4 JULY 30, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Good Times Studio’s cofounders
Daniel Kuzinez and
Alejandro Otaola didn’t wait
until the state gave the green light for
indoor cultural events to return.
The relatively new creative production
company held what co-founders
called the fi rst socially distant art
show — “Good Times Six Feet Apart”
at H0L0, located at 1090 Wyckoff Ave.
in Ridgewood — since the COVID-19
pandemic caused the city and state to
go on temporary lockdown in March.
The show lasted a week from June 30
to July 6. Attendees had to pre-register,
wear face masks and enter the space in
groups of no more than fi ve individuals
at a time.
Kuzinez and Otaola wanted to
showcase pieces of diff erent mediums
from fellow artists across New York
City, including a recording of a monologue
by performing artist Paul James;
paintings, illustrations and ceramics
by Adela Julevic; a multidisciplinary
exhibition by Otaola; and an interactive
video installation by Christine
Sikking.
While the exhibition didn’t have a
theme, even its title suggests a show
that explores life’s new reality — one
of self-isolation and refl ection.
“We just wanted to show people good
work,” Otaola said. “Work that we’re
passionate about instead of something
we wanted to have a conversation
about.”
Kuzinez, born in Israel, and Otaola,
from Venezuela, both moved to the
city years ago to pursue their careers
in art. The quarantine put their plans
for more exhibitions on pause (or
canceled them altogether), but aft er
months of lockdown, they wanted to
bring art back.
“The idea came up around March.
A visitor pictured with “Mangos en Las Nebulosas” by Alejandro Otaola
at “Good Times Six Feet Apart” show.
Photos courtesy of Good Times Studios
We wanted a very diff erent format
originally, but didn’t expect it to happen,”
Kuzinez said. “While we were
in quarantine we just kept working.
We realized that if we wanted to make
it happen, we needed to fi nd a special
venue.”
The artists said that unlike other
art show openings, there was no
mingling. Instead, they designed the
ample space at H0L0 to allow them to
guide separate groups through the
exhibition.
“Instead of having people forget
about COVID, we wanted to have the
factor of isolation to push it forward,”
Otaola said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced
museums and other cultural establishments
were not part of the phase four
reopening last week, leaving those
indoor experiences out of the question
for at least two more weeks. But
in the beginning of July, some small
art galleries in the city began to open
for appointment-only visits.
Otaola said they were proud to be
the fi rst to do it. Kuzinez said they had
about 70 people in total from across
the city visit the exhibition, some
traveling from Uptown Manhattan
to see it.
“So many people were saying
thanks,” Kuzinez said. “The last
couple of months, people only got to
see art online. We got a lot of positive
feedback.”
Good Times Studio hopes to be
back with another exhibit in the near
future.
“We want to keep doing shows,”
Otaola said. “Our artist friends are
coming back later in August and we’re
in talks for a studio.”
Ridgewood
exhibit was fi rst
socially distant
art show in NYC
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