Somewhere Inside: ISCP and the Studio

Commemorating ISCP’s thirtieth anniversary, Somewhere Inside: ISCP and the Studio offers a focused look at the ways that five artists—Martine Gutierrez, Daniel Guzmán, Joiri Minaya, Sophie Tottie, and Frank WANG Yefeng, all alumni of the program—find inspiration from the materials and imagery around them in the studio. The mystery of the artist’s workspace is deeply rooted in the public imagination. Traditionally seen as a sacred place of refuge, the modern studio has adapted and evolved, taking myriad forms: a solitary retreat, a collective workshop or factory, a community setting, an office or a kitchen table, an exhibition or performance venue, and even a portal within the artist’s mind. The artists in this presentation have distinct practices, yet they all approach the studio as a nourishing and exploratory space where they can develop and mine their own creative archive—one enriched by a porous connection to the outside world.

Somewhere Inside takes its title from the words of Bruce Nauman, who playfully interrogated the activities of the studio: “It’s always interested me how one does any work in the studio at all, what it’s supposed to be about, how you get things started or make any sense out of the process. Even though the work is coming from somewhere inside, you can’t put your finger on the source.”

Reflecting on the alchemy of the studio, the exhibition highlights different strategies for accumulating and making use of what the artist holds within their studio—source material from books, magazines and online searches, sketches, costumes and props, earlier artworks, and other collected objects. For each artist in Somewhere Inside, the studio contents also serve as an archive of materials, imagery, and ideas, and it is from this archive that they often make discoveries and produce new artworks.

The studio environment is the lifeblood of ISCP. Established in 1994 with the goal of fostering an international community of artists in New York City, ISCP emerged as a visual arts residency at a time when affordable studio space in Manhattan had become increasingly scarce. Now in an old printing factory in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, ISCP continues to provide individual studios as well as opportunities for support and exchange to artists and curators from all over the world. Today ISCP plays a vital role in bridging divides, championing diverse viewpoints, and creating a more inclusive and dynamic artistic community in New York City and beyond.

This exhibition is curated by Melinda Lang, ISCP’s Director of Programs and Exhibitions.

Somewhere Inside: ISCP and the Studio is supported by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso; Dr. Samar Maziad; Hartfield Foundation; James Rosenquist Foundation; Lèna Saltos; Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation; New York City Council District 34; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; Sarah Jones; van Beuren Charitable Foundation; William Talbott Hillman Foundation; and Woodman Family Foundation.