Immerse yourself in short film’s young avant-garde

If you’ve cottoned on by now, you’ll know that Art Baby Gallery is worth paying attention to – especially if you’re looking for some of the most exciting, young talents, both New York-based and abroad.

While it feels like barely a week goes by without the online/IRL space curating a show, founder Grace Miceli is back with another one. While her most recent endeavours – like Girls At Night On The Internet and The Daydreamers – have focused on disciplines like photography and illustration, this time she’s hosting a series of films courtesy of cross-disciplinary artists. Titled I Feel You – and running this evening for one night only – the show also sees Miceli step out on her own (for now), after collaborating with Brooklyn’s Alt Space for her past three events. “It’s exciting for me to test my curatorial skills in a new space that is so different. I want to feel challenged and presenting work in a new venue is pushing me to be more creative,” she says, before reassuring us that her time with the gallery/shop isn’t over – with a cross-country tour announcement imminent.

Featuring Tyler Mitchell, Emmanuel Olunkwa, Jennifer Medina and Natalie Neal, Miceli riffs, “I'm drawn to how collaborative all their work is – with their subjects and as creators in general. What I take away after watching all of these videos is that there is simultaneously an investigation of self, balanced by a reflection on how we connect to others around us. The title (I Feel You) is a reference to that connection, that despite diverse content or aesthetics, they get each other,” she adds. “Natalie Neal flawlessly incorporates Sara Sutterlin’s powerful poetry and Soko’s mesmerising performance. Tyler Mitchell directs music videos, but his vision elevates them to much more than that. With her use of colour Jennifer Medina creates a seductive world, and Emmanuel Olunkwa’s intimate piece on identity brings you very close to him. All of these artists are presenting us with deeply personal work, and by working in the medium of video it’s much more immersive than a still image on a wall.”

As the pool of emerging talent continues to expand, it’s artists like Mitchell, Olunkwa, Medina and Neal whose “finger in every pie” mentality are seeing them reap the benefits, gaining recognition through their work creating photo books, music videos and art clips alike. Miceli says: “It’s exciting to have the freedom to work in different ways, it makes it much harder to get bored or tired of what you are doing; it pushes you to explore. There’s no reason to fit into one defined role anymore. I think by working in video it can positively inform how you shoot on film or paint on a canvas, there is so much to learn, why limit yourself?”

I Feel You runs tonight in Brooklyn from 6-9pm. More details, and a preview of what to expect, below

EMMANUEL OLUNKWA – “FINDING ME”