Uta Bekaia and Chris Fennell

There/There
February 10 – March 26, 2025

Marisa Newman Projects is pleased to announce There/There, a dynamic two-artist exhibition featuring Tbilisi-based artist Uta Bekaia and Brooklyn-based artist Chris Fennell. Running from February 11 to March 26, 2025, There/There explores the dualities of comfort and confrontation, utopia and fear, and the ways in which art can act as both a sanctuary and a space for confronting the unknown.

The title of the exhibition, There/There, is a phrase commonly used to comfort—particularly when soothing children. At first glance, these words offer reassurance, yet the comfort they suggest can seem fragile in the face of life’s more profound struggles and uncertainties. The “there” in There/There exists not just as a metaphorical balm, but also as a geographical and emotional marker. For Bekaia, it signifies a utopian future—a hopeful vision where conflict is resolved and harmony prevails. For Fennell, however, the “there” is a more charged space, one where the acknowledgment of fear becomes a path toward exorcising inner demons and confronting hidden anxieties.

There/There thus establishes a binary of two divergent yet interconnected visions. Bekaia’s work leans into the idea of a transcendent, idealized future, while Fennell’s practice delves into the darker, more primal corners of human experience. Together, these artists invite us to reflect on the ways in which art can channel mystical, often subconscious, visions—visions that aim to bring the unseen into the light, whether as a means of healing or of reckoning.

Both artists draw from the deep wells of the unconscious, using their respective mediums to explore themes of transformation, otherworldliness, and emotional catharsis. Through their work, they offer a dialogue between opposing yet complementary forces—between the dream of an idyllic future and the necessary confrontation with fear in the present. There/There ultimately asks us to consider how we navigate the unknown and how art can serve as both a mirror and a portal to deeper understanding.

The exhibition will include a selection of new works by both artists, including mixed-media sculptures, drawings, and installations that speak to their ongoing investigations into the realms of the mystical, the spiritual, and the psychological.

Uta Bekaia is a Georgian-born multimedia artist currently based in Brooklyn and Tbilisi. His artistic practice revolves around the speculative recreation of ancestral rituals, reimagined for a Queer utopian future. Drawing inspiration from traditional crafts, Bekaia creates elaborate wearable sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, and objects, which are assembled into immersive installations, films, and live performances.

Chris Fennell was born in Burlington Vermont, and has lived in Brooklyn since 1992. He has dual BA’s in English and Studio Art from the University of Vermont, and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  He lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his wife and three children. He has shown in New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Dubai, Tokyo, and elsewhere. His work is represented in private and public collections in the United States and abroad. His work was most recently seen in Art On Paper NY with K Imperial Fine Art, Art Market San Francisco with K Imperial Fine Art, and Install/Deinstall at 601  Artspace in NYC, curated by Gabriela Vainsencher.