Alhambra Antiques Opens New Exhibition to Much Acclaim

Paintings by Asser Saint-Val hang over a vintage composite stag

Olga Granda-Scott stands amidst the work of Eric Besson

After undergoing aesthetic renovations during the spring, the repurposed Alhambra Antiques space in downtown Coral Gables hosted a vernissage on June 16^th with a new look and fresh vibe. A cross between antiques store, art gallery, and cultural space, the “new old” Alhambra Antiques is an intellectually stimulating experience. The current exhibit has been curated to include unparalleled vintage, antique, and select contemporary offerings with innovative creative artists Asser Saint-Val, Eric Besson, and Fiorella Chelini showing selections of their work.

Art collectors, designers, and aficionados gathered at the event to benefit the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a charity which has always been dear to the hearts of directors Olga Granda-Scott and Douglas Scott. Attendees included interior designers Jim Murphy, Diane Sepler, and Kevin Gray; Vizcayans president Don Kress, art dealer Marvin Ross Friedman, artist Asser Saint-Val, and celebrity columnist Daisy Olivera.

“The way the space is staged makes walking through the store a mysterious adventure. Humor, wit, and curiosity can all be used to describe the creative vignettes” said attendee Cristina Romney Espinosa. “I’ve come to expect the unexpected every time I visit—as well as a great party!”

As part of the new three artist group exhibition, the surrealist paintings of Asser Saint-Val brought much color and life and were particularly well received. The Haitian artist, who lives and works in Miami and has sold works to important collections including the Rubell family, hesitated before showing his works in a non-traditional gallery space. But once he saw the way they could be juxtaposed with some of the very elements used to create his fictional characters, he loved and appreciated the tension created.

“Asser’s work is a bit of reality spun into a whimsical character which spoke to me when I saw it. I love incorporating humor into my installations, and I felt that he had embodied that sense of blurring the lines between practicality and fiction” explained Olga Granda-Scott. “It is a very exciting process to be able to find interesting work and expose our clients to a new way of living and collecting.”

The exhibition will be on display through August 15^th, when a new roster of artists will be unveiled.