The Tamesis
Across the city, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Place Dimes, the divide between art and fashion – or rather the lack thereof – is the talk of the day. At Null Object, the gallery founded by creative director Nikki Mirsaeid and cinematographer Alex Gvojic, Zoe Whalen has created a mesmerizing installation using pieces from her Fall 2026 Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen collection. Whalen caused a stir at the end of that show, wearing a thin white padded dress and submerging herself in a claw-foot bathtub at the end of the runway, an act of rebirth. “This is a true love letter to the body, especially my body,” the designer said at the time.
In the new exhibition, Whalen’s body has a Hans Bellmer-style stand-in for a patchwork mannequin, made from leftover scraps from the collection. The woman was truly devastated; one of her arms was on the floor next to the tub, and one detached, shod leg extended beyond the edge. Three voodoo groups hang sculpturally from fishing lines and surround the bathtub. Unlike Macbeth’s crone, these are benevolent, disembodied figures. “My vision was to use the themes and pieces from the series to create a triptych of figures looking at her…[that are] Represents life, death and rebirth. “
Affirming Mirsayid’s assertion: “Everything is ritualistic [Whalen] In the far left corner of the rectangular space is a small altar with a boxy television showing fall programming. To the rear and right of the bathtub scene, Whalen cleverly used a stair railing to create a shelf displaying strappy bras and bloomers made from vintage materials, all for sale. The jewelry box-sized gallery features steel walls “designed to disappear into whatever it houses,” Gvojic said. “It’s an industrial background that can be transformed into anything. What’s exciting for us about working with Zoe is that she brings something raw and elemental to that environment.”
Null Object is located at 146 East Broadway. The exhibition period for “R.I.P/Probation” will last until June 5, 2026.
