WhiteBox SIP Exhibition Project
By Kaylie Pykkonen
The art you’re looking for is right in front of you.
Yasmeen Abdallah. Tea Vines. Assorted tea, yarn, fabric, circular hoops, Variable dimensions. 2015-ongoing. Photo credit: Kaylie Pykkonen
Walking into a bodega to grab a snack or a quick coffee is an everyday experience for many New Yorkers. Most of us have our neighborhood delis that provide essential nourishment and warm interactions with the people behind the counter. Yet how often do we pause to appreciate and value these connections? How frequently do we notice the colorful packaging and vibrant energy within a deli space or elevate everyday experiences to what might be considered artistic beauty? For many, the value of ephemeral connections in commonplace interactions is an integral and subconscious element of well-being. There is an art to the rhythms we’ve grown accustomed to, and we can deepen this appreciation by pausing and reflecting on the art of ordinary living.
WhiteBox, as part of its SIP (Staff & Internship Involvement Program), opened Have a Good One! at Ben’s Deli on Avenue B, a subtle and resourceful exhibition curated by Christy Li and Debora Maurelli, under the mentorship of curator and artist Yohanna M. Roa. The show offered discounted snacks in a functioning bodega, while the curatorial selections encouraged guests to stay for a while and observe the integrated, marvelous creations of various contemporary artists in New York City. Artists participating in the show: Yasmeen Abdallah, Lindsay-Ann Chilcott, Yen Yen Chou, Angelique De Castro, Abby Goodman, Yeeun Joo, Nicholas Leeper, Noah Fischer, Kara Li, Helen Lin, Silvia Francis Berry, Alisa Ochoa, Onaje Grant-Simmonds, and Adina Andrus.
Christy Li – curator, Juan Puntes – WhiteBox artistic director, Yohanna M Roa – Project advisor, artist and curator
At Ben’s Deli, food and art were placed on equal footing, prompting guests to reflect on the value of both. Many visitors marveled at the “scavenger hunt” nature of the show, noting how the curation of the space allowed them to pause and search for art installations woven into the everyday experience. Participating artist Angelique De Castro commented on the elevation of wonder and the decentering of stale elitism within the art world. Another visitor mentioned that it was almost difficult to find some pieces amidst the vibrant color and energy of the bodega.
Have a Good One! invites people to step outside the definitions and constraints of the contemporary art world. Meaningful creations can be found beyond well-known galleries in any neighborhood. Interaction with art should not be confined to fluorescent-lit, white-walled spaces. While formal galleries may emphasize the exclusivity of the art world, Have a Good One! does the opposite. The exhibit reminds us that art should not be a safeguarded form; instead, it should belong to the hands-on creators of the everyday. The elite may commodify the creations of working artists, but the value must ultimately be attributed to the laborers, the connectors, and the wanderers. Moreover, the display of creative work should not be restricted to museums, but extended to spaces that regularly provide us with social and physical sustenance.
Nicholas Leeper. Madonna and Child (Tomatokos). Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Panel, 15″ x 10″. 2024. Photo credit: Christy Li.
Nicholas Leeper’s Madonna and Child (Tomatokos) portrayed a pop-art Madonna holding a can of tomato soup between instant noodles brands. The acrylic and gold-leaf piece prompted viewers to consider Christ’s offerings of sustenance for all, alluding to Isaiah’s prophecy: “You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat… you shall delight in rich fare” (Isaiah 55:1-2). Behind the deli glass, selected work by Angelique De Castro featured ceramic cups adorned with red smiley faces, reminiscent of styrofoam ramen packaging, but opting for sustainability. Alisa Ochoa’s sculptural fruits, which double as sound shakers, are blended with edible items purchased to sustain life, a nod to the essential nature of bodegas. Similarly, Yen Yen Chou’s brightly colored, soft sculptural pancakes and Lindsay-Ann Chilcott’s Let Them Eat Cake delicacy made viewers pause and reflect on the exuberance and pleasure found in bodega baked goods. However, the phrase Let Them Eat Cake also evokes the class divisions that sparked the French Revolution. Today, guarding objects is no longer a practice reserved for institutions or luxury items. Across the street, Duane Reade sells Goldfish crackers from a locked glass case.
