Sabine HORNIG, *Day and Night Gold ,* 2022
Silkscreen print on pigment print on archival paper
Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Written By Margarita Matta
Copy Edited by Parker Renick
Photo Edited by Yanting Chen

Sabine Hornig certainly knows how to display a city, and her current exhibition This Is No Time does just that with New York. On display at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, This Is No Time is an homage to Hornig’s unique perspective on shape and design in urban spaces, especially those in none other than New York City. The dynamic artwork uses the space around it to tell a story spanning across space and time as Hornig explores and challenges how we view the urban world.

Sabine HORNIG, *World of Tomorrow ,* 2022
Pigment print on archival paper
Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Hornig’s World of Tomorrow is a perfect example of her mastery, displaying the complex use of layering and giving an almost collage-like finish to this image of overlapping buildings. The work features a variety of buildings, both in color and black and white, as well as images, people, and other structures overlapping. The almost overwhelming depiction mimics the way in which New York City can feel at times, overcrowding the frame. World of Tomorrow reminds us of the potential our future has to be almost too industrial and helps to show where we are heading and why we might not want that. New York City can already be a crowded place, and the over-industrialization of the city might make World of Tomorrow a reality. According to the gallery, Hornig used inspiration from the World’s Fair (Your World of Tomorrow) to help induce themes that are timeless in civil society.

Hornig shows her creativity in Windows Negative, instilling a Mondrian-like sense of primary colors and geometric display. The ceramic silkscreen print on glass creatively pushes the observer to question their own concept of structure and design. Using glass as a medium allows Hornig to continuously push the bounds of her art. The use of light within the gallery allows for further interpretation of the work as viewers see themselves in the reflection of the art and allows them to physically put themselves into the work.

Sabine HORNIG, *Windows Negative ,* 2022
Ceramic silkscreen print on glass
Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Sabine HORNIG, *Stufen / Steps,* 2022
Ceramic silkscreen print on glass
Courtesy the artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Lastly, both Day and Night Gold and Day and Night Silver create inverse images of each other that even further distort the traditional images of New York City we might be used to seeing. The related images show a spanning New York skyline with a smooth, metallic background creeping down from the top. As you look closer, you see that not only are these images related, but also that the metallic background is further collage work, with upside-down buildings overlapping with the more traditional skyline view. Hornig forces us to question how we see not only New York, but the structures, livelihoods, and life within any city we might call home.