FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 10th, 2024

New York, New York – Art21 is proud to announce the release of a new film “Sincerely Yours, Hadi Falapishi,” premiering Wednesday, October 23rd at 12:00 p.m. ET on Art21.org and YouTube. This is the seventh 2024 release of Art21’s digital film series, New York Close Up.  Watch the trailer.

At once deeply sincere and totally kidding, artist Hadi Falapishi isn’t afraid to play the clown in order to convey societal truths. Following Falapishi as he paints in his Brooklyn studio, hangs out a with cardboard cowboy in the park, or performs the eccentric artist at a Gilded Age mansion in Rhode Island, this documentary short explores the tensions between humor and seriousness, comedy and critique, the artist and the clown.

“There is this risk of if your work is funny or humorous, people don’t take it seriously,” says the artist in the film. “That’s the kind of fear that I recognized maybe was stopping me from what I wanted to do. So I was like, what will happen if I’m also the clown?”

“I find Hadi’s multifaceted and genre-defying practice to be inspiring and refreshing,” says Lydia Cornett, director of the film. “He actively resists being pigeonholed [and] embraces contradiction. I hope our film captures this essence, offering a glimpse into his process as his work comes to life in multiple forms.”

The film premiered to a sold-out audience in NYC during Art21’s Big Night of Shorts on Friday, September 27th. Tune in to the digital premiere of “Sincerely Yours, Hadi Falapishi” on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. ET at Art21.org and on Art21’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/art21org. To learn more, email Art21 Associate Director of Communications, Hannah DeGarmo, at [email protected].

About New York Close Up

New York Close Up (NYCU) is devoted to capturing early career artists living and working in New York City. NYCU films have been accepted and honored by over 100 film festivals, including the BlackStar and DOC NYC film festivals, as well as the Academy Awards-qualifying, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. NYCU films have also been honored with 2 Webby Award nominations and 8 Vimeo Staff Picks. Most recently, NYCU films have been accepted at the 2022 Frameline, Fullframe Documentary Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, and Rooftop Films.

New York Close Up is made possible with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Henry Nias Foundation, and individual contributors.

About Art21

Art21 is the world’s leading source to learn directly from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, the mission of Art21 is to educate and expand access to contemporary art, producing documentary films, resources, and public programs. Learn more at Art21.org.

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Press Contact

Hannah DeGarmo
Associate Director of Communications, Art21
[email protected]