists engaging creatively with textile in the development of a new site-specific work.

As the second project in this series, we are honoured that we have been given the opportunity to work so closely with the talented Adelita Husni-Bey and help introduce her work to new audiences. For the installation Chiron, the artist has customized 26 textile banners emblazoned with extracts of immigration Acts from 1882-2017 creating a ghostly, three-dimensional setting allowing viewers to immerse in the installation. It is remarkable to see how she has incorporated textiles in her film and installation to create a powerful commentary about the history of immigration."