Diana Al-Hadid's Studio Boom | "New York Close Up" | Art21

Can growing a business and maturing as an artist go hand in hand? In this film, artist Diana Al-Hadid and her crew of dedicated assistants strike a balance between work and play while finishing a new sculpture on a tight deadline. Filmed over several months at Al-Hadid's studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the collaborative team of young artists devote long hours towards the completion of "Nolli's Orders" (2012) for its debut in the "Invisible Cities" [http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=669] exhibition at MASSMoCA. In a year marked by rapid growth in the studio, Al-Hadid keeps pace with the demand for her massive sculptures by enlarging her workspace, teaching specialized sculptural techniques to others, and making efficient use of time and resources. Charting the expansion of her operation over the years—from working alone in a small space to renovating and managing a floor of artist studios for additional income—Al-Hadid's artistic ambitions are made possible by her ability to create an enjoyable, yet highly productive working environment, and to problem-solve on a grand scale. As moving day steadily approaches, Al-Hadid and her team create a manual detailing the complex assembly instructions for "Nolli's Orders," slowly dismantle and crate the intricate sculpture, and clear out the studio to begin work on the next project.

Diana Al-Hadid (b. 1981, Allepo, Syria; raised in Cleveland, Ohio, USA) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Learn more about the artist at:
http://www.art21.org/newyorkcloseup/artists/diana-al-hadid/

CREDITS | "New York Close Up" Created & Produced by: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Editor: Brad Kimbrough. Cinematography: John Marton, Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Sound: Scott Fernjack, Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Associate Producer: Ian Forster. Production Assistant: Amanda Long & Tida Tippapart. Design & Graphics: Open. Artwork: Diana Al-Hadid. Thanks: Loren Alliston, Jonathan deSimone, Drew Dudak, Sarah Faitell, Dennis Harvey, Nicholas Joyce, Yeji Lee, MASS MoCA, Ryan Muller, Paul Pino, Platypus Fine Art, Jack Samels, United Van Lines. An Art21 Workshop Production. © Art21, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

New York Close Up is supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; Toby Devan Lewis; Lambent Foundation; the Dedalus Foundation, Inc.; and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc. Additional support provided by The 1896 Studios & Stages, and by individual contributors.

(Laughter)

This is what it feels like in my city all the time: super tense.

What’s gonna happen?

You should do quick steps there, and then

How is the beat studio?

Booh!

What up!

You gonna carry it sexy

Yeah

Four years ago this whole floor was just one empty space

There was no plumbing there was no heaters, there was no electrical

Does it look level to you?

Lucky for me, I got it grant and I partitioned to move it out

some of it is rented to other artists.

And I curved out a space for myself that was way bigger than I ever dreamt

I was taking on too much in figuring out how to amake it happen.

It's real. It works. Sort of.

When I first moved to NY, my studio was maybe 700 sq feet

I made sculptures within inches of the walls, it was really difficult,

Especially for the work that I made. It taugh me how to be efficient,

how to save space, how to save money and especially how to save time.

Cause no one helps me, and when you don’t have a lot of resources, you get sharp.

Voici la nouvelle sculpture de Diana

Elle a deux mois pour la finir, pour une exhibition.

Ouaih!

This past year I had a pretty fast growth.

It just impossible to do this alone on this scale.

Do you have a bucket for me? Yes!

So, now I have assistants that help me make these things.

Tout le monde a un surnom au studio

DrewDack "dessinait beaucoup étant petit"

DrewDudak--"Dessinait Beaucoup Quand Il Était Petit"

YejiLee--"Yejisauk"

SarahFaitell--"Fatal"

That's also why I have a studio manager to allocate different tasks to people

now I can focus on something that requires my attention.

Working on a set this large is amazing, it’s so much fun

When I was first working for her I was her only assistant.

I spent like 6 months working really closely with just her I learnt a lot about all different techniques.

It might just be that one rod.

You are great