Angelique De Castro. Waruchan mugs. Ceramics, Dim. Variables. 2024. Photo credit: Christy Li.
At the back of Ben’s Deli, Yasmeen Abdallah’s Tea Vines presented a participatory, real-time art installation that engaged visitors to use hanging tea bags and contribute to creating a colorful drip rug below. Abdallah noted the importance of care, consideration, and the art of slowing down within her work. Tea Vines invites viewers to witness and participate in creating a textile piece. It provides physical nourishment and encourages viewers to share a cup of tea, discuss what’s happening, and detach from the never-ending news cycle of proposed political destruction. Within the hanging tea bags at the back of Ben’s Deli, people can participate in a reality dreamcatcher, and in doing so, be better equipped to confront increasingly tense realities.
Yen Yen Chou. Sweet Jiggles. Dim Variable. Acrylic and glitter on flexible urethane foam. 2019. Photo credit: Christy Li
Integrating paintings, sculptures, and interactive installations within a bodega creates a sense of novelty that enhances the possibilities of exhibition spaces. However, as Yohanna Roa noted during the event’s artist talk at WhiteBox last Saturday, recognizing art within essential functions is an established tradition beyond the limited scope of Western modernity. Roa discussed that in Latin America, artists often take advantage of found materials and alternative spaces, like liquor stores and train stations. Art and life do not operate on separate planes. However, using adaptable materials and spaces can also stem from necessity. When the arts do not receive adequate funding, artists must innovate. Collaborating with local business owners and patrons can create microeconomies based on reciprocity rather than raw capital. Ben’s Deli has provided sandwiches, cold drinks, and refuge to Alphabet City for 45 years. Sammy Ksem, who recently purchased the deli from his cousin Ben Gibran, agreed to host Have a Good One! free of charge. After opening night, Ksem encouraged curator Christy Li to bring future shows to the bodega space. Local collaboration and resource allocation open opportunities while strengthening community and challenging barriers. WhiteBox Artspace has long recognized the invaluable role of this process.
Left: Lindsay-Ann Chilcott. Artificial Appetite. Cardboard, electrical wires, liquid glass, metal, plastic, and wax paper. Variable dimensions. 2022. Right: Helen Lin. Can you grab these on the way in (series)?. Yiuting shopping bag, thread, 9 x 16 in. 2023. Photo credit: Christy Li.
Founded in 1998 in Chelsea, WhiteBox is an artist-run nonprofit that has driven bold contemporary art initiatives through exhibitions, commissions, and educational programs. With over 25 years of impact, it champions interdisciplinary collaboration and socially engaged art. The WhiteBox SIP fosters emerging arts professionals by offering hands-on experience in curation and public programming, ensuring WhiteBox remains a dynamic center for creativity and cultural dialogue. In this way, Have a Good One! refuses to prescribe or enforce classist interactions with art and policy. Instead, it invites viewers to stay awhile, gaining sustenance through nutrition and artistic fulfillment. Art can happen daily, all around us, no matter who you are or what you do. To platform its healing qualities, we must integrate our interactions with creative production and reflect on the existing artistic qualities in spaces we may consider mundane. Next time you consume a beautiful cake, celebrate the baker, not the brand.
Left: Onaje Grant-Simmonds. Voyagers. Oil on Canvas, 32 x 54 in. 2024. Middle: Silvia Francis Berry. Jewel wasps and cockroaches. Print on paper, in a series of three, variable dimensions. 2025. Right: Yasmeen Abdallah. Tea Vines. Assorted tea, yarn, fabric, circular hoops, Variable dimensions. 2015-ongoing.
